don't forget ear plugs

i don't ride without them
http://www.earplugstore.com/
i get some from this place every year. ordered some of these
http://www.earplugstore.com/e-a-r-push- ... plugs.html
and some of these
http://www.earplugstore.com/peneskscean3.html

i could just grab a handful at work but the ones they get suck

 

Personaly I would ever even think about earplugs while riding. I want to hear what is going on around my suroundings. Just my 2 cents.

 

Most plugs still allow you to hear everything. Long trips without earplugs are hell. There's nothing but wind noise at 45+, and I've never had a problem with hearing a car horn or anything with plugs in.

 

I wear earplugs for every ride. I've had conversations at stoplights without any difficulty hearing.

 

My modular full face helmet isn't quiet at all so ear plugs are a must.

THe ones with a stem in the middle (to make it easier to pull them out of your ears) gave me problems sometimes. I had to cut the stem shorter because it touched the inside of the helmet.

I ordered a sample of all the different models they have (I thnik it was free) and now that i can tell which one I prefer, I'll order a box of them.

 

I've never worn ear plugs on a ride but can see the benefit. Both my XJ's have the factory exhaust and are relatively quiet. Of course there is the wind noise. If I ride my ZX (with it's Two Brothers slip on mufflers) for an extend period my ears will ring for a while. It's really not that loud but has such a deep tone to it.

So yes, ear plugs are a good idea.

 

I started wearing earplugs while riding last summer,and I will never go without plugs again.

kills the wind noise but you can still hear whats going on around, its just more moderated.

obviously if you jam them right deep into your ears they will block more sound then not being as deep.

I also wear earplugs everyday at work, the key is to find a style and material that best fits your ears

 

I keep a set of plugs in each motorcycle I have. Not only great on the bike, but useful at the movies. Those theaters are damn loud!

 

I usually wear ear plugs when I ride except for really short trips.
On longer rides I put ear buds in and listen to music.
Both the plugs and the buds block out a lot of "noise"
While still allowing sounds of the engine and your surroundings to be heard.

 

When going on a ride of any length or at speed I wear them, they keep fatiuge to a minimum. You would be supprised how much longer you can ride when wearing them. As far as hearing the traffic you still can, they just take the edge off.

 

You hear ALL sounds - - every sound at a 30 DB. sound reduction -
Including tire noise, horns, your engine, wind, sirens - - everything.
Just quieter.

 

I too am an advocate for ear plugs, hearing loss is cumulative so even though it seems ok now, it might get you later. I'm also a cheap bastid and where I used to work was supplied with up to 3 pairs of those yellow foam (EAR) plugs. Anyway, I would pocket the ear plugs every day and when I had enough saved would put them all into an old piece of panty hose and wash them. I ended up with a couple of small boxes worth by the time the plant closed (2009) and I'm only just running out now.
The reason I wash and reuse is that I used to leave them in my pants pockets and after my wife did the laundry I found that they were clean and worked just fine.
Did I already say I was CHEAP? ;-) ;-)

 

WEAR EAR PLUGS
Seriously! I'm pretty serious on this simply because I'm living with the effects of not wearing them.
The first frequencies you lose are around the pitch that women's and children's voices are at.
You don't know the meaning of frustration until your 4 yr old is really excited about something and he wants to share it with you but after a couple of attempts his excitement dies and he tells you "It doesn't matter"
We were in a shopping center and it wasn't particularly busy or noisy but I've learned since that in places where there a lot of hard surfaces I have a great deal of trouble picking out and identifying particular sounds or voices.
You have to wonder how many divorces are caused by "He just doesn't listen to me" when the correct issue might be "He can't hear me"
It took me a while to realise that quite often I was lipreading without even being aware of it
Don't misunderstand me I'm not deaf but I certainly don't hear as well as I should.
http://www.hearingtestlabs.com/motorcycle.htm
Wear the damn plugs.I've been wearing plugs for at least 10 years or more,it actually increases my riding pleasure.

 

I wear them when I think of it...

Someone told me that noise is the biggest cause of fatigue while riding, engine/wind/etc... I never do real long trips so i wouldn't know, but like the guys say i can see the advantages of wearing them for sure.

Marcel

 

It's simple.
Plugs now=hear later.
I always wear them.
It beats severe tinnitis down the road.

Maz

 

I never used to wear them and now i have some hearing loss from 15 years of a kerker header on my seca 750 . Now that i am riding again after a few years off i have a set of molded plugs made for sleeping so they fit in the ear and are comfortable with full face on . Once in a while i forget to put them back in after i stop somewhere , and it does not take long for me to want to pull over and put them back in . Wish i had considered them when i was younger . I wear a full size set of molded at work every day made to fit to my ear only . They cost 75.00 a set but well worth it ! I have no trouble hearing whats going on around me without the wind noise!