If you use ear protection (outside a helmet) please list the type and brand .. (examples in URL)

http://www.earplugstore.com/motorcyclegear1.html

Thanks

I use the plain E-A-R brand that are disposable.  I use them for a week or two and replace.

The little spongy ones.

E.A.R. brand whenever I'm going more than 10 miles or so at a time. My helmet's real quiet and I got a tall shield.

Most helmets don't provide much in the way of ear protection, sound-wise.  The anti-helmet folks would have you believe that the helmet blocks out important sounds and is therefore less safe.  I don't believe that is true.  My Shoei RF-1000 seems to act as a resonant chamber or somesuch and actually increases some perceived noise levels.  I wear foam ear plugs I get at Wal-Mart (the only thing I go there for), they are short and fat and rated (per the box info) at 29 db reduction.  I wear them 100% of the time.  Below is my standard ear protection rant:



Well, we've discussed this before on this forum and others.  I usually try to keep my opinions to myself, but as a tinnitus sufferer, I just cannot stay away from this. "WEAR YOUR EARPLUGS!!!"

I only can think of three people upon whom I would wish this living hell.  Imagine having a 5-HP vacuum cleaner or leaf blower strapped to the back of your neck and having to listen to it 24/7 FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.  Okay, so depending on your marital status, this may or may not be a change for you, but I'm single so I should NOT have to put up with this.

Tinnitus is the "ringing" in your ears you hear after being subjected to a loud noise, except that it is a continuous ringing, buzzing, sometimes clicking, whining, whirring, etc..  Every noise beyond a certain loudness threshold causes a little damage and it all adds up.  The noise damages the little hairs in your ear canal, you hear the ringing, and it goes away, but only about 98% goes away.  Then the next time, 98% goes away, then the next time...........  Pretty soon all those little 2%'s add up to a continuous ringing THAT NEVER GOES AWAY.  It is your own little friend that will be with you always.

I spent too many years around aircraft and using power tools, shooting, etc., etc.  All those piston and jet engines, pneumatic tools, drills, rivet guns, un-muffled shooting ("Hey, it's just a .22/.357/.44/whatever").

 Now I live where I can hear the deer fart in the back yard, but mostly I hear

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Think of the aforementioned vacuum cleaner with a smoke alarm in the background and the hum of  a large air-conditioner all going on at once.  It very often makes trying to get to sleep a very trying experience.

For you who ride bikes and also shoot and use power tools regularly, etc., you need to pay special attention as you are getting multiple hits that are (ARE, not MIGHT be) adding up to permanent ear damage.

Comparing ear protection to wearing a helmet is not the same thing.  You may ride for 50 years and a million miles and never have an accident in which a helmet would have helped you.  But you are getting ear-damaging noise ALL the time and it is adding up.  If you had a passenger sitting behind you smacking you in the back of the head with a ball-peen hammer 30 times per second you'd probably want a helmet, ya think?  That's what your bike engine is doing to your ears.

Helmets don't block noise, mostly they act as resonant chambers and actually increase the amount of noise that is reaching your eardrums.  I know my SHOEI RF1000 resonates a lot, especially with the face shield closed.

If you think earplugs with hurt your  "situational awareness" then you really need to try it out.  You'll find they don't hurt anything.  They do NOT block out emergency vehicle sirens, car horns, etc.  I know some people who won't wear them for those reasons, but those same people get into their sound-proofed SUV's and roll the windows up and crank the CD player up to max and that drowns out WAAAAAY more ambient sound than foam earplugs.  My opinion is they can make you better able to distinguish the sounds you need to hear by helping to block out that "white noise" of the engine, lifters, cam chains, tires, etc.  What's left is the important stuff you need to hear.

It may be illegal in your state to wear earplugs (doubtful, Washington State bans earphones for CAR drivers, but allowance is made for motorcycles to have speakers in the helmets, to allow for rider/passenger communications devices).  Even if it were illegal, you won't get caught unless you are doing something to attract the attention of a LEO, and have him/her notice the plugs when you pull your helmet.  Which means you are willing to break the SOME kind of law, like roaring around at 90 MPH in a 60MPH zone, so why worry about the little extra fine for the earplugs, if any?  Sweep them out of your ears onto the ground as you remove your helmet, the cop will likely never notice them.  If they do, take the drug-droppers stance and say, "Hey, not mine, man.".  I doubt they'll make you do a DNA test on the earwax.  I suspect that most LEO's understand and will not hassle you about it anyway.  After all, they all shoot and do other noisy things and many of them ride motorcycles also.  Personally, I'd rather go to court and argue the earplugs, at least I'd be able to hear the judge.  I'd gladly pay the State of Washington $100 per month for the rest of my life if it meant getting rid of the tinnitus.

Long ago the FAA and NTSB identified cockpit noise and the resulting fatigue as important factors in aircraft accidents.  Loud noise levels for long periods cause an incredible amount of fatigue, which is dangerous for motorcycle riders as well as pilots.  I agree that I am much less tired after a long ride when I have good ear plugs in, which is ALWAYS now.

Don' t fool yourself that your iPod earbuds are "drowning out" other noises.  Unless they are the type that actually blocks outside noise and/or use active noise-cancelling technology, they are just adding to the already dangerous decibel level, making things worse.  One of the insidious problems with tinnitus is that as it gets worse, and the ringing in your ears increases, then you will tend to turn up the volume of the TV or stereo, or whatever, to drown out the ringing.  Which causes more ear damage so your ears ring louder, so you crank up the volume........you see where this is heading.

Like the arguments about helmets and other protective gear, you're all free to do what you want and I don't think we should have laws mandating it, but I tend to listen (pun intended) to those who speak from experience, and I will say again, tinnitus due to PREVENTABLE ear damage is something you do NOT want to experience.  WEAR YOUR EAR PLUGS!!!!

If you use ear protection (outside a helmet)

I tried that, but the big ear muffs look silly, and the ear plugs don't stay attached to the outside of the helmet.   

I only live about 7 miles from home and only maybe a mile of that is on the highway, so I don't usually use any ear protection. If I am going out on a ride though, I use the little foam ear plugs. Actually, to be precise I use my mp3 player with headphones that I have modified with the foam ear plugs. That does an excellent job of blocking out the noise and giving me tunes.

Never wear ear protection, I don't ride a Harley with open pipes.

Never wear ear protection, I don't ride a Harley with open pipes.

It's not the pipes that'll take your hearing, it's the wind noise.  All I can say is that you are very clearly the kind of person who has to learn for himself the hard way, but you Will miss it when it's gone. 

It's not the pipes that'll take your hearing, it's the wind noise.  All I can say is that you are very clearly the kind of person who has to learn for himself the hard way, but you Will miss it when it's gone.

Yes, I am a convert that started wearing ear protection a couple years ago.  Huge difference.  I can hear normal traffic sounds better.  Everything is muffled over road noise you you can't hear anything anyway.  Several real good points have already been made on this subject and I can't offer better advice.  I don't always wear it - if I'm on a short commute in the morning I don't but if it's more than a half hours' ride most definately.

I like AM talk radio too.  I have a set of Etymotics Er6's and a digital tune AM/FM radio I keep in my jacket pocket, and I can cycle through the presets by pushing a button through my jacket.  FAR better quality than an aftermarket radio installed in the bike.

For the short jaunts around town no I do not; but for longer runs yes I do.... But I only wear the tiny swimmers ear plugs that are made to keep the water out; as they do a great job of blocking out wind noise which is what kills the ears. With these plugs I still hear the things I want to hear; I don't like foam plugs unless that's all I can come up with. Right now the only thing between me and 8,000 HP is a sheet of glass so I'm fairly well versed to knowing what noise is all about.

I tried that, but the big ear muffs look silly, and the ear plugs don't stay attached to the outside of the helmet.   

Glad I'm not the only one with a warped sense of humor.

Ear plugs - foam.  Mild tinnitus - crickets on call all the time.  Have a hard time getting to sleep w/o white noise.  Camping is rough, knowing that everything is silent, but the buzzing never stops.  Please take care of your ears while you still can.

I almost never wear them.  Behind my barn door shield it's pretty quiet.

Little pink lady ones from walmart. but they are still too big. I need baby ones.

It's not the pipes that'll take your hearing, it's the wind noise.  All I can say is that you are very clearly the kind of person who has to learn for himself the hard way, but you Will miss it when it's gone.

I almost never wear them.  Behind my barn door shield it's pretty quiet.

My point exactly. I will say that for most of the year (winter in CO) I wear a full face helmet. But I think it's pretty quite on the C14 and was also not too bad on my Valkyrie with VTX1800 windshield before that.

Helmet (and jacket and gloves) ALL the time. I wear the foam ear plugs any time that I'm going to be riding faster that 40 mph or riding for longer than 15-20 minutes. No matter how quiet you THINK it is behind that windscreen, put in some plugs and "hear" the difference. Hearing damage is an accumulative thing that progresses to the point that it's too late to take precautions.

I already have tinitis and it's really bad when you live in the country where it's quiet, but you always hear whistling. Rough trying to go to sleep sometimes. I can hear it right now in my office and the A/C is running.

Don't risk it. You won't like the outcome.

I am shutting the barn door after the horses have left as well.  I always wear ear plugs of some sort now, even for my 9 mile commute.  I've had hearing aids and tinnitus since I was 35.  Wear your ear plugs!!!!

These are what I'm currently using with my Sena headset.  Very quiet, sound good.  But if I don't wear ear buds, I wear foam ear plugs.
http://ultimateears.com/en-us/products/200-v2

These are what my wife wears.  She uses the helmet speakers that the Sena came with.  No issues with loudness whatsoever.   She keeps them in a baggie in her jacket pocket, and we make new ones every few months.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Radians-Custom-Molded-Earplugs/13023898

Ear plugs are not difficult, painful, or expensive.  Trust me, you want to wear them.  Or, you can hang out with me and we can listen to the vacuum cleaner with the bad bearing squealing in our heads until we die.

I started wearing ear plugs for any ride outside the city, where wind noise becomes an issue. This year I bought noise cancelling ear phones and since then I wear the plugs seldom. They make a huge difference. With the plugs (good ones) I still have some "buzziness" in my head after a long ride. With the noise cancelling thingys, none. Love them. 

I started wearing ear plugs for any ride outside the city, where wind noise becomes an issue. This year I bought noise cancelling ear phones and since then I wear the plugs seldom. They make a huge difference. With the plugs (good ones) I still have some "buzziness" in my head after a long ride. With the noise cancelling thingys, none. Love them. 

Brand? Link?

I'm with Nosmo 100%. Read my article in the FAQs for my personal story and links to Tinnitus sites for more info.

http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=571.msg5218#msg5218