Earplugs

billypf

So I just got back from the motorcycle show and got these really cool custom fitted ear plugs. I know these are by no means new to the market, but they are amazaingly comfortable. The guy was saying that riding with or without a helmet can cause hearing damage. So, How many of you guys ride with ear plug?

PJNXX

I use the Hearos brand and only for a highway trip of more than 75 miles or so.

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-Paul

DragonXX

Have used the cheapo plugs you get at the chemists (drug stores) for years and have found they work just as well as the ones you pay triple the price for at bike shops !
Years spent at drags when young have enforced my conviction

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CanadianBird

I'm guilty of not wearing plugs ever! I'm now a little hard of hearing and have to get a hearing test. My Harley was louder than my Bird. I like the sound of the motor/pipes/road and will most likely continue to ride without them. I just get a high tech hearing aid if necessary, they're pretty invisible these days. "What did ya say?"

Stinger1100

I wear them all the time & won't leave home without them

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Sorceress

Earphones MUSIC all the way!!!

Nutter67

If I ever think about breaking 200kph, then the earplugs are straight in.

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Paul

Never let a motorcycle take you somewhere your brain didn't get to three seconds earlier

jjmcjames

I wear the soft disposable type-they work well for me.

Taetor

same here.

sv61

I don't think the length of the trip has much to do with it. What I mean is, if I am going across Chicago at the wrong time of day, I may not get over 35 mph for 50 miles. Also, someone mentioned that their Harley was louder than their blackbird. In my experience, it is the wind noise that seems more damaging than the motor noise. BUT, I always wear a helmet, and generally am riding around 70 mph. The motor noise may be louder above or below that?

I wear the disposable ear plugs for a couple of reasons. Number one, they do work well. Number two, because I am too dang lazy to go get custom fitted earplugs.

I Won't wear earplugs for rides where I will be on the bike for less than 10 minutes. Longer than that, I put them in. If you don't think they help, use them one time on a longer trip. You will be amazed how much better you feel!

1100xxben

When you cut down on the loudness of the ride (wind noise), it will actually allow you to ride for longer periods without getting tired.

I wear "headphone earplugs" that have the foam just like disposable earplugs and they cut down on wind noise tremendously and allow me to listen to music at the same time.

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Taetor

for whatever reason I've had a hard time trying to get my riding friends to try earplugs, but the few that finally give in are hooked on them for good. it's a pleasant surprise what a difference it makes. If you haven't tried it, just suck it up and give it a whirl.

testrider

I never ride without my soft foam ear plugs, I found those are the best. I had a pair of $50 custom fit ear plugs made at last year's motorcycle show and they were noisy because the plugs didn't expand to fill inside the ears. What they did was just to inject some soft rubber that hardened inside the ears and they never sealed well. I went back to the soft foam disposable ear plugs. YMMV.

jsfrv6

What kind of ear buds do you use? How much were they?

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97 BB
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UKriderxx

I always wear the disposable soft foam ear plugs too.
The only draw back is when you invariably take some coins out of your pocket to pay for a burger there is always a well used gruby ear plug amongst the money..

1100xxben

The ear buds I use are made by KOSS. I got them at a Meijer about 2 years ago. Can't remember the exact price, but not that expensive... maybe $10-$15. Plus, the best part is that since they seal off the ear, I can turn I only have to turn the volume up to about 10-14 at speed to hear the music well. Using ear buds that didn't seal in the ear, I would have to turn it up to at least 22-24 (out of 24) which runs down the battery considerably quicker and it sounds like crap b/c it's distorting the poor little headphones. I think Body Glove also makes some ear buds similar to these, but I don't know where to get them or how much they cost.

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SilverBrd

Yea, i am using my MP3 player more often now due to noise, especially on windy days and can tell and feel better when I do use it. I am looking for better plugs preferably the ones that fit in your ear canal. They have them at best buy but 30-80 bucks for them and I probably go with them. The ones I have now will vibrate out after about an hour of riding.
You can't hear anything anyways so it might as well be music instead of the plugs!!!

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X1rider

What?

I use the blue ones from Walgreens. 33NRR. Works for me.

Nutter67

Unfortunately I am on call most of the time, so I have my phone hooked up through the GPS and then (Cardo-Scala bluetooth) into the helmet, so I cant wear earplugs at these times. But if I can get somebody to cover the phones for me..... then the earplugs go in as soon as I'm in the countryside.

Does anybody worry about having limited hearing when they ride? When I am in traffic I like to have all my senses (shaddup everybody) available so that I have every chance of avoiding whatever might happen. If I wear earplugs when riding, I loose one of my senses to be aware of my surroundings.

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Paul

Never let a motorcycle take you somewhere your brain didn't get to three seconds earlier

billypf

With ear plugs you can still hear a good amount of noise. The main thing that you are doing is blocking the direct pressure on your ear drum from the wind and noise. You are still able to hear because the sound is absorbed and transferred to the middle/inner ear by you head in general.

Nutter67

The way I have been taught to put my earplugs in (from an industrial/engineering background) means that, when correctly inserted, I cannot hear the softer noises at all, have trouble hearing medium noises and very loud noises come through at a "converstaion" level.

Putting earplugs in is something I have to do right. I cannot just put them in halfway to allow extra noise to come in. I see people wearing earplugs with half of the plug sticking out of their ear (I cant see the point in that). I use the longer disposable foam ear plugs and you would have to look in my ear to see that I am actually wearing them.

I understand what you are saying about the transfer of sound through the head itself. Maybe this is how I am actually hearing anything with the earplugs installed - or a mixture of both.

If I have my earplugs correctly inserted and my helmet on, I have to resort to a certain amount of lip reading to make sense of a conversation. When on the track and riding at 250kph+, I do not hear any wind noise. I can hear the engine, and that is about it

It is with this level of noise retardation that I find it very difficult to hear traffic noise.

On the plus side, having the earplugs that far in really sucks out huge chunks of ear wax when you remove the earplug

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Paul

Never let a motorcycle take you somewhere your brain didn't get to three seconds earlier

DragonXX

" ..... that far in really sucks out huge chunks of ear wax when you remove the earplug " - Nutter67

Righto ..... This thread has gone far enough

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" 'Birds of a feather, flock together "

Quote of the month: "When the pupil is ready to learn, a teacher will appear." - Zen Proverb

Domn8or

WHAT???

SturgisNative

When you cut down on the loudness of the ride (wind noise), it will actually allow you to ride for longer periods without getting tired.



Earplugs are the best thing I ever discovered about riding. I feel refreshed and not beat up at the end of a 500-mile day (heck, even after a quick 50 miles!)

My '05 Ultra had factory pipes, so it wasn't loud, but I could hear the radio much better with earplugs in. Less windnoise == WIN!

Now on the XX, having earplugs in really helps with the noise from the added windblast around my helmet. Especially at 100+ mph.

Sick. This motorcycle does in 2nd what my HD struggled to reach in 5th on a cool day downhill. I am in love again!

Domn8or

Kidding aside I always wear the orange disposable plugs, stuck WAY down the ear canal...You can really ride with less fatigue & your ears don't ring when you go to bed...