Headphones on a bike

[soulpatch]

What is the current law regarding wearing a personal stereo on a motorcycle?

[hertsbiker]

Please don't do it, even if it's legal. Unless it's the headphone of a radar-detector?????

[soulpatch]

I used to listnen to a personal stereo - quiet enough so I could hear the traffic. Wouldnt want to lower myself to the level of billy nova-driver with his disco PA system volume...!

[mel]

Strictly speaking it's allowed but must only have one earpiece with the other ear left for "listening for road hazards" However as you say a personal "stereo" I guess not. IMHO it's a bad idea and only acts as another distraction, why not just sing to yourself like the rest of us, I find the acoustics in a crash helmet better than the shower

[northernboy]

If someone's going to insist on wearing a walkman, can I suggest that they use the Sony in-ear noise cancelling ones?

If not, you are goung to damage your hearing if it's loud enough to hear above about 50mph.

[dern]

I've always felt that for you to hear them then they must be louder than the wind noise. Given the the wind noise is loud enough without earplugs to damage your hearing then as the headphones probably won't act as earplugs then you're going to be damaging your hearing pretty quickly. Is that correct?

I'd quite like to listen to music on the motorway so would be interested in hearing any more info.

Cheers,

Mark

[Scruff900]

mel said: I find the acoustics in a crash helmet better than the shower

Mel, how small/big is your head/helmet???

Oops left myself wide open.

Back on topic - the new goldwing has speakers built into the fairing and a full in-helmet entertainment system/x-box/communication in on (in?) it's supplied lids - but does that count, after all it does have a towbar..

[mel]

Scruff900 said: Mel, how small/big is your head/helmet???

Big enough to bring tears to the eyes of Cheap Shop Tart while pillow biting.

[Gerrard]

northernboy said: If someone's going to insist on wearing a walkman, can I suggest that they use the Sony in-ear noise cancelling ones?

I was down at the NEC this weekend (again) and decided on some custom fit in-ear headphones that I can use for a walkman or, more importantly, the autocom intercom I also bought. These (allegedly) work up to speeds of 180Mph

They won't arrive for about 6 weeks but if they are as good at cutting wind noise as the silicon earplugs I also got then it should make my daily commutes much more enjoyable (I'm not a very good singer and tend to put myself off )

[dennisthemenace]

Id rather listen to my engine than a stereo , also you should really be wearing earplugs to stop future hearing damage

[mel]

Ah? Who said that?

[northernboy]

I recommend you try riding with just one earplug in, and the other ear unprotected, on a normal trip (on a decent length journey where yo uget up over 60mph). I did that once when I lost one plug, and the ringing in the unprotected ear afterwards, and loss of hearing was quite shocking.

I really try to make sure I wear earplugs nowadays. I'd be well on my way to permanent deafness otherwise.

[s2ooz]

been chatting to a guy who is involved in ear plugs. He rode for 6 hours, without, and now has permenant ringing in the ears. tinnitus.

also, didnt know myself till now, the earplugs really need replacing every ride out (manafacture recomended) whereas I had been using my original set of MAX for 3 months! no more.

considering its only £6 for 25 pairs its harldy expensive.

I have lots more details on plugs if anyone is interested

[northernboy]

I am intending to get some active noise cancelling in ear 'phones to try on the bike. Instead of just cutting noise down, they should allow me to drop wind noise, but still listen to music sometimes. Want that more for wehn I'm off roading. I'm sure I'll stunt better with van halen and the Offspring playing.

[NewGuy]

I have a bike 2 bike intercom system so I can talk to my mates when we are out.

This consists of 2 speakers which are mounted inside the helmet, a mic and a minijack kind of plug.

When I'm riding to work or on my own, I plug in the walkman and listen. Because I dont have an earpiece stuffed in my ear, I can hear all the traffic around and the exhaust!

Best of all worlds.

[hertsbiker]

mel said:

Scruff900 said: Mel, how small/big is your head/helmet???

Big enough to bring tears to the eyes of Cheap Shop Tart while pillow biting.

Now thats an expression you don't often hear !!

[Lagoo]

I cant use earplugs they make me feel sick so i have got kind of use to the wind noise. I do however sometimes use speakers in my lid but i tend to still be able to hear eveything around me!!

[iguana]

It took me quite a while to get used to earplugs, but unless all I'm doing is a slow through town/city journey I always wear 'em. Mind you old Bazza Sheen is famous for never having worn them (well actually he tried 'em once and hated them) so not every one agrees with me about wearing 'em!

[Gerrard]

The silicon earplugs with built-in headphones finally arrived last week. They fit perfectly and cut the wind noise to almost nil. The added bonus of being able to listen to music (I use a little mpio MP3 player) is great. I don't have it turned up any louder than I would in the gym and I can hear it perfectly at all the speeds I've tried so far.

However if you like to be able to hear anything else then don't bother as they cut ALL noise to almost nil. If you want to talk to someone after you've put them in... learn to lip read!

[Mon Ami Mate]

Gerrard, without sounding all sensible, have you thought about what may happen if you can't hear an approaching emergency vehicle siren or even a warning blast on a car horn? I experimented with something similar 10 years ago and binned it after almost being squashed by a fire engine that was crossing a red traffic light. Saw the blues at the last minute and realised I would never have got anywhere near so close if I had been able to hear it coming...