In 2005 Max Mercier (son of Michele Mercier) crashed in Snannonville and was killed. I was devastated, and made a solemn promise to Michele to stop the madness and begin developing the Max Guard, to prevent further deaths from brake-lever actuation at speed. For the next year I endured many sleepless nights in pursuit of a remedy to brake lever related accidents for my own son, 16 year old Jeffrey Dion, also an active road racer. Finally after three years of prototypes, design improvement and various developments the Max Guard (original name) became a reality. I filed the patent and made 5 working Max Guard samples hoping to get them on a high profile rider’s bike.
It was around this time Ken Baker and Chris Killen, friends and colleagues of mine, came on board to help get his device on a race bike and to help get the device available to any rider who wants to avoid accidental brake lever incidents.
The device is now the official brake lever guard of the AMA.
