General Harley Davidson Chat Forum to discuss general Harley Davidson issues, topics, and experiences.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Ear Plugs?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #1  
Old 09-12-2018, 03:59 PM
hoethree's Avatar
hoethree
hoethree is offline
Elite HDF Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Al Bu Ker Key, New Mexico
Posts: 3,780
Likes: 0
Received 68 Likes on 20 Posts
Default Ear Plugs?

Wife is having hearing issues with her Softail Deluxe after a Stage 1 upgrade with a Freedom Performance 2into1 exhaust.
Says her ears buzz for a good while after riding an hour or so.
I am thinking maybe ear plugs will help her but have no experience with them.
We ride with helmet to helmet communication system so she needs something that will allow her to hear thru the comm unit.

Looking at the High Fidelity model from Eargasm. Anyone have any experience with these? Any recommendations?
https://eargasmearplugs.com


thanks!
 

Top Answer

 
09-12-2018, 04:11 PM
indiandave's Avatar
indiandave
indiandave is offline
Road Master
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,011
Received 292 Likes on 170 Posts
Default

I always ride with earplugs. I want to save the little bit of hearing I have left. Wish I would’ve done this sooner.
 
  #2  
Old 09-12-2018, 04:11 PM
indiandave's Avatar
indiandave
indiandave is offline
Road Master
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,011
Received 292 Likes on 170 Posts
Default

I always ride with earplugs. I want to save the little bit of hearing I have left. Wish I would’ve done this sooner.
 
The following 10 users liked this post by indiandave:
5wheels (06-07-2019), Bluesrider.df (06-27-2019), deadhawg (06-09-2019), guido4198 (06-08-2019), KW HD (06-08-2019), Malleck (06-08-2019), rjo3491 (06-29-2019), roox (06-09-2019), Tommy C (09-12-2018), XRX (09-12-2018) and 5 others liked this post. (Show less...)
  #3  
Old 09-12-2018, 04:39 PM
AussieDog's Avatar
AussieDog
AussieDog is offline
Road Master
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Washington
Posts: 1,050
Received 698 Likes on 317 Posts
Default

Try out the foam earplugs that you can get at Walgreens or CVS. They will have a Noise Spression Rating (NSR) of 32, which is pretty good. You will be able to hear your bike to bike communicator better. I cant really hear much from my Ultra radio unless I have my earplugs in.
 
  #4  
Old 09-12-2018, 04:47 PM
ve9aa's Avatar
ve9aa
ve9aa is offline
Outstanding HDF Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Atlantic Canada, eh
Posts: 2,230
Received 647 Likes on 399 Posts
Default

Same. The wind noise on the top of my FF helmet is not deafening, but it sure is quite annoying. At about the 30min mark of riding, if I should then stop, I will then experience some slight buzzing/dizzy feeling afterwards if I was doing hwy speeds. If I do 30min of slow 25-40mph, roads, then not nearly as bad. (less noise, less after effects)
If I just go out to the store after supper for 15-20mins, I skip hearing protection.

Only recently started using foam earplugs and it helps quite a bit. Even just some wired earbuds for an MP3 player helps SOME. I tried that one weekend before I was able to get to a store Monday.
 

Last edited by ve9aa; 09-12-2018 at 04:49 PM.
  #5  
Old 09-12-2018, 04:49 PM
ABQ-Jammer's Avatar
ABQ-Jammer
ABQ-Jammer is offline
Ultimate HDF Member

Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 5,560
Received 4,753 Likes on 2,317 Posts
Default

Those Radians moldable ear plugs are best for cutting out the noise, and can be molded to fit ear buds so that sounds from them would easily get through (need to drill a small hole from the inside to where the ear buds fit in). Not sure how they would work with bluetooth speakers inside the helmet, though.
 
  #6  
Old 09-12-2018, 06:10 PM
Cogswell's Avatar
Cogswell
Cogswell is offline
Road Captain
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Appalachia
Posts: 508
Received 261 Likes on 126 Posts
Default

I use the foam ear plugs with my Sena and cam still hear everything fine. My exhaust is not much louder than stock.
 
  #7  
Old 09-12-2018, 06:31 PM
Zedbra's Avatar
Zedbra
Zedbra is offline
Road Warrior
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Squamish, BC
Posts: 1,295
Received 901 Likes on 497 Posts
Default

Spend the money and get a set of molded plugs made up for your wife. You can get them with venting to allow noise in or you can get them slightly thicker for more sound dampening. They will last a lifetime and are always comfortable to wear. I wear my vented ones around the house (haven't worn them on the bike yet but probably will start) and I had some made extra thick for the gun range.
 
  #8  
Old 09-12-2018, 06:54 PM
XRX's Avatar
XRX
XRX is offline
Road Captain
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: On my motorcycle
Posts: 690
Received 119 Likes on 76 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by hoethree
Wife is having hearing issues with her Softail Deluxe after a Stage 1 upgrade with a Freedom Performance 2into1 exhaust.
Says her ears buzz for a good while after riding an hour or so.
Wind noise alone, will deafen you at highway speeds.

If her exhaust is louder than wind noise, then it's bothering everyone else that shares public roads with her.

I am thinking maybe ear plugs will help her but have no experience with them.
Do you not ride?

EVERY rider should be wearing earplugs- they kill the wind noise, so that you can hear sirens, car horns, tires squealing, your own engine, and everything else that a rider needs to hear.

 
The following 2 users liked this post by XRX:
bentparts (06-09-2019), sportglide (11-25-2018)
  #9  
Old 09-12-2018, 07:07 PM
Frank the Real Biker's Avatar
Frank the Real Biker
Frank the Real Biker is offline
Road Master
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Kansas
Posts: 1,002
Received 781 Likes on 302 Posts
Default

I have a son who has had hearing problems since early childhood. I have come to know his ear doctor/surgeon quite well over the years. When I quizzed him about which ear plugs he would recommend for riding a motorcycle, he said that the squishy foam plugs are fine. I figured he knows a thing or two about hearing protection, so at his suggestion I bought Howard Leight brand Max Lite plugs. He said anything with a NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) of 30 or greater will work fine for riding.

(Standard disclaimer...I have NO financial interest in Howard Leight or it's parent company, Honeywell, yada yada yada.)
.
 
The following users liked this post:
XRX (09-12-2018)
  #10  
Old 09-12-2018, 07:17 PM
CoolBreeze3646's Avatar
CoolBreeze3646
CoolBreeze3646 is offline
Seasoned HDF Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: South Central, PA Near the MD Border
Posts: 21,309
Received 19,517 Likes on 6,888 Posts
Default

I use these from Walmart. I have small ear canals so the purple ones work for me I have worn the lime green ones also. Cheap and disposable, 33 DBA noise reduction.

 
The following 4 users liked this post by CoolBreeze3646:
BuzzCap7 (11-25-2018), Long lonesome highwayman (06-09-2019), sportglide (11-25-2018), XRX (09-12-2018)


Quick Reply: Ear Plugs?



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:57 AM.