Earplugs and You: Yes? or No?

You just aren't use to them that why you couldn't hear other bikes. It's a frequency thing. Once you got use to the change in sound you would hear the other bikes better actually because most other useless noises would be gone.

The headache thing does happen to some. The moldable type that fills the outer ear primarily usually works for those that have the headache issue.

 

I never wore them because I always raced a production class with stock exhaust. Then I got an SV that's LOUD and I wear them all the time, even on the production bike.

I should have been wearing them all along. I'll wear them now on the street bike but I can see where custom fitted ones would be nice. My ears start hurting after about an hour or so from the foam plugs.

 

In many cases the wind noises are the real issue for noise. Most don't even realize it.

If I can remember it one of these weekends I will take my monitor out with the remote mic and do a noise dose test when riding and get some actual numbers for you guys.

 

Pouch go buh bye:tut:

 

I cant wear them. Im deaf in one ear.
when I wear ear plugs I have no balance. I'v tried many times and have run off the track every time.

 

Well Im wearing some next race then. I have a set but i wear them to bed at the track. Some guys are up at the crack of dawn reving their bikes like crazy while I try to get another hour of sleep, lol.

These are the ones the Gov gave me a little while ago. (i use to work in a print shop).

 

I prefer the foam plugs over those rubber ones. I tried some like those in your pic and every time I put my helmet on the earpads would either push that little "handle" on the end of the plug around and mess up the seal or it try to shove the earplug farhter down in my ear which would become quite uncomfortable.

 

Correct. Just the sustained wind noise at 55mph even with a closed face helmet is damaging. And it is permanent. Even with plugs I can hear things around me on a bike better than I can hear in a car with the windows up.

 

What?

WHAT?

Whaddidyasay?

I didn't wear earplugs the first ten or 15 years I rode and raced. Between that and time on the flight line have cost me a lot of my hearing. I wore plugs the last 10 or 13 years I raced. They hleped my concentrationa nd I wasn't as tired after an hour or hour-and-a-half endurance stint. I still wear them on my street bikes. The few times I've accidnetly ridden w/o them, the wind roar has been painfully distracting.

 

Walmart has custom ear plug kits? Where, sporting goods? That's a great deal for a DIY custom fit....

Jim

 

I wear them, it keeps me from hearing the guys behind me screaming "GET THE #$%^ OUT OF MY WAY"...




























Bob "the rolling chicane"

 

sure, blame it on the earplugs.

and did you ever try just wearing one ear plug? for the good ear?

 

I've never liked the feel of them in my ear. I used to wear them until one started working its way out in a race and I felt like I had no balance. Was like a drunk feeling almost. Maybe the custom ones would feel better?? Who knows, maybe one day I will again

 

I can't imagine life without earplugs while riding. I used the foam ones for about 2 months, then switched to custom-made plugs to fit the size of my ear better. This season I went to a ear doctor and got a new set of silicon-based custom plugs and they are the best ever. Yes, they were a little pricier than the ziplock bags of foam ones you get at CVS (they ran me about $150 or so, I don't recall) but they are worth every penny.

I also started riding with one of those mouth guards from Shock Doctor last year, and it really cuts down on the jaw clenching big time. Totally relaxed with no distractions was the goal.

 

you mean its not...........

I never did till about a year ago, did 5-6 years of racing without them,, now I use them all the time..

 

I've been riding street for 20 years and just started racing this season. Tried ear plugs on several occasions and hated them. It gives me a spooky/floaty sensation, like I'm not really there. I don't feel like I can hear anything, especially my own bike. Wind noise never bothered me and as far as I know my hearing's fine.

After reading everyone else's posts, maybe it's time to reconsider. And go get my hearing checked, maybe I'm just def already.

What?

I SAID MAYBE I'M DEF ALREADY. Geez, why can't anybody hear what I'm saying, are they all hard of hearing or something?

 

Motor seizure paranoia is my reason. It's an old guy thing, Max. Keep riding your 4 strokes and don't worry about it.

 

Sorry, I had my E-A-R Ultrafit ear plugs in and didn't realize you were talking to me...

 

Looks like in a crash your helmet could potentially ram those earplugs way down into your ear canal and cause lots of damage. I'd be really reluctant to wear anything like that while racing.

I'm assuming the yellow cylinders on the ends are made of stiff plastic. If they're soft and bend easily then nevermind.

 

Hearing damage is a dose issue(amount of time at noise). Running WERA sprint races without plugs will probably not do permanent damage to your ears. You have to think of the times that the bikes are really making high noise and/or the wind is making noise. It's basically under accelleration(bike) and at higher speeds(wind/bike). Same with the bikes around you. Is a sprint race on roadcourses you aren't experiencing the higher levels the entire time plus permanent damage will start occurring at the 20-30 minute point.

All day at 95 decibels will do more damage than a few minutes at 110db.

That being said, even if you don't get the permanent damage you do get the temporary damage and your concentration will be down and your fatigue up from the higher noises.

Now, Solo's and Endurance races it's an issue.

The smartest thing is to wear earplugs whenever you ride so that you are use to them.

I'm telling on myself by saying, I don't lead by example since I forget them a lot when riding on the street.