| Author | Message | ||
     Jaydub |
just took a ride with some earplugs my brother gave me - its amazing how much MORE i could hear without the wind noise - although it did make the bike sound like a scooter  i may make a habit of wearing them | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
A friend of mine never rides with out them. I wear them on longer rides. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I wear them all the time, but I do take them out when I run the Cooler Run at Suches and Deal's Gap. I like to be able to hear the engine, tires, and Lyndall's. The wind noise is reduced on those runs. | ||
| Eicas |
I have been working and playing in a noisy environment all my life, now my hearing is about shot since ear plugs were not easily available in the '60s. I now wear earplugs all the time to try and preserve what hearing I have left. | ||
| Slaughter |
You NEED them - even on a quiet bike. Wind noise itself can be damaging. Hearos (Walgreens) even come with a little container that keeps pocket lint off them! | ||
| Brumbear |
WHAT ? | ||
| Grahamnz |
IMHO ear plugs are essential if you ride a lot, at highway speeds and without a totally protective screen. Otherwise you risk hearing damage over time. I use purpose-moulded silicone ones - orange to match the bike - and have them joined together with fine nylon cord which rests under my chin. That way even if one plugs falls out as I remove my helmet, the plug doesn't fall onto the ground or blow away. Cost was about $40US but great value. | ||
| Slaughter |
WHAT ? I SAID YOU NEED EAR PLUGS EVEN IF YOUR ENGINE DOESN'T MAKE A LOTTA NOISE! | ||
| Cityxslicker |
years of loud rock through ear buds, firearms, jet aircraft and open header pipes, only serves to drown out the voices in my head, the rest is all background noise. I wear them all the time, its probably too late. | ||
| Nickcaro |
+1 on the HearOs I use these every time I ride. http://hearos.com/earplugs/products-02427.html Now all you need is a Drummer and you will never, ever feel that your bike sounds like a scooter. | ||
| Jackbequick |
As an older guy who is wearing about $5,000 worth of hearing aids in order to communicate with people, watch TV, etc., I never leave home without muted hearing aids or ear plugs in place. I have to mute the the hearing aids or they'll amplify the wind noise. But I can do it with a finger touch and get the about the same amount of noise reduction that I would with the plugs seen below. The flanged or skirted style (as compared to the compression style) seem easier on my ears for extended wear:   Look around at places like Lowes or Home Depot and you can find different styles to test. My audiologist told me that I would actually be able to hear better in the speech range while in noisy environments (power boats, on a running motorcycle, etc.) with typical -25 dB or so plugs in place than I would with nothing in place. And my experience bears that out. I also found some triple skirted tips on eBay (search for "sleeves shure") that I use on my Shure E2c ear buds:  They have a hole down through the center of them and I use them for a mp3 player/FM radio. They will provide more attenuation than the plugs above, maybe even a bit too much for bikes with real quiet exhaust systems and around town riding. But I use them on longer rides and still can hear important noises like nearby horns and sirens. They seal out noise well enough that I can set a comfortable listening level on the mp3 player while setting at an idle and not have to turn the volume up or down as I ride. Jack (Message edited by jackbequick on January 13, 2008) | ||
| Nillaice |
i work in a nuclear power plant. cavitating pumps, generators, turbines, transformers, flow noise: hearing protection is a must. my d&d exhaust is quite loud, especially through the tunnels. elvex ear plugs are my favorite. like jack said, the skirted style are better. they clean-up better (ear wax, and pocket lint make like tar and feathers) also the foamy ones don't last as long. | ||
| Badlionsfan |
I started wearing them when i got my jardine and after a week if i took off with out putting them in i'd pull over to put them in. it wasn't the exhaust that really bothers me now if i forget them, it's the wind noise. i bought a bag of 25 foam ear plugs from aerostich for 8 bucks. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
I have only ever ridden on 3 occasions without ear plugs. Not my idea of fun. I just buy Howard Leight Max by the case. When out and about I change them every time I take them out. I consider it very cheap insurance. FYI one of the better sources I have found for earplugs is http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/ They have a motorcycle specific page, but best bet is just to order their sample kit. It contains a few of every set they sell. They offer a lot. After you find one that works for you, just buy the largest case you can afford. You will use them, and they are cheap that way too. | ||
| 1324 |
Another alternative to what was already mentioned here (I own rubber and foam earplugs) are custom earplugs from www.bigearinc.com . Obviously, they are a little pricey, but I got mine at a show and they work pretty well. They have a good warranty, so if you need to tweak fitment over time, they'll work with you. Time will tell, but so far so good. | ||
| Jaydub |
i picked up a bag of macks this weekend - work very well | ||
| Chadr81 |
I keep a couple extra sets in my tank bag just in case. That wind noise can get loud and annoying sometimes, and they come in real handy then. Chad | ||
| Tx05xb12s |
I'm still wearing the earplugs I was issued while I was a soldier ten years ago and they work great. I'm frankly amazed I haven't lost one yet. Anytime I plan to ride more than 40 or 50 MPH, I wear them religiously. You guys are right; the wind noise is what kills your hearing over time. | ||
| Kurosawa |
Remington green foamy shooter's earplugs. The foamies offer the best reduction by far. | ||
| Nillaice |
foamies cut out too much sound for my sense of safety, all be it a very subdued and mostly ignored. i don't like it when cars sneak up on me. it's not so much the car that scares me, but the driver who seems so absorbed by their phone conversation. | ||
| Knotrider |
Industrial construction supply houses. I think it was McMaster Carr that I bought a huge box of -29db individually wrapped plugs for under $30. |
