Helmet noise & ear protection

Helmet noise & ear protection

Poll: Helmet noise & ear protection

Total Members Polled: 209

Yes: 67%
No: 18%
Sometimes: 15%
Author
Discussion

Tall_Paul

1,915 posts

226 months

Friday 5th September 2014
quotequote all
Always wear them, even on a 125, cos at anything over 40mph the wind noise is offensive. You don't lose hearing, it's just the wind noise is cut out - I can still hear police/ambulance sirens well before I can see them.

clen666

925 posts

121 months

Friday 5th September 2014
quotequote all
Yep.

Went out for a ride last night and after filling up I realised I had left the plugs in my other jacket.

Made the ride significantly less enjoyable as I was distracted the whole time.
It doesn't help that my screen directs the airflow directly at my head either.

Salgar

3,283 posts

183 months

Friday 5th September 2014
quotequote all
Have you tried earplugs?

Bob_Defly

Original Poster:

3,642 posts

230 months

Friday 5th September 2014
quotequote all
Wow, I didn't know the Yes's would be so high! I don't know anyone that wears them currently, apart from my brother.

Thanks for the great advice, my hearing isn't perfect (I think 2 years of driving the Exige hard affected my hearing), but I'd like to keep it how it is.

I'm going to start wearing them for sure.

sjtscott

4,215 posts

230 months

Friday 5th September 2014
quotequote all
I answered sometimes simply as for commuting in London which sadly is the majority of my yearly riding I do not.
For everything else that involves riding outside of city/30mph limits the answer is yes.

CoolHands

18,496 posts

194 months

Friday 5th September 2014
quotequote all

obscene

5,174 posts

184 months

Friday 5th September 2014
quotequote all
Religiously. Tinnitus isn't cool.

cybersimon

199 posts

168 months

Friday 5th September 2014
quotequote all
Always. The sqidgey 3M ones. They keep my ears clean too.

clen666

925 posts

121 months

Friday 5th September 2014
quotequote all
CoolHands said:
I wear max lite they're comfortable

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20-FOAM-EAR-PLUGS-10-PAI...
I use laser lite, I believe they are a slightly larger version of the one you linked

gwm

2,390 posts

143 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
toxgobbler said:
Yes, fitted earplugs because I do a lot of motorway miles and it will affect my hearing long term if I don't. Fitted are comfy as they match my ears.
I got some of the DIY fitted ones, work very well. Though a bit uncomfortable with Sheoi helmet, so tend to wear disposable ones with that now.

I didn't wear them when I had my KTM, as the speeds and exhaust noise were lower. Now I need to, the wind noise more than anything.

John D.

17,700 posts

208 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
obscene said:
Religiously. Tinnitus isn't cool.
yes

Only time I don't is if riding around town.

Don't know why so many people are mentioning exhaust noise. Unless there are some really ridiculous exhausts out there?! It is wind noise that does the damage.

TorqueDirty

1,500 posts

218 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
Wore them once years ago when I was riding every day so thought I should try them.

Scarred the st out of myself. Arrived at some stationary traffic MUCH faster than I realised. Ended up having to aim for a gap coz I was not going to stop in time.

Sensory deprivation. Powerful effects.

Mind you I was young and impetuous. Now I'm old and impetuous so think I'll give them a go again.

TD

mike-r

1,539 posts

190 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
I didn't used to, but now religiously. Forgot to put them in the other day and it was so flippin' loud, huge difference.

wiffmaster

2,602 posts

197 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
If I'm riding around Central London, then I never bother as I rarely go above 30mph. But any other time then I'll use my Ultimate Ear custom plugs - they're amazing and I find it uncomfortable to do above 50mph without them in (on my naked bike). Thankfully, they only really cut down the wind noise - you can still hear the exhaust note, sirens, etc.

aeropilot

34,286 posts

226 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
quotequote all
crashley said:
I never do, but always regret it when i get home after a proper hoon (on the Ducati) and have that ringing-in-your-ear thing going on for a good hour or so after bike's tucked away.
If you continue to not use them, one day you might find when you get home, that ringing in your ear won't go away - ever.

I already had mild Tinnitus when I started riding nearly 20 years ago, and should have worn ear protection from day one. I didn't.
Started wearing them religiously when I started riding again back in 2006/7 after the 3 year break after the Ducati was nicked.

Unfortunately, the Tinnitus went up several level in intensity a few months ago, and wearing ear plugs means it's actually now quite distracting as the reduced external noise is now not loud enough to mask the Tinnitus. I've also had the odd balance issue on rare occasions (was warned about this years ago as that might happen as I got older) so I now know that my riding days are fast drawing to a close and I can see me hanging up the helmet for the last time in a year or so.
Still, not riding anymore is the least of the issues you have with bad Tinnitus........... so continue to ride without ear protection at your own peril.




Dr Jekyll

23,820 posts

260 months

Thursday 11th September 2014
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WaferThinHam

1,680 posts

129 months

Thursday 11th September 2014
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Pardon?

WaferThinHam

1,680 posts

129 months

Thursday 11th September 2014
quotequote all
In answer to the question, yes ear plugs all of the time. I don't fancy tinnitus or deafness in my twilight years, and I'm so used to riding with earplugs now.

ccr32

1,966 posts

217 months

Thursday 11th September 2014
quotequote all
I have been working my way through the ones on this review:

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/upload/Ride%20Magazi...

Best ones I have found for me so far have been the Howard Leight Laser Lite's.

SteelerSE

1,885 posts

155 months

Friday 12th September 2014
quotequote all
I use the Howard Leight Laser Lite's. I bought a huge box of about 200 pairs which I'm still working through. About £25.