Post by: Smaug on May 03, 2019, 12:09:12 PM
Post by: STLTHMSTA on May 03, 2019, 12:55:58 PM
Post by: stevegrab on May 03, 2019, 02:07:25 PM
My regular ones are Howard Leight Laser Lite, bought a box of 200 for about $25 some years ago at Amazon.
Post by: Brick on May 03, 2019, 03:46:06 PM
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Post by: bcd on May 03, 2019, 03:49:23 PM
Post by: VersysBoy on May 03, 2019, 06:43:36 PM
Post by: Ride4MS on May 03, 2019, 08:16:28 PM
Post by: Patmo on May 04, 2019, 03:39:35 AM
Post by: dpippin on May 04, 2019, 06:48:08 AM
I ride Hondas, with a good full face helmet, so no need for ear plugs. But, if using some noisy equipment, then use them, such as last month with electric hammer chisel on cement, while in Puerto Rico on Methodist Church Mission trip, rebuilding houses, then yes. The ear plugs also kept the dust out. LOL
Doesn't matter what brand of motorcycle you ride as the main cause of noise while riding is wind noise.
A good windscreen will help however there is still a lot of wind noise
I always wear ear plugs while riding
Post by: NinjaBob on May 04, 2019, 09:13:12 AM
Post by: RIDEMYST on May 04, 2019, 04:00:43 PM
Studies show that sustained noise can damage your hearing more than just loud noise. So that wind noise that we all get will take it’s toll over time. -JEP-
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Post by: roginoz on May 04, 2019, 11:56:16 PM
Post by: Steve on May 05, 2019, 10:41:12 AM
Steve
Post by: RichGrab on May 05, 2019, 10:52:22 AM
Post by: Smaug on May 06, 2019, 12:52:32 PM
Post by: Smaug on May 06, 2019, 12:54:44 PM
I ride Hondas, with a good full face helmet, so no need for ear plugs. But, if using some noisy equipment, then use them, such as last month with electric hammer chisel on cement, while in Puerto Rico on Methodist Church Mission trip, rebuilding houses, then yes. The ear plugs also kept the dust out. LOL
Forgive me for being nosy, (curse me now, maybe thank me later) but looking at your signature, I might agree, depending on how good the wind protection is on the ST11 and Goldwing. But on the Interceptor? You should wear 'plugs.
I think most of us wear full face (or modular) helmets.
Post by: fartymarty on May 06, 2019, 05:32:57 PM
I put "Yes", but I usually wear plug phones not ear plugs so I should have put "No,other".
I wear Shure SE215-K Sound Isolating Earphones to hear my Sena 20s/GPS/phone and to just shut out wind noise from my Nolan modular helmet.
It's amazing what a difference it makes. My first solo over night motorcycle trip was from Fort Worth to Chicago via Branson MO. With no ear plugs, by the time I got to Branson I was exhausted. The next day with ear plugs in, my Kawasaki felt like a plush Cadillac. Seemed like it took only a wink and I was in Illinois. The highway from St. Louis to Chicago is always a boring chore and ear plugs couldn't help that much...but even though it was an hour longer ride than the previous days ride, I was only half as tired. I learned my lesson then and have used plug phones or ear plugs since. For me noise can be exhausting. On the way back from Chicago, using ear plugs, I went straight through to Fort Worth and even though I was tired and a bit sore, I still felt better than I had when I arrived in Branson earlier in the trip.
Post by: Ride4MS on May 06, 2019, 10:37:59 PM
Post by: bcd on May 07, 2019, 08:46:19 AM
Several years ago I read an article (I think it was in Motorcycle Consumer News) that showed testing of sound levels at 60 mph inside several models of full-face helmets. Even the quietest one exceeded the threshold needed to cause hearing damage when experienced for multiple hours. Both of my parents experienced hearing loss, and taught me to protect my hearing.
I do keep the foam plugs handy, and my helmet has the speakers mounted, so if my MC5s get broken I have a backup. I try to be careful but I've broken more than one set over the years.
Post by: africord on May 08, 2019, 11:33:30 AM
Post by: Brick on May 08, 2019, 08:13:38 PM
Maybe I mis-voted also. I use Etymotic MC5 earphones. They block sound similarly to the Howard Leight Laser Lites that I used to use, but I can listen to my Sena much more clearly at a lower volume than using the helmet speakers with the Laser Lites. They are usually pretty comfortable for all-day use, unless I don't put them in right.
Several years ago I read an article (I think it was in Motorcycle Consumer News) that showed testing of sound levels at 60 mph inside several models of full-face helmets. Even the quietest one exceeded the threshold needed to cause hearing damage when experienced for multiple hours. Both of my parents experienced hearing loss, and taught me to protect my hearing.
I do keep the foam plugs handy, and my helmet has the speakers mounted, so if my MC5s get broken I have a backup. I try to be careful but I've broken more than one set over the years.
Bryan, I’ve been struggling with being able to hear my Sena... better yet “understand” is a better word.
I’d love to try something like what you use. Got advice? Perhaps you would pm or email me the information.
Thanks in advance.
Brick
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Post by: bcd on May 09, 2019, 08:57:59 AM
Bryan, I’ve been struggling with being able to hear my Sena... better yet “understand” is a better word.
I’d love to try something like what you use. Got advice? Perhaps you would pm or email me the information.
Thanks in advance.
Brick
I went to Amazon to get you a link and found that Etymotic has discontinued the MC5s that I've been using. The closest thing now is the MK5:
https://smile.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Isolator-Noise-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B00OQG7IC2/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=etymotic+mc5&qid=1557406118&s=electronics&sr=1-2 (https://smile.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Isolator-Noise-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B00OQG7IC2/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=etymotic+mc5&qid=1557406118&s=electronics&sr=1-2)
It seems pretty similar though it gives up the ear wax filters and has a higher impedance so will give up some volume.
Post by: Brick on May 09, 2019, 09:05:06 AM
Bryan, I’ve been struggling with being able to hear my Sena... better yet “understand” is a better word.
I’d love to try something like what you use. Got advice? Perhaps you would pm or email me the information.
Thanks in advance.
Brick
I went to Amazon to get you a link and found that Etymotic has discontinued the MC5s that I've been using. The closest thing now is the MK5:
https://smile.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Isolator-Noise-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B00OQG7IC2/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=etymotic+mc5&qid=1557406118&s=electronics&sr=1-2 (https://smile.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Isolator-Noise-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B00OQG7IC2/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=etymotic+mc5&qid=1557406118&s=electronics&sr=1-2)
It seems pretty similar though it gives up the ear wax filters and has a higher impedance so will give up some volume.
Thanks Bryan,
With my hearing loss I probably need all the volume I can get.
I’ll check them out and check SENA to see how the hook in.
Thanks again
Brick
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Post by: stevegrab on May 10, 2019, 12:52:12 PM
Spot on Doug. Its not about loud bikes, its about the wind noise. If you've been riding for decades without them you may have already done the damage.I ride Hondas, with a good full face helmet, so no need for ear plugs. But, if using some noisy equipment, then use them, such as last month with electric hammer chisel on cement, while in Puerto Rico on Methodist Church Mission trip, rebuilding houses, then yes. The ear plugs also kept the dust out. LOL
Doesn't matter what brand of motorcycle you ride as the main cause of noise while riding is wind noise.
A good windscreen will help however there is still a lot of wind noise
I always wear ear plugs while riding
PS I think if you are wearing earphones of some kind that also offer protection against outside noise, answering YES to the poll is perfectly valid.
Post by: fartymarty on May 24, 2019, 02:12:11 PM
Earphones greatly improved both volume and clearness of my Sena 20S. I rarely need to turn up the volume more than a couple of clicks above minimum.
On the 20S, I greatly reduce the chance of unplugging the head phones cord while under way if I wrap it up and over behind the flip up antenna and down the back side of the Sena unit. It is not impossible to plug it in while underway, but it's impossible to do it without a safety risk. Depending on your gloves and dexterity level it just isn't that easy to do even when stopped with the helmet on.
Regardless of which ear phones you use, try to find some silicone tips that have the three sections (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcTPt6g8gDy4QaCphsNQ_vplVSJwbih2Ap7LkQ5oQimC7GTyo9VH98gL4jAbbvjVOGelUcudQphQTA&usqp=CAc) as opposed to foam tips with only one (https://www.envirosafetyproducts.com/media/product/962/isotunes-trilogytm-it-52-foam-replacement-eartips-5-pair-pack-d27.jpg). They stay in better and seal out noise better..at least in my ears.
When purchasing tips, try to find ones that are available in different colors. When all your friends are just about to take off and you are still trying to figure out which plug goes in which ear, it helps if they are different colors. (I buy Plugfones tips for my Shure plug phones)
Before riding be extra diligent in ear cleaning. Ear wax seems to move from inside the ear towards the outside and dries out as it exits into white flakes that look much like dandruff. Most plugs will seal well without the extra cleaning, but they do push some of it back in to the ear canal during insertion. In my case that seems to occasionally cause an extreme itching sensation in one ear or the other which is not only unpleasant but the distraction can be a safety hazard. Extra cleaning before riding has eliminated this problem for me.
If you are an average person you probably will have no problems adapting to any brand of plugs. If however you a klutz like me, you will catch the plug cord on everything imaginable, brake reservoirs, bike mirrors, jacket zipper, brake levers, well the list goes on...invest in plugs that have replaceable wires. I use Shure se215-K which have fairly robust wires and they loop behind the ear so that when I catch the wire on something, my ear becomes a shock absorber and I'm able to untangle the wire before it gets broken. I have yet to need a replacement cord but the possibility figured into my shopping choice. I do carry a spare set of cheaper plugs (Plugfones) (https://www.plugfones.com/products/) during my longer trips just in case.
Although it sounds gross (and maybe it is), the phone plugs can be inserted faster and deeper if you lick them first. What do you mean my ears have garlic breath? Hey you should smell my riding gear if you think that's bad, start with the gloves. :helpme:
Post by: RIDEMYST on May 24, 2019, 02:38:18 PM
Valley Enterprises
6 inch 4-Pole... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C4FU52C?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_shareSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Post by: bcd on May 25, 2019, 05:33:08 PM
Post by: NinjaBob on May 25, 2019, 06:36:47 PM
An oddity about my left ear and the three sectioned plugs-sometimes my left ear goes deaf with these unless I hold my jaw open. Weird!
Post by: fartymarty on May 28, 2019, 12:24:08 AM
About Farty suggesting different colored phoneplugs to tell which is left or right, one of my Plugups S-Plugs is marked with a red dot. But what difference does it make? Am I missing something?
An oddity about my left ear and the three sectioned plugs-sometimes my left ear goes deaf with these unless I hold my jaw open. Weird!
Well, with stereo music there is a defined left and right channel....will you know if it's backwards?...many wouldn't be able to tell except maybe for certain favorite tunes that they are used to hearing a certain way. However it's more important with various ear plugs that are not symmetrical as they don't just plug straight in to the ear canal but are shaped to fit in the outer ear and each side is different. My Shure SE215 plugs are a definite left and right fit and I tried just tying a knot in one cord to identify the left but it seemed to go faster with the color difference rather than searching for the knot especially in low light conditions. There are other plugs that have a different shape for the left and right and it isn't always easy to tell until you've wasted time trying to put it in the wrong ear and realizing that it won't fit that one. However with Plugups S-Plugs and Plugfones it doesn't appear to make much difference except for proper stereo left and right reproduction. Are the violins on the left and the cellos on the right?..and does it matter? well that's all I've got on the subject.
Post by: NinjaBob on May 28, 2019, 08:13:27 AM
Post by: OSU55 on May 30, 2019, 06:10:05 PM
I ride Hondas, with a good full face helmet, so no need for ear plugs. But, if using some noisy equipment, then use them, such as last month with electric hammer chisel on cement, while in Puerto Rico on Methodist Church Mission trip, rebuilding houses, then yes. The ear plugs also kept the dust out. LOL
Have you measured the sound level inside your helmet at your usual ride speeds? Do that and look up OSHA noise/time allotments (at least something good from OSHA). Once its gone, its gone, can't get it back.
Post by: vince on October 31, 2019, 12:09:09 AM
Looks like everyone uses them. I don't. I have them with me but mostly forget to put them in.
I only started to even use them the last few years.
I have been riding for over 50 years. They didn't even have them in the beginning.
I raced for more than 25 years and never used them.
Do I have hearing loss. Yes about 50%. They tell me it is hard to hear women voices. Ok by me.
As you get older you lose some of your hearing anyway. So I don't know if I really lost much anyway. Most of my friends that don't ride have hearing aids and I don't. I think I can still hear better than they can.
When I ride now. If I am going to be on the bike for more than say half an hour I will put them in.
What I would really like to see is better helmets. That is where most of the wind noise is coming from.
I just hate putting them in and taking them out. I know it is a bad excuse.
Post by: DirtFlier on October 31, 2019, 04:11:00 AM
Post by: HawkGTRider on October 31, 2019, 07:52:48 AM
I've come to consider earplugs to be just one more part of my riding gear. I don't ride 20 minutes without a helmet. I feel the same about the plugs.
Post by: Doug Just Doug on November 05, 2019, 11:32:01 AM