a cautionary tail..... i've been riding bikes for (blimey) 31 years and last year i noticed that i was starting to struggle to pick out conversations in a noisey environment. A subsequent hearing test showed that i had some high frequency deficiency. The tester's second guess was that i was a motorcyclist! Anyway to cut a long story short i now use earplugs for all but riding in town.

I know some of you will say it's just old age.......................The good news is that my hearings not bad enough to need anything (medical) doing.

 

I am twenty years old I am the same way. I don't know what did it to me but because I have only been riding motorcycles for 3 years I am guessing they are not the cause. Maybe listening to music at full blast so that I can hear it on my bike was what did it.

Lucky that it didnt happen to you a long time ago. Look on the bright side now ignoring annoying people is going to get a lot easier.

Jesse

 

I've used earplugs whenever I'm on the bike for a long time now. There isn't much hearing left above 8,000 cps, and I'd like to keep it. I use them when driving my car also. The '98 Civic is really noisy at highway speeds. In fact our Dodge diesel pickup is easier on the ears on the highway than the Civic. Less high frequency noise.

 

yep! my wife just doesn't believe me

i've done the loud music thing (still do) but apparently that is not as constant abuse of the ear drums as the bike. BTW i have always riden with a good full face helmet.

 

I wear earplugs for everything but the shortest ride.

I find that when you get that windnoise it gets so loud on the highway you can't hear anything - with the earplugs in it cuts out the windnoise and you can actually hear more of what's going on than you could without the plugs.

In town or short rides ( and I mean short - 10-15 minutes) I don't tend to wear plugs... mostly for the convience

I too feel that I've lost some of my hearing range - it gets very difficult to have a conversation in a crowded room ( very frustrating - you wonder why older people get cranky at times... my poor hearing sets me off I can tell you) and I find that I'm often asking people to repeat things.

Wear the earplugs folks. Try a few different types as they all feel different. Personally I like the small foam cones... roll them between you palm and your other hands fingers to get them nice and smooth and small... push them in and let them expand. I can hardly tell they're there - even after long multiday rides.

+1 on ear plugs

 

hi woot, i suppose i should ask DO YOU NEED ME TO TYPE BIGGER TOO

BTW your revs=MPH chart do you know if UK specs the same ratios, as i'm kind of disappointed now

 

my hearing is actually damaged from loud *** car stereos. i never listened when ppl said "your gonan mess up your ears" well now i wish i would've. one good thing is that even if i did lose my hearing id still ride . there are alot of deaf and hard of hearing all accross the USA who are bikers . my fiance rides and she is deaf .

 

First - the variable that I'm least sure of is the REAL circumfernce of the rear tire.

Those numbers were from my Canadian owners manual - if you post your numbers I can confirm them when I get home, or I can email you the spreadsheet and you can play with it... change your sprockets etc.

 

been losin mine for years, right ear I have collapeds ear drum, hearing test are in the 70's and 90's for my right and 30's to 50's in my left.( My work has annual hearing test) The lower the # 's the better yer hearing, Ive got friends that are in the 5's 10's and 15's ya I'em kinda deef, could use a hearing aid on my right side

 

Same here. I've had monster systems in cars for years back in college and now the bike. Not to mention we're only getting older. Man, I'm doomed, LOL.