Testimonial: Tom Lynn

Everything’s bigger in Texas­—even the crashes! 6D ATR-1 owner Tom Lynn learned that the hard way during a recent trip to the Texas Tornado Boot Camp, hosted by MotoGP legend Colin Edwards. There, while attempting to back one of the school’s Yamaha TTR-125s into a corner, Lynn was tossed over the highside. Gravity handled the rest, quickly slamming Lynn back down to Texas hardpack. Following the crash, we had the chance to talk with Lynn (who has already replaced the ATR-1 he wore that day with the all-new ATR-2) about the experience, and how he was able to turn his damaged ATR-1 into the ultimate display piece.

Rider: Tom Lynn
Helmet: 6D ATR-1
Crash Date: April 29, 2018
Crash Location: Texas Tornado Boot Camp

Tom Lynn says: When you’re pushing it and really trying to learn, things happen. In this case, I was trying to back one of the Camp’s bikes into a corner and it stuck, which sent me flying. The landing felt like getting hit by a truck, but while the helmet was scuffed, I didn’t feel any signs of impact. I busted a few ribs and sprained my wrist but got up and walked that off.

With the helmet, I was blown away because usually with a hit that hard you feel the impact in your neck and have to give yourself a good inspection. The helmet helped so much with the energy that I didn’t even realize how hard my head had hit the ground, and it wasn’t until the next day that I even noticed that the shell had cracked. At that point, I put it aside and had the MotoGP riders attending the camp that week sign it. It became the ultimate display piece.

Looking back, I’m still amazed that I had no idea that I’d crashed hard enough to crack the helmet. I realized there that, Wow, this thing really did its job. It absolutely did its job.

6D Helmets says: Tom, thank you for the feedback. We’re glad to hear that you were able to enjoy the rest of your Boot Camp—even with injured ribs! 6D Helmets are designed to reduce energy transfer to the brain more effectively than traditional helmet designs, and with our omni-directional suspension system (ODS), the helmet is more effective in managing angular acceleration force and low-threshold impacts than traditional designs. This is a key to keeping riders like yourself out riding.

Please note that, after any accident of significance, the rider should submit to concussion protocol evaluation before returning to action. Following is a list of stories we’ve done on the subject of concussions and 6D’s helmet rebuild program an option for ATR-1 and ATR-2 customers: