Tried riding with ear plugs for the first time this evening. After riding for years without plugs, it was a strange experience!

Found it very hard to judge road and engine speed and after about ten miles I took them out.

I can see it might be quite nice to use them on a very long motorway journey, but for the short blasts I tend to do, I think I prefer riding the same way I prefer sex............ unprotected

Anyone else use plugs?

 

The old adage .....Bareback or not at all
- I'd subscribe to what you are saying too, however a nice
in between is to muffle things a bit with a light wad of cotton
wool ! especially pounding motorway/highway.
Tip don't clean your ears a little wax makes 'em easy ear to
get out

 

Around town or just an afternoon run I don't feel the need. For an extended ride down the interstate it's a must for me. I use the foam E.A.R. disposables, get tons free at work. If I don't use them for the all-day pavement pounding my ears will ring from the roaring wind noise. Maybe you guys just have better/quieter helmets?

 

I wish they were easier to use because I really find them to be great. I remember trying them out on a longer ride... I was riding down highway 41 doing about 65 through cornfields and I swear I heard a bird let out a howl off to my side! It is surreal and kinda relaxing for cutting out the wind noise but I'll admit I never take the time to pop 'em in. I just got a bluetooth-capable helmet though so we'll see how Pandora and Spotify compare.

 

The wind noise alone around your helmet is greater than any industrial rules alow you to stand for any length of time. I always wear them unless Ive a new exhaust fitted and I want to hear the burble (for you Chippy). You will suffer from some loss of hearing long term if you dont wear them, but its personal choice. I suppose it also depends how much your helmet cuts noise out to some extent.
I guess Im used to them now so 90+% of bikes Ive ridden I can still hear the engine all through the rev range.
Though my hearing will probabaly be shot by listening to loaud music.

 

I've been riding around with them in my pocket for months, popped them in there with the best of intentions, but kept forgetting to use them.

I'll give them another try, might take some time getting used to them, there was a certain serene quality to riding in relative silence, that was quite enjoyable.

 

I do not use earplugs while riding. Too much of a hassle. We have to take annual hearing tests where I work and my hearing has not suffered any in the 4+ years since I got back on the bike.

 

I mainly wear ear plugs when on longer trips but have started to notice a loss of hearing at my 2 yearly hearing tests. So I will be wearing them more often now.

I recently purchased the make your own ear plugs off good old fleabay and made them up. They are a much better fit than the disposable ones, more comfortable in the ears and will fit perfectly every time. The only problem I have found with them is that my dog likes eating them (blue poo in the morning) so I need to keep them out of the way.

Helmets & Hearing Loss in Motorcyclists |

Something for people to read. Wind noise at 60kph is about 90db and anything above 85db can start to cause hearing loss.

 

Around town I see no need. On the highway I always have them in. A few years ago I tried the make-em-yourself ear plugs. They worked great while forming and fitting, but apparently they shrink as they dry. The next time I tried them they didn't work well at all.

For those who see no hearing loss after just a few years - it can take several years for hearing loss to be really noticable. Firearms, heavy equipment, loud music, none of it bothered me until I was in my sixties. If I knew then what I know now there would have been hearing protection any time noisy equipment was running.

Just a word from the too-late wise.

 

I don't do it. Hate not hearing anything