Hearing Protection on a budget

[2017EX_imp]

I don't use ear protection because I've never found any that was comfortable. Foam ear plugs cause intense discomfort for me after 10 minutes or less. I tried the custom fit type and they were worse than foam. I give up.

I was fortunate to find something that is comfortable for me, but I can relate to methods that are uncomfortable, having experienced it in the past myself. Have you ever tried the old tried and true standby, cotton balls? Obviously not as protective as other things, but might give you some wind/noise relief, without being uncomfortable.

 

[the Ferret]

birds before you give up, try the gel plugs. You can get them at the grocery store in pharmacy or at Walgreens etc. Super pliable and forgiving. Roll em into a ball and squish them into your ears.

 

[emptysea]

birds before you give up, try the gel plugs. You can get them at the grocery store in pharmacy or at Walgreens etc. Super pliable and forgiving. Roll em into a ball and squish them into your ears.

I like these and they have not hurt my ears yet. I sometimes don't get them seated correctly and then they wind up being a little noisier than otherwise. I usually wear a Buff under my helmet and if I cover my ears with the Buff and then push the gel plug in from outside, they don't stick to my fingers and stay in place for my ride. Wow, that's way harder to explain in writing than it would be in person. You should ride up to Chicago and I'll give you personalized instructions. LOL

 

[redbirds_imp]

birds before you give up, try the gel plugs. You can get them at the grocery store in pharmacy or at Walgreens etc. Super pliable and forgiving. Roll em into a ball and squish them into your ears.

Thanks ferret, tried those also. Not as bad as the foam but still uncomfortable. My hearing is pretty bad anyway from years spent duck hunting, dove fields and range shooting years ago.

birds before you give up, try the gel plugs. You can get them at the grocery store in pharmacy or at Walgreens etc. Super pliable and forgiving. Roll em into a ball and squish them into your ears.

I like these and they have not hurt my ears yet. I sometimes don't get them seated correctly and then they wind up being a little noisier than otherwise. I usually wear a Buff under my helmet and if I cover my ears with the Buff and then push the gel plug in from outside, they don't stick to my fingers and stay in place for my ride. Wow, that's way harder to explain in writing than it would be in person. You should ride up to Chicago and I'll give you personalized instructions. LOL

Just might get up that way one day. Flown through there a few times.

 

[activedirt_imp]

Hearing loss has been a source of frustration to me since Audiologist never seem to speak about any form of hearing restoration and/or repair. I mean anything that could restore hearing loss. Then one day during a visit to an Audiologist she showed be some pictures of the inside of several cochlea. I supposed they came from a cadaver. These pictures were from people that had hearing loss during their life. It was a sad picture to look at. Inside the cochlea where hearing sensors (that is what I might call them) that were simply missing, gone forever. I now have a better understanding of why most hearing loss is irreversible.
.
Lastly I might also mention that once you have substantial hearing loss you might strongly consider wearing hearing aids regularly. I say this because several studies have shown that mental dementia can be noticeably accelerated in due to untreated hearing loss. It may also contribute to social withdrawal.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

My S.O. lost her custom-molded earplugs a few years ago and has been struggling with disposable foam plugs ever since. I guess her ear canals are misshaped and she has a difficult time inserting them. This past Saturday I took her for a new set of custom-molded earplugs and now she's a happy camper again. I bought myself another set while we were there. He did a great job, and for only $60 a pair, perhaps I should have bought two pair. He charges another $135 if you want Bluetooth speakers embedded in them. Happy to forward his contact info if anyone in the area is interested.

 

[rotor]

Protection of hearing (of others...)

All the solutions mentioned above should be tried only after putting the stock muffler back on...

I am reasonably sure that you’re trying to be funny here, rotor, but since you should have hearing protection anyway, your choice of exhaust is pretty much irrelevant; at least as far as most of the relatively quiet aftermarket exhausts that most CB1100 riders use is concerned.

I am reasonably sure that you’re trying to be funny here, rotor, but since you should have hearing protection anyway, your choice of exhaust is pretty much irrelevant; at least as far as most of the relatively quiet aftermarket exhausts that most CB1100 riders use is concerned.
Partially. It was an attempt to make light of a subject that I consider serious: motorcycle noise, a source of irritation for those we share the road with.

If the problem is the noise generated by the airflow ("wind noise") the first measure to try is a better helmet.

If the problem is the engine noise, think about those that you share the road with, before you think of yourself. (kind of: think not what your country can do for you...)

I have a bottle of Sarajishvili to be cracked open when I see on this forum the first post that goes something like: I find the noise level produced by my motorcycle annoying, what kind of after-market exhaust can someone recommend in order to reduce it... (Well, joking again. I don't thing the aforementioned bottle will survive that long

With this, I'll excuse myself from further discussion on this topic - must prepare for a trip. Off tomorrow early. Stay tuned...

 

[rboe]

I've had the custom molded plugs for a couple years now, I'm sold on them. In my last post I mentioned I had just bought a helmet skirt; well it worked so well I bought two more for my other helmets.

https://www.amazon.com/WINDJAMMER-R...29103468&sr=8-3&keywords=helmet+skirt

It cuts down on turbulence noise (but does not eliminate it) which really helps the ear plugs out. Most of my noise comes from turbulence off the front and wind noise. So much so I can not really hear the bike unless I give it the beans. But I use stock cans. Except for the XR650L, that one has a fairly loud stock muffler and I hear her all the time.

 

[Lord Popgun]

Rboe, thanks for that link. Just ordered one. Although I like foamies for long rides, my short rides I have found to be noisy even though I have a “quiet” Shoei Quest. When I put my hand in the back, under the helmet by my neck it get quiet. So this may be the thing!

 

[Houtman_imp]

An easy way to check if the noise come from the wind into your helmet is to lower your head into your shoulders like a tortoise/turtle.
The neck curtains on the newer helmets make a lot of difference.

 

[Cormanus]

That looks a really interesting option, Rboe, but I suspect it would reduce cooling in warmer weather, would it not?

 

[Lord Popgun]

I’m thinking it will Cormanus. I’ll let you know when it comes. Usually I ride my bike 12 miles a day to my friend’s outboard shop and 12 miles home. I think it will be good for that.

On a trip I’d just as soon use the foamies and no helmet windbreaker.

 

[Cormanus]

Yeah ... let me know, popgun. Thanks.

 

[memphismike_imp]

EARPEACE | Earplugs Your Ears Will Love

 

[4 Paws_imp]

Hearing loss is real, and it sucks.
If you got a five dollar head wear a five dollar helmet, same with hearing protection.

Like the looks of the earpeace products. I wear custom ear plugs from an audiologist, nice but definitely not perfect.

If it wasn’t for saying “huh?” So frequently my wife and I wouldn’t talk very much.

 

[TCinNC_imp]

EARPEACE | Earplugs Your Ears Will Love

+1 on earpeace, effective and comfortable.

 

[tommymck]

I'm curious with you fellow CB1100 riders... Is it airflow noise that you are most concerned about? The CB1100 is so quiet, for me at least, the engine noise is pretty much a gentle hum.

Regarding airflow, expensive though they are, I've been wearing Arai cruiser helmets (Defiant most recently....) and love them. Under 70MPH anyway, airflow noise just isn't much of an issue unless I turn my head sideways to check on traffic.

My hearing checks out great, and I've been riding without protection from the beginning (though spent the last 20 years on a BMW that has the SPL of a sewing machine...). Not saying it's not useful (or not necessary)... Just wondering if you guys think it's wind noise or bike noise that's the primary contributor to the risk.

 

[Stichill]

tommymck, for me and I think most people it's the wind noise. It's very helmet-dependent and also dependent on the wind management of the bike. Both of my current faired bikes direct a wind stream right at my visor. If I stand up in clean air, the ride is noticeably quieter. I'm currently riding with an Arai Vector 2. The Defiant wasn't available when I bought the Vector 2 but I just looked at the Revzilla video and it looks like a good helmet for upright unfaired riding.

My hearing protection is provided by [url=https://www.amazon.com/Nonoise-Motor-Generation-Ceramic-Filter/dp/B00EDHWELY]NoNoise Motorsport ear plugs.

 

[Townie_imp]

Rboe, thanks for that link. Just ordered one. Although I like foamies for long rides, my short rides I have found to be noisy even though I have a “quiet” Shoei Quest. When I put my hand in the back, under the helmet by my neck it get quiet. So this may be the thing!

Popgun, how well did the Windjammer helmet skirt work for you?

 

[Lord Popgun]

I’ve been using it during a big heat wave that ended this weekend.

Its made of a thin neoprene and has a silicone band to grip the helmet. Except the band is more of a gorilla snot like glue. The skirt is removable for adjustment, but is hard as the snot stuff really grips. The box says removable in seconds, but for me it is minutes.

It does not seem to be any hotter with it than without. But my Shoei Quest is pretty well ventilated. The skirt does have some holes too.

It does make the helmet quieter, but not enough to forgo ear plugs. YYMV with a different helmet and neck size. I like it though as it seals around my neck and will keeps bugs or stinging insects from getting in. And that can be a concern in the South.