Why do guys wear ear plugs when their pipes are not too loud and their music is reasonable? Also, even their motor is not a big built up motor. I am not bashing anyone here. I see guys put in plugs before they hit the road and even riding solo.

When I get home, my ears a ringing because my pipes talk when I twist the throttle and my music is turned up so I can drown out the road noise. It is gone after while. Maybe I am damaging my hearing, though.

 

Lots of things can make unacceptable/harmfull noise.. exhaust, radio, wind. I wear plugs due to the wind noise as it flows past my helmet straps on my half lid. Quite the roar.

Yes you are harming your hearing. You don't want to ask how I know....

 

I use ear plugs. I use them so my ears are not ringing after riding all day. Actually, I can hear the radio better with ear plugs in. I definitely use them if I am going to put in a lot of miles on the interstate.

 

I have been riding 43 years and need hearing aids. My audiologist says wind noise is the worst on your hearing. You lose your high pitch hearing. Any time your ears ring after riding, the is damage done. I have ringing in my ears all the time now. Save your hearing. Trying to understand your grandkids sucks. Thanks to hearing aids, but not the same and a pain in the a@#.

John

 

If your ears are ringing after riding your bike then you are definitely damaging your hearing. I used to play loud music without earplugs and now I have about a 15% loss of hearing in my right ear, side toward my amp, and it will probably get worse as I get older.

I don't have loud pipes on my bike, but I do know that they compete with the low bass frequencies of my stereo.

Walt MI/USA

 

Wind noise is the worst for me.
I have been a part time soundman for 27 years and have always watched how loud things can be. It is the wind that can cause problems, not the pipes or music.

 

I use them with my half or no helmet...I have a constant hissssss in my ears anyway..from years of sonic overexposure..The wind in the ears..the right one mostly..causes mild vertigo after a while..so goofy or not it's now a must.
Ok with the fullface helmet

 

I have Rinehart true duals and when you twist the wick she can bark but its the wind noise that I can't stand. It gives me headaches . I have custom made ear monitors that reduce the noise by 26 dB and it can be hard to hear what gear your in. No noise from the engine, a little from the pipes, and zero noise from the wind. ohhh and did I say I can listen to my tunes at a low volume and save my hearing???
They are a little pricey @ $300 Cnd but are by far the best $$ spent so far.

Chop.

 

There was an interesting study done not too long ago, I'll see if I can dig it up but there was convincing enough evidence that I now almost always were ear plugs when riding. I have found that on long rides as well you as much less fatigued then without them.

I just use the 3-4$ re-usable pairs you can get at a hardware store but I've been tempted to try the custom fit ones that allot of musicians wear.

 

"Based on several research studies, the major contributor to hearing loss in the motorcycle industry remains the "silent killer" known as "wind noise." Generically termed as the amount of noise turbulence produced around the head while the rider is in motion. Its inherited consequences result in irreversible hearing loss damage over a period of time when adequate hearing protection is not worn.

Another common ailment of motorcycle riding is a condition known as "Temporary Threshold Shift," commonly referred to as TTS by audiologists and hearing healthcare professionals. TTS is caused by excessive noise exposure for a duration of time, which drops your actual acute hearing pattern to a lower level temporarily. Meaning, your hearing is less than what it was before the initial exposure. Continuous TTS exposure will result in permanent damage.

Everyone has experienced this phenomenon at one time or another, whether it is from going to loud dance halls, or concerts, or even work. Even some of today's movie theatres can cause this to happen, but this is a specific certainty for motorcyclists who disregard adequate hearing protection while riding their bike.

Legal speeds of 65mph can produce wind noise levels at 103dB SPL, (chainsaw, pneumatic drill). This noise is loud enough to cause TTS in your hearing, tinnitus and permanent ear damage.

At these levels the rider is not only fatiguing physically from the excess noise exposure, but it also puts him into a position of needing a hearing aid later in life. "