What ear plugs do you use.

It will in certain frequencies. Spend any time cutting aluminium on a drop saw and you will use ear protection, that's painfully loud. I hadn't noticed this on long days on the bike, or so I thought. I was heading to Melbourne along the coast from Sydney and towards the end of the day I was getting a headache. This was usual for me on long rides, just a dull ache, bearly notable. There was this constant whistling I had noticed, helmets were pretty drafty back then. I passed a Hardware and for some odd reason, I stopped and bought some foam in ear plugs. Never tried them before, on sites I used ear muffs. Immediately I noticed how peaceful it was, relaxing even. This was approx 1989ish and I have used them since and it's not pleasant without them. It's a free country, do what suits you.
 
This is for bicyclists with no engine noise, 120dbs @ 100km descent:

www.henryford.com

Wind Related Noise Experienced by Cyclists Can Contribute to Noise Induced Hearing Loss

The latest news on Henry Ford Health System and the care providers who make it one of the nation's leading academic medical institutions.
www.henryford.com www.henryford.com

This is when wearing a helmet from 1991 data. I hope 2023 helmets are better:

www.msgroup.org

Motorcycle Tips and Techniques

Hundreds of articles on Motorcycle Safety/Dynamics and accident case studies
www.msgroup.org

Permanent hearing damage begins at 90dbs, 15 minutes is the maximum allowed exposure at 115dbs in the workplace.

But as Vince suggests, it’s a free country, do what you like, we all are allowed our own opinions. We just don’t get our own alternative facts!
 
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Absolutely no doubt that wind noise on a moto causes hearing damage. I'm also convinced that it's bad on a bicycle as well (no help from the helmet that you at least get from a moto helmet). I played in very loud bands for decades and i reckon the damage to my hearing was as much from 100s of 1000s of km on motos on the open road than the music. It was a revelation when I fitted basic foam earplugs on the bike. Try it and you'll realise how much damaging high frequency noise you're subjecting yourself to.

I wonder why all Moto GP riders use them? They're only short races after all :eek: (ps I'm being sarcastic)
 
What did you say? Can you repeat that? I'm not deaf.......
I used to try to convince scuba divers who had a cold and couldn't equalise to sit it out and just snorkel (it is a secret that you actually see more snorkelling than diving on the GBR) instead of missing out on conversations for the rest of their life, but they usually took the risk of permanent hearing damage. Much the same thing with subjecting yourself to hearing damage from riding your bike. These days lots of people go around with almost permanent ear buds blasting into their ears anyway.
 
As I said you do you. Has anyone ever changed anyone's mind on anything ever? You see so much of this everywhere these days. It's just the way it is. It's probably why so few people express opinions on anything. Read shit have a think make your own opinion and do what suits you.
 
Never bothered with them ......... Never even think about them ......... Covered nearly 600,000 miles on two wheels ( I keep a record , year by year , bike by bike .... pedantic or what ? ) .......... All sorts of riding , motorways hours at a time included ........... Bugger grips still performing just fine .........

I can honestly say it`s one of those things I can hardly have cared less about ........

That`s just me being me ...... not a path through the minefield of life I would generally recommend everyone to follow ......... I guess pre-emtive action is the sensible course of action ....... ( if you`re a sensible sort of person , although there`s a thin dividing line between being sensible , and being over cautious ) ........ especially since hearing damage is probably the sort of thing that creeps up on you ...... until one day it`s too late to do anything about it , which is unfortunate .......

I`ve always assumed wind noise at speed isn`t wind noise at all ....... it`s helmet noise ....... there used to be a thing about which was the quietest helmet on the market ( maybe there still is ) ....... choose a quality , good fitting helmet and that`s a good basis ...... earplugs maybe / probably are a worthwhile supplementary addition ...... If you worry about it ..... I`ve never had cause to , so I don`t .......

Only time I`ve used earplugs has been at work ( machine operator ) ............... Catch word (sic) of an impending visit by the company Health and Safety Nazi ( A bloke who basically walked around shouting at people , usually for not following the " rules" , not because they were deaf .... ) ........
As soon as he disappeared out came the `plugs , along with whipping off the safety glasses ( I wear specs anyway ) ....... Everyone felt a lot more comfortable / were able to communicate more freely without them .......

Just a final thought ........................................ If you were listening to music through helmet earpieces , how loud would it have to be , to be heard above the wind ( helmet ) noise ?
 
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rocketonarail said:
Never bothered with them ......... Never even think about them
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Me too. Never used them in 55 years of motorcycling. I had my hearing tested a while back and it's perfectly normal for a bloke of my age. So it seems I've suffered no hearing loss by omitting the ear plugs.

I'm not suggesting that everyone should chuck their ear plugs away. If you feel that they're a good thing, by all means use them, it's your choice. The reason I never used them when they first became a thing was that the early ones were uncomfortable and made my ears ache. It felt like someone had hammered wooden plugs in my ears. I know much softer plugs are available now that'll mould to your ear shape and are comfortable to wear. But if I've come this far without hearing loss, why bother with them now?

I don't do as many miles on bikes now as I did as a young bloke, and modern helmets are much better at attenuating noise than they used to be. So I don't feel that plugs are necessary for me in my elderly years. They're just another thing to fanny about with when getting togged-up for riding.
 
I have never worn earplugs when riding and after commuting on a motorcycle to work for 37 years at 90 miles a day (865,000 miles) and touring (another 100,000 miles) my hearing is still OK. I want to hear what the fucking motor is doing before it decides to go bang! Here in California we can split traffic lanes of which 20 miles a day of my commute was doing this. I want to hear what is going on around me. Retired now so don't ride so much anymore but can still hear fine. I have had more damage to my hearing from going to a Black Sabbath concert than from motorcycles.
 
Alzero said:
It will if you live in America and don’t wear a helmet……and ride a Harley with open pipes. Hell, even if you live in a helmet state and you wear one of those shorty German looking helmets with no ear coverage you’ll go deaf from the wind blast.
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These days I buy generic or foam 3M earplugs in bulk. I don't always wear them but a zip lock bag full of cheap disposable plugs comes in handy riding, or trying to sleep in cheap (fast sleeper)motels or noisy campsites, or walking thru a Moto GP pit. A bag of fifty lasts me ages and I don't worry about losing them or how disgusting they can get, a new set always at hand.
I rode for many years and never even thought of earplugs its only in the last 10 years that I use them occasionally, but not often I like to hear the motor and what is going on around me.
Photo 1981, near Big Bear, Hwy 38, Southern California. A beer run from Jenks Lake campground, to the nearest Liquor Market. We don't need any stinking helmets. Photo credit to Anita, (MotoddRobs girlfriend) from the pillion seat of his SF2, Mexico bound with a factory 3 into 1, ha ha ha.

1684471595465.jpeg
 
Long-range rider with all those Jerry Cans, or is that a Captain America smuggling rig? My little joke.
 
If you don’t want to wear earplugs- that’s fine. I wear an open face lid and when I forgot to put my ear plugs in, after four hours riding my ears were ringing, it’s that simple. If you have a full face helmet, chubby cheeks and a bike that sounds like a Dyson it may well be different. I wore a full face lid for forty years, now I only wear an open face which may well have a lot to do with it. I don’t get listening to music while riding a bike either and as for getting bored??
Ive also only just discovered Textile riding gear, never thought I’d like it but was given an armoured Alpinestat jacket and was amazed at how good it was in hot,cold,wet weather. Never too old to learn.
 
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