Hearing protection

C

crawler

Registered
I'm sure that many of you have read various posts about wearing ear plugs when riding.

What many people don't realize is; the wind noise you hear is damaging to hearing, not just the exhaust noise etc...

I've never been too fond of them due to blocking out other sounds (cages). For a while I tried riding with one plug at a time.

I finally one day decided to try out the plugs I use when I go shooting.

I have to say that I was quite happy.

I use a different companies plugs. But these are very similar. They are not expensive and I feel they are a good investment. I've recently even got one my harley guys to use them. He commented ion how much more enjoyable his ride was.

Sonic Defenders<sup>®</sup> <i>Plus</i> from SureFire
 
I bought a box of the ear plugs for $22:

Amazon.com: MAX1 Earplugs NRR33 Box/200 Count: Motorcycle Ear Plugs

They are NRR 33 rated, so they decrease sound by 9db more than your Sonic Defenders (NRR 24) ... in other words, 37% more sound blocking.

A box contains 200 pairs of ear plugs. I use a pair a few times or more (usually several weeks before I lose the pair), so they go a long way. Been using them for 2 years. They're comfortable and I also use them at the shooting range :)

Check the Amazon reviews, 99% of the people who buy them, like them.
 
Good thread, cannot remind people enough about this. I also posted about this here: https://www.hayabusa.org/forum/general-bike-related-topics/152636-helmets.html

Cut-and-pasted (quotes below paraphrased for brevity) from an article @ webbikeworld: http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcyc...lmet-noise.htm

The perception of noise and the individual owner's tolerance for noise levels varies greatly.
Riding a motorcycle is a very noisy endeavor. The noise that is generated is always loud enough to be dangerous to human health and can easily cause permanent hearing damage.
There's no getting around the fact that motorcycle riding creates high noise levels. There is no such thing as a quiet helmet, period.
Based on many years of evaluating dozens of different motorcycle helmet of all types and talking to experts in the field that there are basically only two types of motorcycle helmets: loud and louder.

other members making the "discovery"
https://www.hayabusa.org/forum/gene...e-wearing-earplugs-wow-i-ride-faster-now.html
https://www.hayabusa.org/forum/general-bike-related-topics/152930-ear-plugs-ride-home.html
 
It's an easy choice, Kind of like wearing a helmet for me. If you value your hearing and ride a motorcycle you should use
hearing protection. I feel naked and guilty if I ride w/out them, which is usually never.
 
mysql said:
I bought a box of the ear plugs for $22:

Amazon.com: MAX1 Earplugs NRR33 Box/200 Count: Motorcycle Ear Plugs

They are NRR 33 rated, so they decrease sound by 9db more than your Sonic Defenders (NRR 24) ... in other words, 37% more sound blocking.

A box contains 200 pairs of ear plugs. I use a pair a few times or more (usually several weeks before I lose the pair), so they go a long way. Been using them for 2 years. They're comfortable and I also use them at the shooting range :)

Check the Amazon reviews, 99% of the people who buy them, like them.
Click to expand...

Those will block noise and are cheap. I didn't like the disconnected feeling that I got when I used foam type plugs.

I can ride with these all day and don't feel like I have something stuck in my ear. The noise drop isn't as significant, however my reason to wear the plugs was to get the noise to acceptable levels. These did that without blocking important sounds.
 
Hmmm, you should check what the Sonic Defenders drop sound to with the plugs removed. They claim 24db drop with the plugs inserted. Then cross check average wind noise at 70 mph with the sound reduction to see how long you can ride without hearing damage.

I like the 33db drop with the foam plugs. I can hear traffic fine, but I wouldn't want to talk to someone with the helmet and plugs in :)
 
A small detail I left out as I didn't feel it was overly important. I can still use my Scala rider without increasing the volume any more than without plugs. Also I can speak to fellow riders at red lights or quick pullovers without having to get them to speak up or yell. With traditional plugs I had issues with these two things.
 
Musician Ear plugs I have had them for years for the harley. Now with the Busa i dont were them. They come in 9-15-25 DB.

musiciansearplugs.com.au
 
From your own article link:

> generally around 85-95 dB at speeds up to 35 mph, climbing to 110-116 dB at 65 mph

Your earplugs drop sound by 24 dB with the insert plugs in. Assuming they're in, that means your 65 mph ride is 92 dB.

Here's the chart of recommended limits for sound:

> 16 hours for 80 dBA sound
> 8 hours for 85 dBA sound
> 4 hours for 90 dBA sound
> 2 hours for 95 dBA sound
> 1 hour for 100 dBA sound
> 30 min for 105 dBA sound
> 15 min for 110 dBA sound
> 7.5 min for 115 dBA sound
> 0 min for above 115 dBA sound (there should be no exposure at this level!)


So you're good as long as you never ride for more than 3 hours, and you have your sonic's with the internal plugs set, and you don't go faster than 65 mph. If you are going over the speed limit, I bet it's not safe for even an hour.

If you use the 33 NRR foam plugs, you can go over 8 hours.
 
not mentioned here are riders who listen to music cranked all the way up....probably a lot more damaging DBs from the wind, exhaust, etc. Having gone deaf years ago from playing with frcrackers as a lkid, I quickly embraced the Hearing Conservation policies/procedures that the military has in place.
 
I use a different product. It has a slightly higher db drop actually.

That being said. I cannot stand wearing foam plugs for hours on end. Therefore they are not a viable option for me. I also know a lot of other riders that cannot stand wearing traditional plugs.

My plugs are custom molded for my ears and have been very enjoyable. The ones that I linked to are the ones that a number of my friends have started using and have complimented on.

I linked to that article for this very reason, to allow people to make an educated decision. My decision is to not use a foam plug. They are not comfortable to me and block out noises I do want to hear. The way the plugs are designed that I wear, they essentially clip the noise above 85db and do allow a reduction greater than the 24db of the surefires, the reason is that they are sealed to the ear canal in a more snug manner.
 
I have NRR 30 plugs and I still hear a lot of wind noise at times. I don't mind wearing them but I never talk to anyone while riding. All of my No Gear All The Time NGATT Harley riders have major conversations at stoplights etc.
 
Winchester Foam EP (NRR 31) pack of 10 with carry case $.97
Hearos EP (NRR 33) pack of 14 with carry case $3.95

both available at any Wal-Mart, both really effective and no big loss if you happen to lose one plug . . .
 
I use the Howard Leight corded units. I just tie the corded plugs around my neck when I stop for a bit. At the end of the ride the plugs go into the trash can. I keep a pocket of the ear plugs at all times. It hurts too much to ride without hearing protection.
 
mysql said:
I bought a box of the ear plugs for $22:

Amazon.com: MAX1 Earplugs NRR33 Box/200 Count: Motorcycle Ear Plugs

They are NRR 33 rated, so they decrease sound by 9db more than your Sonic Defenders (NRR 24) ... in other words, 37% more sound blocking.

A box contains 200 pairs of ear plugs. I use a pair a few times or more (usually several weeks before I lose the pair), so they go a long way. Been using them for 2 years. They're comfortable and I also use them at the shooting range :)

Check the Amazon reviews, 99% of the people who buy them, like them.
Click to expand...

I use this version.. Amazon.com: Howard Leight LL1 Laser Lite Earplugs no Cords (200 ct): Home Improvement mainly because I get (pocket:laugh:) them free from work.
I can't stand to ride more than a short trip into town without them. They kill all the wind howl and leave everything else. Can actually hear things like cars, bike sounds, etc.. much better with them.
 
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