Wind Noise
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Tourer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 459
Likes: 13
From: Cincinnati, OH
Wind Noise
My hearing is really starting to get bad. I found out that wind noise from motorcycle riding can be very harmful and there is no doubt that after a long ride wearing my 3/4 helmet on my road king my hearing seems muffled. It's getting progressively worse the more I ride. Today I got some custom earplugs made and that is supposed to be the best solution. I don't like that fact that I won't be able to hear the traffic though. I suspect a full face helmet would also be a possible solution but I much prefer a 3/4 for visibility. I had a BMW 1200RT and on the highway I would raise the electric windshield and totally eliminate the wind noise. That's what I liked most about that bike, but I decided overall I much preferred riding a Harley. I had a street glide but the wind noise on that was also bad. Indian has an electric shield now but I also want a bike with a tour pack, which Indian doesn't have. My guess is an electric shield for Harley's isn't that far off in the future. For those of you with the new 2014's, I know the fairing vent cuts down on buffeting but does it also cut down on wind noise?
Anybody else suffering from hearing loss due to wind noise, and if so, what are you doing about it?
Anybody else suffering from hearing loss due to wind noise, and if so, what are you doing about it?
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
what?
I wear ear buds on the longer rides, plumbed into the stereo.
keeps the music in, the wind and road noise out
the wind noise is affected much by the way the ride is set up and even what clothing the rider picks to wear... you might be surprised at the diff in jacket collar up/down.
wind noise increases with speed
and in the end the rider has full control of all the aspects that contribute to this, once aware of the results of long exposure.
I find that fitted plugs are not alot better than the foam decidamps- the foam plugs often comform better to the ear canal if the jaw is moving.
while a full face may be better than a 1/2, i find that bare headed ( my preference) can be better than a 1/2 or 3/4
mike
I wear ear buds on the longer rides, plumbed into the stereo.
keeps the music in, the wind and road noise out
the wind noise is affected much by the way the ride is set up and even what clothing the rider picks to wear... you might be surprised at the diff in jacket collar up/down.
wind noise increases with speed
and in the end the rider has full control of all the aspects that contribute to this, once aware of the results of long exposure.
I find that fitted plugs are not alot better than the foam decidamps- the foam plugs often comform better to the ear canal if the jaw is moving.
while a full face may be better than a 1/2, i find that bare headed ( my preference) can be better than a 1/2 or 3/4
mike
Last edited by mkguitar; Nov 1, 2013 at 11:38 AM.
Big Kahuna HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 322,622
Likes: 3,077
From: .....
I wear gun shooter ear plugs. The rubber ones on a string. And I don't ride without them. My wife won't wear them and I have to repeat myself when we stop because of the wind noise. She has to repeat herself because of my plugs.
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 199
Likes: 10
From: Midwest
It amazes me how different so many responses can be for the same question.
I too had an R 1200 RT that was comfortable on the Hwy with the w/s tilted all the way in the up position.
I too use a 3/4 helmet, a very thin doorag that covers my ears and protects my helmet liner from sweat, and I just wad up a small piece of tissue paper or napkin and I'm good to go.
I also got rid of loud pipes, but that's another story. Just sayin...
Cheers/B
I too had an R 1200 RT that was comfortable on the Hwy with the w/s tilted all the way in the up position.
I too use a 3/4 helmet, a very thin doorag that covers my ears and protects my helmet liner from sweat, and I just wad up a small piece of tissue paper or napkin and I'm good to go.
I also got rid of loud pipes, but that's another story. Just sayin...
Cheers/B
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 759
Likes: 34
From: Virginia
Ear plugs ... any kind ... don't leave home without 'em. And my experience has been that full-face and modular helmets are actually louder than open-face or no helmet at all when it comes to wind/road noise. I've also been known to simply use cotton ***** in my ears (not the whole thing, my ears aren't THAT big). Cuts down just enough of the wind noise so I can easily hear the CB/tunes thru the headset while wearing a helmet, but can still hear important traffic noises (sirens, semi's, etc).
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2010
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From: Jayhawk Country
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Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,833
Likes: 35
From: Southern Maryland
i wear a shorty most of the time and a modular when it gets colder or threatens rain. i'm not really bothered by wind noise. i find that the modular "appears" louder to me than the shortie. i can't hear outside noise as much but the mufflers seem sometimes amplified. probably just my imagination.
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Tourer
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 336
Likes: 0
From: Queen Creek, AZ
Earplugs block traffic noise? FF helmets - the tighter the helmet the lest noise. I wear FF and ear plugs whenever I ride, unless it's just going to the corner market. I too had an RT, wore earplugs on it too. Getting used to them is key.
Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 560
Likes: 2
From: Green Bay, WI
80% + high freq hearing loss over my lifetime of riding. I found out a year ago.
http://www.alpinehearingprotection.c...lugs/motosafe/
These were recommended to me. I wear them on any run longer than 10 minutes. I can hear music, traffic, voices with no issue.
You can spend literally hundreds on custom molded. These were a fraction of the cost and recommended to me by the Doctor I saw.
http://www.alpinehearingprotection.c...lugs/motosafe/
These were recommended to me. I wear them on any run longer than 10 minutes. I can hear music, traffic, voices with no issue.
You can spend literally hundreds on custom molded. These were a fraction of the cost and recommended to me by the Doctor I saw.