Riding with an MP3 player going - distracting?

[YellowDog]

Yes buddy, it could just be me. I do get distracted my deep conversations. Music on the rodio is not much of an issue however I do tend to drive a great deal faster to loud heavy metal music.

[FruitLooPs]

I think this may be the crux of the matter. Not everybody is distracted in the same way. I've conducted deep, meaningful conversations about life, the universe and everything with my wife in the passenger seat (she's a soon-to-be PhD with a Masters in Nuclear Physics) and still given the road the full attention it deserves (evidenced by the fact that a potential accident or two was only a near miss, or less, due to me being aware of what was going on around me and acting accordingly).

If every driver requires "total concentration" to drive a car then no-one would ever be able to fly a fighter or a jumbo jet.

This is very subjective IMO, I for instance can multitask pretty well but not as well as some. Then again my dad is completely and literally unable to process things at more than one at a time. His concentration goes entirely on the task at hand, nothing else.

He can concentrate on driving, or watching the rugby etc but if you talk or try and attain his attention during any tv program its nigh impossible until you stand in the way, mute or turn it off. Even if he wasn't really taking in much of it he cant casually see whats on and talk to someone.

Like wise he cannot negotiate a corner, change gear in a manual car and initate the indicator. One a time sure, but if he isn't onto it he will go around the corner and groan out the other side in the wrong gear because he couldnt indicate use the clutch change gear and go around at once.


Sorta sad to see, he for instance wouldn't be safe with music and highway riding. The chance of being switched off is far too great. Still my dad tho

[motorbyclist]

if you need music playing you need a proper sounding bike. if you reckon you don't need to be able to hear screeching tyres and/or car horns frankly you shouldn't be in traffic with my rego acc levy.

v4 engine with gear driven cams is a good soundtrack for my riding

sunday morning i narrowly avoided being rear ended by hearing them skidding up behind me (mirrors=hopeless)

many a developing mechanical issue can be heard before it becomes a major mechanical headache (or accident)

doesn't the road code say that legally a car stereo cannot be so loud as to drown out the engine noise? (not that you can hear many car engines anymore)

always pisses me off seeing cars with big loud pipes they can't hear due to the ridiculous bass rattling from under their boot.

You said it, it's distracting. On long, boring rides, it can help the time pass, but when you really need to pay attention, you may not want the distraction.

there is such a thing? you're riding the wrong roads on the wrong bike mate

With hearing you don't know what you've lost until it is gone and you often don't know your hearing is damaged until you start struggling to understand people talking in an environment with lots of background noise.

+1

i'm 19 and it really sucks not being able to hear exactly what people are saying in bars or even crowded rooms, restaurants, cafeteria's, workplace etc etc. going out on the town is basically a lost cause. largely did my hearing in with an excessively loud pipe 116db+ on the dirtbike (which i still have). get pissed off going "wot" all the time and often resign to just nodding and agreeing.

[NordieBoy]

doesn't the road code say that legally a car stereo cannot be so loud as to drown out the engine noise? (not that you can hear many car engines anymore)

That stuffs the DR then.
Wind noise drowns out the engine noise.
Stuffs most motorbikes really.

[Big Dave]

if you need music playing you need a proper sounding bike. .

How would you know.

[motorbyclist]

That stuffs the DR then.
Wind noise drowns out the engine noise.
Stuffs most motorbikes really.

then get a louder pipe

How would you know.

well if you feel the need to drown it out with music. it mustn't sounds that good now, can it?

(just poking fun here mate)

[Big Dave]

(just poking fun here mate)

ditto, mr 400s

[motorbyclist]

ditto, mr 400s

still beats most 600s and litrebikes through the twisties

[NordieBoy]

then get a louder pipe

It was a SuperTrapp IDS race core with 13 discs on a 560cc single

[motorbyclist]

then whaddaya doin with an MP3 player?!



(edit:; wait, how many discs? sounds like 13 too many - straight thru all the way)

[NordieBoy]

then whaddaya doin with an MP3 player?!



(edit:; wait, how many discs? sounds like 13 too many - straight thru all the way)

My current bike/helmet combo is a lot quieter and the MP3 player is great when playing in the hills at 30kph.

I started with 23 discs and then straight through and then thought "hey, let's do this properly" and worked out that 6 discs was the same surface area as the stock pipe and added 2 discs every time I went for a ride. I'd even stop halfway through a ride and add/remove some discs to test. 70-100kph 4th gear roll-ons got much better at 14 discs and dropped back when I went back to 12 so tried 13 and it was sweet.

10 discs was best for the DR650.

[southernmike]

I gave up the iPod on the bike because I was enjoying it WAY to much. A good song I would up the tempo (READ: Speed).

Don't really miss it as I enjoy riding too much.

I aways ride with ear plugs otherwise the voices in my head will start to answer the ringing in my ears!

[Nagash]

I've tried riding a few times with music playing, it's okay if you're just doing the distance on State Highways but anything remotely interesting I just can't concentrate at all. I need to hear nothing but the thoughts in my head to go round corners.

Though I do think a hell of alot of random shit while riding..

[BIHB@0610]

I aways ride with ear plugs otherwise the voices in my head will start to answer the ringing in my ears!

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