I dont wear earplugs at all when I'm on my bike.
27 years, ex courier, 500k + and counting.
Dont bother arguing with me cos I cant hear you :b
But seriously, on the few occasions that I have done I've always found myself going much faster than I would normally.
Guess its a cocooned in my own little world and disconnected from reality type of thing.
Anyhow, its too late for me to worry about hearing damage, saw Motorhead on the Ace of Spades tour in 1980, squished up against the stage at Manchester Apollo, at the tender age of 16 :rolleyes
131db :eek
All I could hear for 3 days was WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
Awesome! 
What?
Its better to ask a stupid question than make a stupid mistake.
I wear then on my sports bike because of the exhaust noise, I've only had the fazer for 7 weeks so I were still getting used to it. I will be using ear plugs again because of the wind noise. :lol
Always,,,
I was a bit doubtful once but on a long ride, one popped out of my ear and I didn't bother to stop to stick it bad in.
The difference between ears when I stopped was incredible! It was like one side (the non ear plug side) had gone deaf and it took ages to get the hearing right again.
(20-05-12, 02:07 AM)pilgrim link Wrote: Anyhow, its too late for me to worry about hearing damage, saw Motorhead on the Ace of Spades tour in 1980, squished up against the stage at Manchester Apollo, at the tender age of 16 :rolleyes
131db :eek
All I could hear for 3 days was WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
If you are not careful you might hear WEEEEEEEEE!! for the rest of your life. A mate of mine has a similar catalogue of ear abuse over the years, also a big Motorhead fan actually, was a biker and played in bands too and then suddenly last year he woke up with tinnitus and the low hissing sound in his ears has been there for months now. He can't enjoy any sort of music now, he says.
Wear earplugs before this happens to you too folks.
phil tk is 100% right? ...years of abuse,ie, abnormal noises like clay pigeon shooting (without plugs) and up to close in pits etc! loud exausts!! has left me deaf in one ear! and nearly deaf in other!!!i now suffer with tinnitus(drives me fkn mad)....and just been diagnosed with meniers disease!! affecting me balance!!! at the moment not riding bike very far, till sort out some medication to try and stop it? wouldnt wish that on me worst enemy!!!!!.....so take my advice?? if you can wear them do so!!!!! like i should have done? clive.
My hearings suffered too, years of riding bikes, loud music and screaming kids lol
Started to wear ear plugs on longer journeys.......... can't undo the damage, but don't
want it getting any worse
Your never too old to learn something stupid
I wear them on long ride outs but don't bother on short journeys, maybe I should.
thou shalt not kick
Try to wear them on any journeys above 40mph, so often don't bother in town. Use them more frequently since getting an Arai though as its quite a noisy lid. I use Alpine reuseable earplugs at the mo and they let in just the right amount of noise so I don't feel cocooned, always carry them around with me on the bike even when I don't use them and have spare foam plugs in all my jackets so I don't get caught out.
Noise levels aren't high enough to need using them in town but I always use them if I'm going to be exceeding 50 for any length of time.
I have friends that suffer from tinnitus, though all have acquired it from attending gigs rather than motorcycling & they all assure me it's no fun. I'm surprised I've not also fallen prey to it too as I reckon I've been to more than 1,000 gigs over the years most of which have been played out at the 11 end of the volume scale.
I do also wonder what the long term effects are going to be on all these youngsters that I see wandering around with ipod earphones in their ears listening to music playing so loudly that I can hear it a few yards away, not good I suspect.
I used to get home and my ears were ringing so I always wear them now.
I get mine from here: http://www.earplugsbypost.com/
They do a trial pack so you can see which ones work best for you before buying a job lot.
Money doesn't buy happiness, but it buys beer, and that helps!
I always reuse my ear plugs,,,,,, as long as you don't pick up too much fluff and shit from the pocket, give them a lick and they slide straight back in again.
I have watched this thread with interest .. I am deaf .. officially 75% or more .. I used to get free NHS hearing aid batteries before we left the UK. I can now lip read at 100 yards plus and talk like I was on the other side of the Bay .. as I am :rolleyes .
Years of abuse was the problem, 45 years working as a Diver, blown up, explosions, two cerebral bends, and several very close calls on rapid deep descent's, etc. Long Haul HGV Trucking between the diving jobs, bikes for over 55 years and ... two marrages .. you get my drift :\ .
Given half the chance .. I recon I'd take a lot more care on a second lap of life. Some of you guys who can hear well don't seem to realise how lucky you are. Take care of your 'wind scoops' chaps .. by wearing ear plugs or anything else that helps to prevent damage and gradual hearing loss. Don't think it can't happen to you .. it does !
I SAID .. Stay Safe  Polar Bear.
some really good comments here
couple of further questions ....
are the "make your own" earplugs that are advertised on fleabay any good ?
i use the foam roll up and expand ones at the moment and find them a real job to get right. what are the alternatives?
thanks 
I have found that the best ones for me are the reusable ones that look like in-ear earphones. Under £20, reuseable and easy to get in & out of your ears, easy to clean & come in different strengths of db. I think they are better at filtering wind noise out whilst letting enough of the right noises in compared to foamies. My current Alpine ones are one their way out after 2 years and have been looking at the Proguard Noizezz plugs to replace them (Proguard are known for making the expensive custom plugs).
My biggest gripes with foamy disposable types were that they were a pain to remove and refit at petrol stations or short journeys and got grimy quite easily. I keep those as spares & for pillions.
Its also important to get the right amount of noise cancellation. I think ones rated between 25 & 30dbs are the best. Keep my ears safe but don't get that isolated feeling or struggle to hear what people are saying.
I never used to but for the past few years have done so and find the lack of wind noise gives a far more relaxing ride. But If im just pottering into town I do not bother as wind noise is no a factor here.
I do have a problem with getting them in and to stay in when I pull on my lid on it rips them out -- so I cut them down by 1/4 to stop this. I use the standard yellow square edge ones.
Who can recomend anything better that these
I don't do rain or threat there of. dry rider only with no shame.
I've used the Earsoft FX pugs for years and have no complaints, easy to get in and out, they reduce the wind noise nicely and the all the chattery noises from the engine. I tuck them under the pelmet thing on my Arai when I get off the bike. I change them twice a week on average.
Cheap too, 100 pairs £25
http://www.protecdirect.co.uk/Disposable...fAodRgFv5g
(19-05-12, 01:26 PM)Grahamm link Wrote: I tried without when I first started riding, but even with the Shoei XR-1000 which is supposed to be a quiet lid, I found the noise too tiring.
I use the Howard Leicht foam plugs at the moment, but I'm thinking of getting some of these "mould your own" ones someday.
After grahamm's recommendation I tried out a pair of these. I must admit I was a bit skeptical but they done a great job of cutting out the wind noise, espically on the motorway.I never felt cocconed at ant point I could still hear the bike.
I will be using ear plugs from here on in.
Meniers disease is a fluid balance in the semicicular canals, IIRC. Alan Sheperd got it after his Mercury spaceflight and it grounded him. He got it surgically corrected and was the commander of Apollo 14, so it's not all doom and gloom...
(23-05-12, 05:11 PM)rufus t glasgow link Wrote: [quote author=Grahamm link=topic=3075.msg24557#msg24557 date=1337430396]
I use the Howard Leicht foam plugs at the moment, but I'm thinking of getting some of these "mould your own" ones someday.
After grahamm's recommendation I tried out a pair of these. I must admit I was a bit skeptical but they done a great job of cutting out the wind noise, espically on the motorway.I never felt cocconed at ant point I could still hear the bike.
[/quote]
You're welcome :thumbup : but was it the Howard Leicht or the "mould your own" ones?
pardon........didnt quite catch that :rollin
One, is never going to be enough.....
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