| Author | Message | ||
     Cataract2 |
I know there was a post a short time back about this, but I'm unable to find it. I'm wondering what you all use for controlling the noise while on the bike. Someone mentioned back that they use these ear plugs with speakers in there where you can set the volume in your living room and it will still sound good on the bike as they block out a ton of noise. | ||
| Slaughter |
I've tried a couple different "ear bud" type gizmos and couldn't STAND them after just a few minutes. The pressure from the ear padding in the helmet made them too uncomfortable. You can get custom-molded ear pieces which have speaker molded-in... but I used to have custom-fit ear plugs... hated them too. I'd LIKE to find helmet speakers (still looking) | ||
| Andymnelson |
I use 26 decibel hunting ear plugs from WalMart. $.99/pair, and they have a string between them- perfect to tie them to the back loop on our jackets so they are always there when it's time to ride. They are made of a pretty soft rubber, so they have been comfortable for us (we have used others (as high as $35/pair) with great discomfort). They effectively block excessive wind and engine noise without being so quiet that you can't here the necessary sounds around you. They also work great with our in-helmet communicators. | ||
| Whistler |
I have had very good results with these ear plugs. http://www.earplugsonline.com/ | ||
| Rwven |
My favorite are my Shure earbuds. They block as much harmful noise as most OSHA approved earplugs and they allow me to hear my GPS, I-Pod and passenger (through my StarCom) clearly, without distortion. | ||
| Rwven |
Slaughter, I hadn't read your post prior, thus the double post. It takes time to get acclimated to earbuds. I use the "barbed" style silicone ear pieces and they actually were painful at first. If you use them regularly and tough out the first few rides I'm fairly sure you would come to like them. I've done thousand mile days with them with no problems now. | ||
| Jaimec |
The cheapo earplugs they sell in lots of 50 at CVS and Rite Aid work just fine. However, for listening to music I had a set of custom-molded silicone plugs made for me at this past Americade and they work GREAT. | ||
| Slaughter |
Ronald - thanks, I'll give it a shot. I like being able to listen to music - or even podcasts from talk radio - when I'm doing late-night, long, boring road rides. If I can suck it up, and get accustomed to the ear buds, that'll work. My Garmin has the ability to run MP3, I hate missing that on the bike! | ||
| Rwven |
Steve, Another hint if you use the silicone ear pieces. Lick them (or moisten them some other way if you find that distasteful)before you put them in. When you remove them wiggle them a bit to break the vacuum, you can really give your eardrum a painful pop if you don't. Buy spares, the silicone absorbs moisture and they will get rather flaccid with age. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Anyone got any experience with Etymonics? | ||
| Mikef5000 |
I have Etymonics. I picked them up after reading many great reviews both here and on other forums. I've had them for 2 or 3 years now I think, and still love them. I'd get them again in a minute if I needed to. Only downside to them is you need to replace the filters a couple times a year, as they get clogged with ear wax. | ||
| Swordsman |
I believe it's JVC that makes some nice n' cheap memory foam earphones for Ipods and such. I've found they work very well at sound dampening, and they come with 2 different sizes of inserts. They're also pretty weather resistant... I ran 'em through the wash with no ill side effects. ~SM | ||
| Fordrox |
I use skull candy ear buds with soft silicone ear piece, they work great and block out much wind noise even when not listening to music. foam earplugs can be very painful if not conditioned to them, since they always have outward pressure on them. | ||
| Boliver |
Ear protection?? From what?? Buy a helmet that fits nice and snug and your problems will cease to exist.And for the love of God why would anyone listen to music while riding a Buell?I though that was what you do when you get old and ride a Goldwing. | ||
| Trevd |
The snuggest helmet will not protect your ears from the wind noise generated by riding a motorcycle. Without adequate ear protection, you will eventually (after years of riding) get a constant ringing in your ears, and eventually will lose some or all of your hearing. If you want to be able to hear your grandchildren whispering when you get old, do yourself a favor and wear ear protection. I use Howard Leight ear plugs, and find them very comfortable. Bought a box of them at a safety supply store several years ago for $35 and still have some left. http://www.howardleight.com/family/index/4 | ||
| Moxnix |
Huh? Huh? What did you say? | ||
| 86129squids |
On the way back from HC, I finally stopped to replace the plugs I lost, went to Wallyworld in their ear/nose/eye section of the pharmacy, got 2 pair of purple silicone plugs for good $$$- they worked better than what I'd lost, MUCH more comfortable, use them frequently (100% on the old Shovel) and dig them a lot. Sorry, don't have the name brand- look for 2 pair of purple silicone, nothing else resembles these... | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
I bought custom made p[lugs. $65 well spent. | ||
| Boliver |
I guess if I start riding eight hours a day at 75mph I'll plug my ears.But for now I am gonna enjoy my ride with my properly fitted helmet.You know you can't always believe everything you read. | ||
| Strokizator |
Spent big $$ on Big Ear plugs with built in speakers. Really painful in a very short time and now I never wear them. Got some custom molded plugs at one of the M/C shows. OK, but really no better than the yellow-foam-cigarette-filter-looking cheapies I can buy at the local safety center. | ||
| Hangontight |
WHAAAAAAT?....I CAN'T HEAR ANYONE.....  | ||
| Rich |
Etymotics work fine for me. | ||
| Needs_o2 |
If you get constant tinnitus like I have, you'll wish you used ear protection! lol Huh? What?  | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Boliver, You are 44, we'll talk in another 5-6 years. You WILL change your tune... probably due to that constant ringing in your ears. Seriously, use ear plugs. You WILL be thankful you did a few years down the road. You are doing damage every day, you just don't know it yet. Don't ask how I know that for sure. Brad | ||
| Bartimus |
I use a cardo scala rider q2 in my helmet, it allows me to talk to Debbie when she is either on the back, or next to me on her bike. It lets me listen to Mp3's, the GPS, or chat on my phone. The factory speakers were pretty cheap, and hard to hear since I'm already mostly deaf. I bought a very nice pair of Sony headphones, and removed the speakers, and soldered them to the scala wiring, and installed them in my helmet. It works damn good, I can hear nice clear music, and Debbie doesn't sound like that teacher on Charlie Brown anymore. I bought a pair of Bose headphones, and gutted them for the speakers and installed them in her helmet, she is much happier now also. Slaughter, If you don't use a type of intercom like we do, you can just buy a pair of decent headphones and gut them, velcro the speakers in your helmet, and cable tie the cable somewhere in your helmet so it has a strain relief. this should allow you to plug into whatever you want to listen to...  | ||
| Littlebuggles |
I also use the Howard Leight ear plugs, they are comfortable where I find other expanding foam plugs hurt my ears. My Skull Candy ear buds came with silicone and foam ear pieces in three sizes, I use the medium ones and they block out sound pretty well but sometimes work loose when I ride. | ||
| Boliver |
Bluzm2, Thanks for the advice as I am sure you mean well.I am not gonna wear ear plugs though.Half the guys on here are suggesting protection yet they are wearing music plugs in their ears.In my mind it is way safer to NOT have your ears plugged.You are way more in touch with your bike and paying closer attention.If you are that worried about hearing loss then people should sell their bikes and drive.Which by the way the vacuum of having windows down while driving is almost as bad.Just like out here at work our air compressors are more dangerous because of the vacuum noise than the motor noise.I appreciate what you're saying but it is falling on (no pun) deaf ears.I have never subjected my ears to loud music or gun fire so if I go deaf from riding 5 or 6 thousand miles a year so be it.But if you insist just look me up in the Tulsa phone book in 5 years (Lesley Leeds) and call me.I bet money I can hear just fine and if not it won't be from riding my Buell.And on the other side of the coin my wife was born with profound hearing loss so in another 5 years I'll be using sign language anyway.Oh yeah I am 43 still. NOT 44 until December But seriously thanks for the advice.You are a good guy. | ||
| Dynasport |
I use the Skull Candy earphones as well, whenever I use earphones. I really like them alot. On my Uly, however, I have had mixed results with trying to listen to music. Sometimes the wind noise was so bad I worried that I had to turn the music up too loud. I already have some hearing loss and tinnitus. It is not from riding a motorcycle, though, because I had it before I started riding again. I am not really sure what it is from. I shoot guns, but wear hearing protection. As a kid I did listen to loud music. Anyway, to protect the hearing I have now I wear ear plugs on any ride longer than just a couple of miles around town. I have used custom made plugs from Big Ear and they were OK, but I lost them somewhere. Now I use the cheap foam jobs from Wally World. They work about as well. The Skull Candy earphones work about as well as the earplugs do when they aren't plugged into music. I have added Palmer Brackets to my Uly and my wind control is much improved. I am hoping I will be able to hear my music now on trips without having to blast it. I haven't had a trip with the brackets yet to check it out. Ear plugs did take some getting used to for me, but now I am more comfortable on the highway with them than without. | ||
| Boliver |
Here is a question for you guys that listen to music.Lets say if you had children would you allow them to play in traffic with headphones on? I really don't think none of you would do that correct? CORRECT.So why are you out playing in traffic with headphones on?If that said child was in an intersection crossing the street could they hear an approaching emergency vehicle?No they could not and nor could any of you wearing that crap. Now I understand and can see the good in hearing protection but there is no excuse or rational reason for listening to headphone music.That is just distracting and very dangerous. Now rebuttals are fine but please answer my first question before you unleash any rants. Would you allow your children to play, well not play but lets say walk home from school and cross streets with headphones on? HUH? Would you? End of discussion. | ||
| Rwven |
I never allowed my children to play in traffic at all. I can hold a conversation with my helmet on and my earbuds in. I can hear the traffic around me, better than I can without the earbuds as the wind noise in canceled out. Earbuds and ear protection are not headphones. Headphones also block out a lot of the sound that would be transferred to your inner ear through the bones around your outer ear. With all due respect Boliver, you do not know what you are talking about. |
