I concur

 

More power to you guys. I know there are a lot of people that listen and a lot of people that don't - just depends on how comfortable you are. It's not much different than the riders who wear ear plugs - still drowns out a lot of "noise" that some may consider important to hear when you're riding. If your awareness is ALWAYS at its peak, then there really isn't anything to worry about.And if you're super-slab riding - well it's def a lot easier to ride when you don't have to worry about people pulling out of driveways, parking lots, turning left (in front of you) from oncoming traffic, etc. So why not have some tunes?

 

I don't know if you've worn ear plugs before, but they manage to remove all that nasty, damaging white noise and still allow you to hear general traffic noise...MP3 player ear buds are adding noise, so not only are you still getting the general road/wind noises, but you're adding Metallica to the mix!

As a rider who rides all season in Michigan, I ride with a chin curtain all year round and it doesnt noticeably change anything about helmet noise, but it does prevent road debris from slipping into the helmet. I also use several different balaclavas and they might muffle the noise a bit, but it's still loud as Hell...nothing beats an ear plug in my opinion...you all should try it at least once or twice!

 

Actually the ear buds I use are pretty good at filtering out the so-called "damaging white noise". Often times I use them as "plugs only" without having any music on. And I know that chin curtains and balaclavas are NOT the "cure-all" answer. But they are some of the things that I have used and do have an affect - albeit a minor one, they have helped me somewhat.

Bottom line is this: Each rider, his bike, his gear and his riding conditions are different. You have to find out what works best for YOU and not what other people tell you is the best. I always try to give my opinion on what has worked for me...but it may not work for everyone. I don't go around telling someone that "this doesn't work and it only makes things worse" just because it didn't work for me.
[sm=rant.gif]

 

LOL...that's why I stated "in my opinion."

I did try the ear bud thing and I found that their placement gets jacked up when you put on the helmet and it was difficult to keep them in place and the music is a distraction to me (I find myself concentrating on the music because I'm a musician)...not to mention you could buy 200 disposable ear plugs for less than the cost ofyour special noise filtering ear buds...

Just my opinion...

 

Well I sure am glad we cleared that one up - I sure didn't want to lose any more sleep

And next Christmas I'll tell my girl to buy me 200 disposable ear plugs instead of a new pair of ear buds [8D]

Have fun in this cold - supposed to be down into single digits tonight [:@] And to think I was out riding last Wednesday evening.

 

LOL...WTF? [&:]

I use them on the street and track, so 200 pair goes pretty quickly...

I hear ya...I'm riding tonight (usual work commute), but I have some awesome winter/snowmobile gear and I barely even feel the cold...the trick is to block the wind from getting through your gear!

 

$hit, ain't no ridin' tonight unless I acn find a way to put chains on my tires... still a little slick in Genessee County.

 

Dude, definitely get yourself some earplugs. It reduces the ambient noise in your helmet by 13db i think. If you listed to an mp3 player you are drowing out the ambient noise by overpowering it. This could cause damage to your hearing if done long term.

 

+1 on ear plugs...you gotta give it a try...although it takes some times to get use to...especially to the guys with aftermarket cans and does long trips...
you'll also notice that you're alot faster on the twisties...you'll be revving alot higher than normal...cuz you're the feeling rev...sounds so much smoother...once you get use to it...you'll never wanna ride without it...even to the short ride to the *$s...