hearing protection, needed for street?

[chickenfried]

Hey all,
Been riding around my neighborhood getting used to my new motorcycle. Wondering at what point/speed do you need hearing protection? Highest speed I get around my neighborhood is probably 30. Is hearing protection mainly needed for the highway?

 

[mrzuzzo]

I'd wear it at any speed above 30

 

[Blankpage]

Definitely give some thought to hearing protection but for now get familiar with your bike. Check into earplugs a couple of months from now.

 

[two wheel tramp]

Hey all,
Been riding around my neighborhood getting used to my new motorcycle. Wondering at what point/speed do you need hearing protection? Highest speed I get around my neighborhood is probably 30. Is hearing protection mainly needed for the highway?

I wear ear plugs every single ride.

 

[ocoas]

Get in the habit of always wearing ear protection when riding, wind noise is loader then you realize. But if you are truly sticking around the block and only going 25/30, not a big deal

From the site; My Safety Sign,
Continuous exposure to sound at a level of 85 dB and above can result in hearing loss. The louder the sound, the shorter the time for its hearer to sustain hearing loss. Most of the people do not experience any pain until the time the noise level reaches nearly 120 db. The range between 85 and 120 dB is considered a danger zone.

 

[Clem Kevin]

If I'm riding more than 3-5 minutes, I'm always wearing ear plugs. I bought a 200-pack box on amazon of earplugs so I always have some.

 

[Marcoose]

On a Scoot from SOMA to Sunset. No earplug.

On the 954 from SOMA to Trasure Island. Maybe, if traffic is heavy.

Beyond that, always.

Ear/hearing illnesses is serious stuff.

 

[Maddevill]

Unless you're going around the block, ALWAYS wear ear protection. Wind noise alone can cause hearing loss. And you usually don't notice it's gone until it's way too late.

 

[Junkie]

If your bike is fairly quiet, city streets without earplugs is reasonable IMO.

Freeway isn't (due to wind noise).

 

[ScottRNelson]

If I'm only going a short distance and will not exceed 40 mph, I'll often skip the earplugs. But anything over 10 minutes of riding or any higher speed road and you should be wearing them.

 

[lam@barf]

Earplugs? Don't worry, before you know it you won't notice the sound. :rolleyes



Different earplugs work for different people. Do a little reading online about them and maybe try an earplug 'sample pack' to find what works for you.

 

[ScottRNelson]

Earplugs? Don't worry, before you know it you won't notice the sound. :rolleyes

Actually, once he gets tinnitus, he'll notice a sound even when there isn't any. :thumbdown

All I have to do is think about it and there it is. It never goes away.

 

[mean dad]

Hearing loss cannot be reversed.

I'm pretty much in line with the above posters. I don't wear them every time I throw a leg over the bike but more often than not I have them in.

I always keep extras in my jackets, in my saddlebags, etc.

 

[rsrider]

Tinnitus sucks. Use ear plugs every ride, no matter where you are going.

The foam ones come in various ratings. I don't really know what rating anyone has agreed on for MC riding. I use a 33 rating, and I have no idea what that means, except it is recommended for most industrial uses. I guess that could be a topic.....

You can get professional ones if the foam doesn't work for you. Any hardware store will carry ear plugs.

 

[rsrider]

Actually, once he gets tinnitus, he'll notice a sound even when there isn't any. :thumbdown

All I have to do is think about it and there it is. It never goes away.

Life's a bitch when it hits high pitch.

 

[Junkie]

That's a good point: there are lots of different types, and *MANY* people wear them wrong.

I like Howard Leight Laser Lites, I've been wearing them for over a decade.

They should be balls deep in your ears. Seriously. I see people with them sticking way out, which means they aren't in far enough to work well. It should be at least a little tricky to get them out. This applies to all foam earplugs.

 

[Sofa88]

If you want a solid marker, I’d say anything above 30 or outside of residential zones with a 25mph limit. Once you’re actually out and about though you won’t always be in a 30 or less zone so you may as well get used to using them all the time, start building the habit now.

 

[EastBayDave]

If I'm only going a short distance and will not exceed 40 mph, I'll often skip the earplugs. But anything over 10 minutes of riding or any higher speed road and you should be wearing them.

exactly; going to the store/errands below 30mph I don't bother. If I'm heading out & know I'll hit faster/highway speeds, I put them in.

Like others mentioned, I bought a "bucket" of 200 (cheap.) Have spares on bike, in bag, etc. Always right there when needed...

 

[Marcoose]

I like Howard Leight Laser Lites, I've been wearing them for over a decade.

They should be balls deep in your ears. Seriously. I see people with them sticking way out, which means they aren't in far enough to work well. It should be at least a little tricky to get them out. This applies to all foam earplugs.

I like Howard Leight too. I warm and flatten them with the thumb and index, fold in half, flatten again, fold again, and insert that 'plug' as deep as possible in a manner that I can still grab them with the very tip of the fingers. Once the material expands, it's dead quiet inside the head. Never fails.

 

[fubar929]

Is hearing protection mainly needed for the highway?

No. Hearing protection is needed on every ride. There are just too many factors involved for anyone, even you, to know for certain at what speed you're going to start damaging your hearing. The helmet you wear, the bike you ride, how windy it is, and how much noise traffic makes all impact whether your hearing will get damaged. Remember that damage is cumulative over time, so it might not seem like you're damaging your hearing now... but in 10 or 20 years you might find that you were wrong and at that point there's no way to reduce the damage.

So, buy yourself an assortment of NRR33-rated foam earplugs, find a style that works for you, buy a big box, then use them every time you ride. This assortment is a quick, cheap way to get access to a bunch of plugs to test:

https://www.earplugstore.com/foearpltrpa2.html

Remember to change plugs regularly and keep in mind that plugs sitting on a shelf do become less effective over time. At least that's what I discovered when I compared a brand-new Howard Leight MAX plug against one from the box that's been sitting on my shelf for last 5 years; the newer plug was noticeably quieter than the older one.