earplugs

[ghostbiker]

Apart from a try of earplugs many years ago i have never realy worn them.
but affter picking up a few free packs at the BMF i went for a 220 mile ride on sunday with a pair in. just the cheap yellow type foam ones.

First thing i noticed is wow everything sounds odd. followed by hmmm never heard that sound from the engine before and then spent the next 20 miles not watching the road but just cocking my head to 1 side convinced the bike was missfireing lol. it isnt btw

once settled in i found i was running in way to hot on corners and im sure it was because i couldnt hear the revs as clearly and there fore was miss judging speeds. once i got to the half way point i took them out and on the way back found the bike loud and rattly lol but felt better on the ride itself.

So i think from now on i might use plugs on long Mway trips but if out having fun on A / B roads then no way lol.

So what do you guys do about plugs? how many have actualy spent loads on the expensive ones? are they that much better?

[Strifae]

Ironically I have the opposite problem if i ride without them I find myself ridding alot slower as the noise from the engine makes me think i am going faster than i really am!

I tend to have headphones or earplugs in 90% of the time i ride unless its literally from Worle to Weston or another short-ish trip

[Strifae]

Riding* even

[bigralphie]

Don’t bother if "nipping to shops etc" but always wear them for any distance.
I find I ride smoother as I can concentrate better with them in
I use to use cheap ones from work but tried some "gun/shooting " ear plugs off eBay and they are really good and can be wash without spoiling the shape or feel

[dazedandconfused]

Always use them. I'd like to still hear when I get old.

I fond these good, not too effective like some of the foam ones but cut down on the wind noise decently.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-Pairs-Howard...4cecd9a5e7

[slappy]

I always use them but we are supplied with them where I work because of the noise levels so in effect they are free.I cannot ride without them in, everything seems too noisy otherwise.

[HarryHornby]

I commute daily and I was finding that my ears were ringing after every journey, I bought a trial pack from LucyDellEarplugs and it had 20 or so of their most popular ones.  I tried each pair for a week (unless they were instantly bad) and kept notes.  I then narrowed them down to a couple and wore them a day at a time before choosing the right pair for me, then bought a job lot, think it's was £10 for 50, I use a new pair each week.

I wouldn't ride without them, they cut out all the high end engine noise, I mainly just hear my exhaust, so I know how the engine is revving.  If I ride without them it sounds like my engine is falling apart LOL

[Tefer]

I have been thinking about earplugs recently, will maybe try some cheap ones and if I like it I'll then go for some better ones. Has anyone seen these or tried them?


http://www.diyearplugsonline.com/

[griff86]

I couldn't ride without them no matter what the mileage.




I also have to wet them before putting them in as I hate when one moves when putting your lid on and you get annoying wind noise in one ear.

[BBROWN1664]

If I am just going round town at 30ish, I tend to go without but ANY distance at speed above that is noticably noisy and I wear them. Just cheap ones from e-bay. Bough a box of about 200 pair a few years ago and still got loads left. Only cost about £10 then.

It was some like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20-EAR-PLUGS-H...2567dd26f1

[Gingernutz]

I use them for distance but I have a schuberth lid which is less noisy without plugs than my caberg was with cheapy ones. Good evidence that you damage your hearing going without so its a no brainer for me.

[eddie]

have alway worn earplugs, even wear em  in pub when bands are playing

[Grahamm]

When I started riding, I didn't bother, but then tried a pair and found it made a hell of a lot of difference to the level of noise I experienced even though the Shoei XR-1000 I have is supposed to be a quiet lid.

I just buy the cheap "orange plugs on blue plastic cord" type, wash them when they get manky and eventually chuck them away when they start to fall to pieces.

(PS they're also useful when I'm on a train and want to get some kip because it keeps out the noise of all the idiots yakking on mobile phones, listening to MP3 players with the volume turned up etc!

[chris.biker]

How many people with a standard exhaust wear ear plugs?

I have a standard exhaust and don t wear ear plugs.

[BBROWN1664]

It's not the exhaust noise that is the problem, it is the wind noise from the wind going around your helmet.

[dolau]

Ipod in ear buds- good noise reduction and banging tunes  :evil

[Skippernick]

To chris.biker - i have a standard exhaust and i wear them
I used not too on my 125 and then moved up to my fazer with my cheap hand me down helmet.
Then i treated myself to an AGV helmet ment to be really quite, and the wind noise was appalling. Tried my mates z1000 naked no noise.
So my fox eye with standard screen and my posh AGV helmet combined is really noisy which means i have to wear ear plugs all the time.
Nick

[scoobie_paws]

always wear them. find my helmet just too damn noisy otherwise. its an xr1000 which as said above is sposed to be a quiet one !!
I use max lites whch are comfy and cut the wind noise but you can still hear the bike/can

[Just Anne]

When I were a lass, nobody wore them but on my return to biking some years later, I was talked into trying a pair. I too found myself riding faster because of the sound difference. Bit scary at first but soon got used to it and wouldn't go without now, even in the Shoei XR1000.

On the odd occasion I've forgotten it's the ear shattering KEEERRRLUNK of my visor shutting that makes me stop and put them in.

I've now got the ones they make to measure by doing a mould of your earhole. These have wires in to connect to music or intercom. Problem is if the other user of the intercom has ordinary ear plugs as it's difficult to get the sound level to suit both. Today I listened to a podcast of woman's hour on radio 4 8) 

Anne

[ghostbiker]

a few ppl have sworn by those in ear moulded ones in the past and a few have sworn at them lol.
i might try to wear the cheap ones more offten and see if i can get more used to it. i didnt find them that uncumfortable but did find i got almost like a sound cutting in and out rymthicaly so i like the idea of a bag of assorment. but not seen them so will take a look.