ear protection

[boris]

I use blue Elvex brand from the hardware store.But i find i tend to sit at about 20kph faster, .

 

Boris 

[Coldkiwi]

KK, more expensive helmets do tend to generate less air turbulence noise as the money has (hopefully) been spent on wind tunnel testing!

Having said that, the amount of bumps and lumps on some of those Shark helmets makes me wonder if they're not just a little hopeful! Generally tho, visors that wrap right around without seperate fix attachment plates generate less turbulence than those with (ie. FFM style).

I suspect that the very good helmets however (extremely light ones) aren't particularly quiet because there's no mass to them. I'd love to do some research into helmet acoustics but that will probably require me to move to Italy and hit up Soumy or Nolan for a job!

[750Y]

I always wear a 'good' lid but when the foam padding starts getting softer the noise level increases. Also the more race style helmets apparently place less emphasis on noise reduction than aerodynamics. I may have to get some of those orange plugs now, although when I did try some a while back I couldn't hear what exactly was going on rev wise and overcooked a tricky corner i rode often. I stopped and took them out before continuing which was easy as I was already off the road in the gravel so didn't need to pull over. where do You buy those orange ones? are they the best? I still want to hear the engine and or exhaust but don't want to go deaf.

[wkid_one]

I find them the best, cause they aren't the squeeze down and expand sort.  They are a soft rubber and sealyour ear up really well - more importantly they remove the wind noise well, but still seem to leave the engine rev...

Get them from Cyclespot on the shore, $3 each pair - well worth it

[bikerboy]

I have one of those Shark helmets with the bumps and grooves, there're call vents and they work very well. It's very lighgt and isn't any noisier than my old helmet, a heavy, very smooth design.

I used to hate riding on the motorway due to the wind noise. Then I tried ear plugs, those cheap orange foam things. What a difference! But they were a hasstle to fit just right and rolling them makes them disgusting.

I now have a pair of custom made ones. These are great as I can still hear people talk to me, and enjoy the exhaust note, but the wind noise has completely gone! Thanks Kai!!!

[Coldkiwi]

mate, if you're gonna pay $3 for a poxy set of rubber you'd better buy a little container for them too!! $3 is WAY to much (for someone like me going through at least a set a week).. hardware stores generally stock a decent range .. ie Bunnings Warehouse.

I did realise that they're vents BB .. although, Again, I do wonder just how much air and subsequent cooling you're going to get out of some of the tiny holes I've seen on helmets labelled as vents? I would guess there is a big compromise between good ventilation and the aerodynamic/noise reduction propertes of a helmet

I say the solution to not hearing your engine is to get a louder exhaust :bigthumb:

[wkid_one]

I can't stress enough that these plugs ROCK and are worth $3

[Kwaka-Kid]

well i get those 3M ones free from work.  And i just tried coming home today with them in, and i must say, VERY quiet, thanks for teaching me how to put them in whoever posted that, i actually read the packet and it says the same thing! lol! amazing what instructions tell you.  And my feedback is: It fucking sucks.  Thats it pretty much, i could hardly hear anything, how am i supposed to hear the windnoise of that truck rushing up clkose beside me so i can move over? how am i supposed to hear the screeching of a cars tyres 10 cars up screaming to a halt giving me the slight advantage to know to start braking. how am i supposed to hear all the little tickers and tackers of my engine so i know exactly when my chain is ready to pop and other such things.  i must say it was very unpleasent, and i thought maybe with ears blocked, it would mean id use my other senses more.. no, i dont think i did really, and Ears are like the eyes in the back of your head... I can tell when a bike is coming up behind so i can move over, now i gotta keep looking heaps in mirrors...  Gotta say i completely hated it, and whoever said they didnt like going on the motorway on their bike because of noise, Either a) buy a new helmet, or b) Harden up.  My helmet cost under $200, its the cheapest peice of plastic you ever saw, and ive worn my old mans Wayne Gardner Shoei helmet (from when he died) and yes its miles old, but it seems about the same for noise, and ive also worn newer/diff helmets and i can tell the blimmin diff.. Tell me im deaf, but i can hear everybody talking always prefectly, all those school tests were mint az, and ive never even noticed the motorway thing.. @ pukekohe doing 225kmph on backstreight on the loudest rousyest 750, it didnt Hurt as such or anything like that? i didnt notice, so focussed i spose.  Meh dunno, all i know is i wont be using those earplugs again.

[750Y]

I still hate them too but I'm willing to give them 1 more try for a short while & see if it's just something that takes a little while to get accustomed to. I really don't want to go deaf, I already have swimmers ear from many years of surfing in the cold waters of Wellington & the Wairarapa.

[Redstar]

I wear green ones kawaski you understand
then a Balaclava so I can't really hear a thing until 10,000rpm and so I have no idea how the cam chain,valve springs,tappet clearance or clutch basket is but I dont think I really want to!

[Coldkiwi]

My ZX-6 is pretty damn quiet but i can still hear it over the wind and otehr noise.

(beware the anal acoustic engineer cometh)

Incidentally, with ear plugs in, you are probably MORE likely to be able to hear your engine. Wind noise off a helmet is reasonably high frequency compared to predominantly low frequency engine noise. As with all materials (trust me, its just the physics of sound), ear plugs absorb more high frequency noise than low freqency noise. So by wearing ear plugs you'll hear less of both engine and wind but the reduction of wind noise will be greater, theoretically making it easier to hear the engine.

And before anyone asks, the engine makes a hell of a lot more noise when its wound up  above the typical wind noise frequencies so you should still be able to hear it!

While I think the real key though is to just be used to using them, and I don't like to disagree with KK again; a 'harden up' attitude is pretty stupid when it comes to irreplaceable damage to your senses.

I know plenty of older guys that didn't know anything about hearing protection when they were younger and wish they had the same info that we do now. Silly not to use it really.

 

 

[wkid_one]

Trucks passing a motorbike???? KK - you know your bike has more than one gear?

[bluninja]

KK maybe you should have a guide dog sat on your tank  either that or use your mirrors and eyes (you haven't sold your mirrors to pay for petrol have you?).

The noise that damages your ears is not at the level of drum perforating nosebleed thrash metal concert next to the speaker stack, it's just there working away slowly bit by bit, so you won't notice it till too late. In addition the constant noise actually irritates your body and causes you to mentally fatigue much quicker, so wearing plugs will help maintain concentration/comfort levels on a long ride.

ColdKiwi it's not the size of the inlet holes on the vents that makes them effective it's the rear most vent hole in the low pressure area at the back that creates a flow through from front to back. Air blows out the back and is replaced rather than being forced in from the front and pushing through. But you knew that didn't you?

Hey wouldn't it be great to fit little speakers in a helmet shell along with a nice little acoustic electronic box of tricks so that it could creat an interference signal and cancel out the wind noise only. Or tune it to hear screeching tyres, horns etc...maybe so you could listen to classical music on CD as you ride along....all without overstressing your hearing. I guess you'd nee a Honda Goldwing to carry the kit to do this though.

TTFN

[750Y]

I just bought 2 types to try out. 1 was the E A R non disposable yellow type in the round blue box. The other Oxford Orange foam type(2 pair). both were $6 at mt edens. I wore the E A R ones back to work & got sore ears already!!!???? but the noise level was well down. I'll wear them on the ride home & then try the orange ones tomorrow to see which I like best. Hope I can hack it so my Grandkids don't have to yell at me and make out like i'm a dumbfart.

[Slim]

I used to wear ear plugs (the non-throwaway rubber type) but traded them in for a Minidisk.

I found that it took a while to get used to them when I started wearing them, but for those just trying them out - persevere. Bluninja's comments about concentration & mental fatigue from constant wind noise would appear to be true. Riding was much more pleasant with the reduced noise levels, although my ears were hurting from the ear plugs after 5 or so hours with them in. It's quite possible that I would have had better results from the softer, foam-type ear plugs.