Motocross and dirt bike riding is an epic hobby and sport that is enjoyed by both young and old. Unfortunately, this hobby also comes with some pretty obvious risks and an element of danger when getting on the bike. But this has always been the case, and as such off road manufacturers have long developed an array of protective gear to keep you safe and comfortable while riding. Dress for the crash - Not the ride is pretty much the mantra to adhere to with any form of motorcycle riding.

When getting your youngsters onto a pee wee motorbike for the first time though, there should be as much education given on the safety items they should be wearing as on how to ride the bike itself. An appropriate sized kids motocross helmet, goggles, boots all make up some of the minimum riding gear requirements that should be adhered to. On top of these few crucial items, correctly fitting body armour is also right up there as a smart option straight out of the gate. Most gear manufacturers make motocross body armour for kids in a variety of different levels of quality and coverage. Fox Racing, Alpinestars, Leatt, Fly Racing and EVS all offer a full range of kids protective gear, from elbow pads and knee guards all the way to chest protectors. Chest protectors come in a few different types, some of which are better at protecting from impacts, whereas others might allow a bit more comfort on the bike yet still provide some confidence inspiring protection. 

A roost deflector is a chest protector that typically is worn over the top of your jersey and protects your mid section with a plastic shell layer of protection to deflect items flung out from the rear tyres of other bikes. It's a pretty gnarly experience copping the roost from another bike on the motocross or enduro trail with no way to deal with it other then ducking your head and grabbing more throttle. Another body armour option offered is that of a pressure suit - these other significantly more protection by way of more generous padding around the chest paired up with built in back protection, elbow and shoulder padding. Pressure suits can be seen as a one stop upper body protection solution, and which protects better when the incident might have delivered a more substantial impact i.e hitting the ground. 

Leatt are a manufacturer who are perhaps most known for their neck protection offerings. But they certainly pride themselves on trying to provide safety equipment for all parts of the body. On top of Leatt's neck braces, they also offer knee braces, elbow pads, helmets, boots and riding gear. But for the junior riders they have an exceptionally popular body protector that combines their neck brace technology with a chest protector as a simple, all in one piece system.