Product Spotlight: Mobius X8 Knee Braces

Dirt bike riders put their bodies through a lot of abuse. Acting like the body's shock absorbers, taking in repetitive impacts from jumps and whoops, and the occasional twist and unintended movement in crashes, the knees take the brunt of the force and are often the body parts that experiences recurring injuries. While surgeries can help repair major trauma like MCL and ACL injuries, without protection the knees are can still be susceptible to additional damage. For those that experience knee injuries, no matter how minor or severe, getting back on the bike can be a difficult and painful endeavor. Thankfully through modern science and sports medicine companies have addressed these issues with supportive dirt bike knee braces and devices to help keep enthusiasts riding longer in more comfort and safety.

After a few years of test runs with professional riders Josh Grant and Ryan Villopoto, the[mageProductLink sku="3008-1010102" title=""] Mobius X8 Knee Brace[/mageProductLink] was finally released to the public last year. The key component to the brace is its custom continuous cable routing system (CCRS) that helps secure the brace to the knee, which Mobius has patented. Additionally, the brace's tendon back plate gives full support to the knee, protecting the four main ligaments in the knee from a severe leg twist or harsh impact. Its futuristic look, fit, and movement are all designed to prevent lateral bending, lateral rotation, and hyperextension, which are three main types of knee injuries common in motocross.

Named after the famous one-sided loop, the Mobius strip, this knee brace utilizes a similar structure. The X8 uses a hard nylon shell along with its CCRS in a figure-eight construction to loop around the rider's knee joint. The shell constricts upon impact to keep the knee in place and avoid undesired movement. Essentially, each time a motocross racer experiences a severe impact to the knee area, the X8 will tighten through its CCRS and grip the rider's tibia and femur bones in the shin and thigh to control and safeguard the knee and lower leg. In addition to ligament protection, the front of the brace is like a knight's armor, offering full patella protection from impact.

The Mobius frame is comprised of an injection-molded, nylon shell that is designed to be flexible and rigid to provide maximum comfort and offer 360 degrees of protection that will not rotate or slip once fitted in place. The brace also features CNC forged 6061-T6 anodized aluminum hinge plates, zero degree stops in the patella area, and locking front cable dial. The inside of the brace is lined with plush, molded, closed-cell EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) foam, and impact absorbing, rubber internal padding for comfortability and easy maintenance.

Slipping the X8 brace into position is rather easy as you simply unlock the adjustment dial to loosen the tendon back plate, undo the three Velcro straps, and then slid your leg into the brace. Once the brace is properly aligned on the leg you then tighten the #1 Velcro strap, tighten the tendon back plate via the dial, then secure the #3 and #4 Velcro straps. With its slim profile the X8 easily fits under riding pants and offers a comfortable ride without interfering with the bike or the rider's movements.