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Is hearing protection really worth the trouble?

I find they work MUCH better if you dampen the surface of them before you insert them. Yep, the old "Wet Willey" treatment seems to make them easier to put in and they seat better. It makes a huge difference - but you look real funny when you are putting them in.

Based on this I'm gonna suggest that you take a look at this video. Foam earplugs should not be pressed into or slid into the ear canal. If they are it's just about guaranteed they they won't provide anywhere near their rated protection.

 
Excellent video, beemerdood. I'm looking forward to more consistent earplug performance now I know how to use them! Thank you.
 
Thanks Jamesevans. I teach defensive firearms and many beginning students use the foamies since they're just starting out and the plugs are inexpensive. With firearms, even one shot fired, even from a .22, without hearing protection WILL result in permanent hearing loss, so it's essential that the earplugs be inserted properly.

I read a study once, (sorry I lost the link) that said that if inserted improperly, foamies may only provide about 7 DB of protection, vs. the 25+ that they're rated for when used properly. With firearms, the problem is a bit different than with motorcycles. It's a matter of short duration exposure v. long term exposure with bikes. The noise is less intense with the bikes but it may last for hours. Hearing loss can occur either way, duration or loudness.

The difference (between properly inserted and not) is not as dramatic with bikes as with firearms, but the hearing loss will occur. It just takes lots of time and it may not be noticed until the hearing loss is profound.
 
Analogy I use is when oldest sister asked about flossing, her dentist deadpanned "only floss the ones you want to keep."
 
Hear, hear.
I am always questing for a quiet helmet/windshield combo that will decrease turbulence on the helmet, which is the greatest source of riding noise. Haven't found it yet on any bike including my present R1100S with Z-Tech Vstream shield and Schuberth C3 Pro, which was a disappointment noise-wise. Failing that, Hear-Os foam earplugs give the quietest ride I've found. Can still hear my motor and sirens, but the frequencies of most of the helmet buffeting are very attenuated. Major stress reducer. Only trouble is I tend to ride faster than I probably should because with less noise feedback, perceived speed is less than actual.
 
There are several other threads in this forum on earplugs as well as this one and General Agreement that earplugs - properly installed 1. save your hearing from permanent damage, 2. make for a more relaxed ride and allow you to ride farther before you tire - because wind noise is tiring, 3. allow you to hear what you need to hear (sirens, etc.) while greatly diminishing not only wind noise but a lot of other noises which are annoying and of no importance.

There is NO general agreement on the best earplugs! Why? Because our ear canals are all different - and for me my right is different than my left. Probably, yours too. If you want to use foam earplugs, the best advice is probably to buy a "variety pack" and give them all a try. Do pay attention to the video a few spots above this one - I've seen many riders just shove the earplug in without much rolling or earlobe lifting - and that won't work. I own two pair of "custom" earplugs which I like because they install faster than the foam ones. Both left ones always work great. The right ones tended to become dislodged on the bike from the helmet until I shaved off a bit of the outside part on the latest pair. No fun to get a half mile down the highway from your last stop and realize one of your earplugs is not working.

No question; some helmets are quieter than others. Only you can decide if the combination of your helmet and windscreen keep the sound level down enough that you don't need ear plugs. I think that is rarely the case.

Helmet buffeting I think is a separate issue - the kind of thing which blurs your vision a bit - and you HAVE to solve the problem. (Yes, I have experienced it.) This results from the height/angle of the windscreen giving you turbulent air around your head. No good advice except to experiment until you solve the problem. Others can probably help, and this is the wrong thread.


If you participate in any other noisy activities (chain sawing, mowing the lawn, shooting a gun, going to auto races, going to a rock concert, even going to the movies) be sure you have a set of ear plugs in hand. I've lost a fair bit of my hearing over the years, so I am either wearing hearing aids or earplugs all the time. Preserving your hearing is a cheap way of making your old age more rewarding.
 
I use to wear them all the time. Then I bought a Sena 20s and stopped wearing them. As I'm typing this now I have ringing in my ears. I bought some of the blue moldable plugs and use them now. It renders my Sena useless. Do the earphone protect enough to allow the Sena to be useful?
 
I use to wear them all the time. Then I bought a Sena 20s and stopped wearing them. As I'm typing this now I have ringing in my ears. I bought some of the blue moldable plugs and use them now. It renders my Sena useless. Do the earphone protect enough to allow the Sena to be useful?

Ringing in your ears is a sign that you've probably sustained some hearing loss. You might want to try the NoNoise hearing protection. They make a model that is specific to the type of noise that you get on a bike. They allow other types of sound, as from a Sena.

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/nonoise-motorsport-noise-filter-hearing-protection

Some people have problems because they press the filters too deep into their ear canal. I did have that issue initially. They pass so much "standard" noise through that I thought that I didn't have them in properly and kept pressing them in deeper and deeper. Then I needed some tweezers to extract them.

Standard disclaimer: I have no connection ...
 
My favorites are the Earsoft Grippers....Really Excellent

From webikeworld.com http://www.webbikeworld.com/Earplugs/disposable-ear-plugs.htm

EAR E-A-Rsoft Grippers
E-A-R E-A-Rsoft Grippers Disposable Ear Plugs
NRR: 31
Made In: U.S.A.
Made by: E-A-R Inc. (Aearo Company)

This is it! I have finally found a replacement for my beloved Moldex Pura-Fit 6800 disposable ear plugs.

These are very soft and large -- look at how big they are compared to the Pura-Fit in the photo, although they compress down to a small size and are easy to insert.

They look very intimidating, but they go in very easily and are a cinch to pull out because of the scalloped tab on the end, which acts as a handle.

They are very comfortable for me; I don't even notice that they're in my ears. When inserted, they quickly expand to fill the ear canal.
 
unless i misread the article

these were discontinued in 2007..


My favorites are the Earsoft Grippers....Really Excellent

From webikeworld.com http://www.webbikeworld.com/Earplugs/disposable-ear-plugs.htm

EAR E-A-Rsoft Grippers
E-A-R E-A-Rsoft Grippers Disposable Ear Plugs
NRR: 31
Made In: U.S.A.
Made by: E-A-R Inc. (Aearo Company)

This is it! I have finally found a replacement for my beloved Moldex Pura-Fit 6800 disposable ear plugs.

These are very soft and large -- look at how big they are compared to the Pura-Fit in the photo, although they compress down to a small size and are easy to insert.

They look very intimidating, but they go in very easily and are a cinch to pull out because of the scalloped tab on the end, which acts as a handle.

They are very comfortable for me; I don't even notice that they're in my ears. When inserted, they quickly expand to fill the ear canal.
 
I use foam plugs with Nolan N-com B5 units. When not using an N-com helmet, I use shure 215K in-ear monitors. The N-com is more convenient, and sound is good with foam plugs in my ears, but the quiet and clarity of the shure is better.
 
Bose QC20 noise cancelling in-ear headphones

I just bought a pair of Bose QC20 noise cancelling ear buds, after reading about them in a bike thread (http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/bose-qc20-noise-cancelling-earphones-on-motorcycle-long-term-south-american-ride-review.1157477/): absolutely amazing!

I tried them without sound input, for one hour at interstate speeds. They don't block out horns or sirens (nor screeching tires, I assume), but the wind noise is essentially gone. I think this is the solution to the 'finding a quiet helmet' and 'finding a quiet screen' problems.

They fit less tight than foam plugs, hence more comfy, and subjectively create less of a muffled sound and isolated feeling. I always felt wary of ear plugs in city traffic, and only used them for (very few) longer distance rides.
I noticed occasional 'pops' similar to what the OP in the thread linked above described, and also an occasional ticking sound. Might have been due to very low charge state of the battery, or due to contact between the bud or cable and helmet, I don't know.

Currently $250 (+ tax) new at Bose stores or online (reduced from $300 because a new Bluetooth model is coming out), $225 factory refurbished at Bose outlet stores.
 
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