[StevieB]

Oh, I understand sarcasm, just having a little trouble figuring out who is using it, and who is serious.

[LordKeryth]

Yeah, sometimes it can go from being all fun and games then someone goes and gets their eye put out.

[tdrcomm]

OK. All kidding and sarcasm aside, for the past three days I've been riding with plugs. All I can say is:

WHAT THE HELL HAVE I BEEN THINKING ALL THESE YEARS!!!

It's incredible! I thought it would drown out so much traffic noise that I'd feel uncomfortable riding, but no. More like muffled at worst. I had no idea the wind noise was that loud until I road without it blasting in my helmet. Went out and got a new set tonight. It may seem like "Karate Kid" drivel but it sounds like being in the mountains when the place is blanketed in snow. Because of that I felt like I was more aware and alert on the road. Maybe I was compensating for the lack of noise, I don't know for sure. All I DO know is I won't be riding without them if I can help it. Great topic, Steve. :

[pummelthehorse]

i think that it is important to keep as much hearing as possible when riding, atleast around town...sure if ur going on a long highway trip i may use ear plugs(but my helmet kills a ton of the wind noise for me...it's brind new) but aroudn town i would never wear ear plugs for the simple fact that i like to hear what's going on around me...it's jsut safer, being able to hear a car screeching as it brakes or a hron of a car or worse yet a truck can save your life.

[Hudson]

I didn't read the entire thread, sorry, so if im reiterating someboy, sorry. about to crawl off to bed after this post..

if you want some /really good/ earplugs, that you can reuse thousands of times, i got just what you need. having f-ed up ears for half my life, i had to get quite a few sets of earplugs made, esp since i like to scuba and snorkle, and my old eardrums (long since fixed now) couldn't take the punishment by themselves.

Just go to an ear nose and/or throat doctor, say you need some custom fitted earplugs made. It will cost you maybe 50 bucks for the whole deal. they stuff a small cotton ball on a string in your ear, then inject this rubbery stuff in and make a 'pack in' type earplug mold of your ear canal and the cup of your outer ear.

they send that off someplace that makes silicon rubber finals, which are just a fraction bigger than the molds they made (for a snug fit), and you can even tell them what color to make them, too. one will have a dot on it to tell which is the right ear. Easy as heck to pop in and out, even with gloves on, and if you get bright colored ones, almost impossible to drop and loose them. (i suggest hot neon red for that)

And best of all, they LAST FOR FREAKING -EVER-, i had to have mine re-made several times as a kid because i outgrew them long before they wore out, and this was with me using them every day in saltwater/pools and sun, etc, taking them out and putting them in again countless times, stepping on them, dropping them, whatever punishment.

They have awsome acustic dampening value, i used them for everything, even heavy machine work, at the gun range, sleeping on airplanes, etc. GREAT things to have folks, i really very highly/strongly suggest anybody who uses earplugs for anything to get a set of these badboys, *very* much worth the investment!

[The CyberPoet]

In case everyone has forgotten, I sell both reusable/washable and disposable ear plugs here at KR along with the oil filters, tools, plugs, etc. that I carry. Being who I am, I tested a ton of ear plugs before I settled on the ones I now carry, and I usually toss some into every reasonable-sized order for maintenance supplies I fill for you guys... See CyberPoet's KR Members' Specials

Earplugs are cheap compared to the penalities of not using them. And as I've said here tons of times before, for those of you who can't fathom wearing earplugs, it's far easier to hear emergency input when the total volume of what you're listening to is lower -- for the exact same reasons that it's easier to understand a low conversation in a quiet library than a screamed one in a rock concert.

A few years ago, I spread them around to everyone at the rally, and I'm really happy to see that a lot of you guys took the hint and use them permanently now (Tom, you should know better, but then again, I suspect your own snoring may damage your hearing in your sleep first).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[Craft59]

I wear ear plugs on my racing Go-Kart, but have never tried them on my Dirt bike or street bike!
I have some foam ones.
Sounds like a good reason to take my Kat out for an evening ride!!
Will see how it works.
Lyle

[Craft59]

Hey, I liked the ear plugs!
Never noticed how much wind noise there is, even with my full face helmet.
Still could hear everything fine just, muffled the high pitch noises.
Sure it would help on longer rides.
Good tip!
Lyle

[tdrcomm]

In case everyone has forgotten, I sell both reusable/washable and disposable ear plugs here at KR along with the oil filters, tools, plugs, etc. that I carry. Being who I am, I tested a ton of ear plugs before I settled on the ones I now carry, and I usually toss some into every reasonable-sized order for maintenance supplies I fill for you guys... See CyberPoet's KR Members' Specials

Earplugs are cheap compared to the penalities of not using them. And as I've said here tons of times before, for those of you who can't fathom wearing earplugs, it's far easier to hear emergency input when the total volume of what you're listening to is lower -- for the exact same reasons that it's easier to understand a low conversation in a quiet library than a screamed one in a rock concert.

A few years ago, I spread them around to everyone at the rally, and I'm really happy to see that a lot of you guys took the hint and use them permanently now (Tom, you should know better, but then again, I suspect your own snoring may damage your hearing in your sleep first).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

Marc, the thing I remember the most about your plugs was they were so easy to insert and remove. The ones I have now are great but it does take a couple tries to insert them correctly for a snug fit.

[The CyberPoet]

Marc, the thing I remember the most about your plugs was they were so easy to insert and remove. The ones I have now are great but it does take a couple tries to insert them correctly for a snug fit.

PM me and I'll get you set up with as many as you want of just the type you liked... (I do remember which ones you preferred out of those I was handing around).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[teddy]

Hey C-P,
I recently went to my local Fastenal store and picked up a new set of ear plugs. They are from E.A.R. and are called Soft Foam No Roll Down ear plugs. They are magnificent! They are foam with a plastic tab to help insert them, but no cord to drape on the neck, which is what I like best about them. They fit real nice, but I know everyone is different. Just thought I'd share...
Anymore, I think riding without ear plugs is like using your welder without eye protection, just plain dum.
Steve, thanks for the excellent thread

[The CyberPoet]

Teddy, glad to hear it!

For everyone, just pay attention to the NRR & actual sound-table ratings. There's a huge difference between a 15 to 22 dB cut and a 25 to 32 dB cut in sound, and where it happens (the ones I carry here cut more heavily on both ends of the spectrum than the middle; they reach a 44 dB cut for certain wind-noise frequencies you're most likely to find while riding fast). In general, EAR is a good company and I do carry a number of their plugs here.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[FloridaKat]

Teddy, glad to hear it!

For everyone, just pay attention to the NRR & actual sound-table ratings. There's a huge difference between a 15 to 22 dB cut and a 25 to 32 dB cut in sound, and where it happens (the ones I carry here cut more heavily on both ends of the spectrum than the middle; they reach a 44 dB cut for certain wind-noise frequencies you're most likely to find while riding fast). In general, EAR is a good company and I do carry a number of their plugs here.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

I'm using a Home Depot "special" version of the ear plugs and am not sure of their attenuating capabilities.

As everyone knows, its' not just the dB level that you need to be concerned with, but a combination of frequency/amplitude, dB level and exposure time which can all lead to permanent hearing loss.

CP - do you know or have the frequency attenuation for a typical noise spectrum on the plugs you sell? I may be interested in purchasing some after I do some more research.

Thanks!

[The CyberPoet]

CP - do you know or have the frequency attenuation for a typical noise spectrum on the plugs you sell?

Full chart for the three most popular plugs I sell (i.e. - the basic kit) are here:

http://www.motorcycleanchor.com/products/nrr.html

The HomeDepot versions are an NRR22 "lite" version of the NRR25 version listed at the top of that page.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[StevieB]

Steve, thanks for the excellent thread

You are quite welcome.