Anyone else with Tired Ears?

Maybe I'll get a lot of hate messages for this - but I find my ears tire easily of the sound my Maxim makes. Not particularly loud with the stock pipes, just seems the exhaust combined with the engine turning wears me out and in less than an hour on the bike. Maybe earplugs are an option, but one of the reasons I like riding the bike is the contact with the great outdoors.

Does anyone else feel this way? Has my age - 50 - caught up with me? Am I just weird or what?

 

Sometimes when I go on short, back-country road rides without wearing my helmet, I usually wear earplugs.....if I don't, I get a ringing sound in my ears that's quite uncomfortable. I seem to think I have more sensitive ears than most people, but it's better being safe than sorry!

-Nick

 

Prolonged noise damages hearing. I use foam earplugs about every trip. Doing this you don't get fatigued by the steady noise from the combination of wind, engine and exhaust.

 

your ears tire easily? Do they start yawning in the middle of the ride?

J/k there was a thread on this a while back and I thought it was a joke..

But it was not and there (to my suprise) is a lot of riders that need or choose to wear ear plugs.

They say this helps and im inclined to believe them as the replys were many...so try some ear plugs and see if they help...

Good luck with it sure hate to see some one lose out on riding time cuz there ears kept falling asleep on them :wink: :lol:

 

I almost always wear plugs. (sometimes I lose them). The Sound pressure levels we are subjected even with a full face helmet, will definately cause hearing damage. No question.

Check it out. Hearing loss can be sneaky, gradual but is always permanet. WEAR PLUGS. They're cheap, and you may find it makes riding more enjoyable. Hundreds of thousands have.

http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/disorders/noise.htm

 

I wear ear plugs. It's not so much the exhaust, the 6K rpm on the freeway is like riding a chainsaw. Much more pleasant with them in.

I wear hearing protection for everything - mowing, using a power saw, chainsaw etc. I don't want hearing aids at 50 like dad had.

 

if i forget them i'll turn around and go back for them
if your thinking about the noise your not concentrating on more important things
http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/
check out Assortment Packs

 

No need for ear plugs... Totally deaf myself... Been that way since birth.

What's that? Last I heard (pun intended) we drive/ride with our eyes, not ears.

Always thought Japanese bikes were quieter than Harleys. Guess not...

I plan on getting one of those Mac 4-into-1 exhaust. Hope it will make my bike louder!

Of course, I won't forget to check if a jet kit will be necessary or not.

 

Cisco, the Mac will not require rejetting, it flows about the same as the stock exhaust. Now a caveat, the stock XJ650 Seca exhaust is louder and deeper than the Mac Megaphone system. The Mac canister system may be louder hpwever. I was disappointed in the power levels of the Mac Meg, bottom and midrange are a bit lower, with a bit more power between 8000 and 10000 rpm's. I also did not care for the Jardine system, the metal is thin and resonates weird. Loud though, just sounds a bit weird at idle. Kerker made the best systems in my opinion, thicker wall steel, better baffling and definate power gains, but it is really hard to get a decent Kerker and then the baffles get hard to come by. I had one that had a Supertrapp end cap and diffusors, but in a fit of pique over not being able to find a correct baffle, sold it cheap. 1 week later a baffle and end cap came up on ebay with a low BIN.

 

Hearing loss is cumulative.
I'm sure I have paid the price for being on a shop floor with Air Tools whining like crazy ... all day long.

If I forget my earplugs ... I improvise. I'll chew some Kleenex and stuff my ear canals with that.

What ever it takes. Protect your hearing. I buy the foam pads every time I'm at the hardware store. I don't leaf-blower or weed-whacker or operate air tools without ear protection.

If I have to visit a busy shop to look in on a restoration job I have going ... I go to the Mens Room and moisten some toilet tissue and use some damp tissue until I'm away from the grinding and air tools.

I stop and see Foremen and the Safety Guy on construction sites and carry around plastic bags of "Disposable Ear Protection"
If I happen to have some on me and see a guy Jack-Hammering ... I get off the bike and just hand him a packet.

 

I am so glad to read this! I thought that I was a wimp. I've only taken a few trips over 20 miles, but my ears have definitely felt it. I will start wearing ear plugs right away. I'm over 50 and I can't afford to lose any hearing more than I already have. By the way, here's a link to the best ear plugs I have used. A friend that works in an industrial environment showed them to me.

http://store.pksafety.net/ladieabyhole.html

 

Dollars to donuts, if the wind noise DOESN'T bother you, you've already lost a lot of your mid-high freq. perception. Also, for the most part, what I notice for noise is not engine noise, but wind noise and turbulence. Much louder than the engine, and not as sweet sounding either.

Don't be afraid to be a wimp. Wimps enjoy better music!

 

Stooge:

I agree -- the wind noise and buffeting at anything over 50mph is deafening on my Seca 400. If I sit bolt upright and get my head above the wind blast off of the headlight/instruments, it's a lot quieter and more peaceful, but that gets tiring and looks dorky, to boot.

I wear ear plugs every time I ride. Smith and Wesson brand from Wal-Mart are my favorites. They're on the power tool aisle.

Herb

 

I also get mine at Wal-Mart. They are found in the Gun accessories. The brand is Silencio. They are orange foam in a pack of 12 for $2 and change. They have worked the best for me. I tried some others but they didn't reduce the noise like these did. And being foam are a lot more comfortable than the harder rubber ones. Just roll between your fingers and insert in the ear and they will expand to fit your ear canal.

 

Or you can get really fancy and get ones custom molded to your ear, and rated for a specific attenuation. Big buck (relatively) though. I use the cheap ones I buy for my shop by the hundreds. IMHO, anything is better than nothing.
Most of the guys I know with custom ones are audio engineers, and laid out the cash out of guilt for already damaging their ears.

 

During my riding course with RTI (Rider training Institute)
They said you should ride with ear plugs, because the white noise from traffic can cause up to 10% hearing loss (long term ofcoarse)

That said.. I rode up to North Bay from Toronto may long weekend on my 550 Maxim... dint wear ear plugs.. when I got to North bay my ears rang for about 3 hours...
On the ride home I tried wearing ear plugs but after an hour and a half of wearing them my ears were throbbing!
So I took them out... listened to that white noise.. sang inside my helmet..
About 45 minutes later I put the plugs back in and instead of stopping in Toronto I went to see my GF in Guelph (1 hr west of toronto) and when I got there my ears weren't ringing at all!

I think ear plugs suck, but I think losing your hearing sucks more!

So I try to tough it out as much as possible.. Cause I know some protection is better than none..

my two cents..

Hot Action

 

Try experimenting with different types. Everyones ears are different sizes and shapes. Also, if they're the foam type, don't jam them in too far. I usually use a pair for a while, and just wash them when they get nasty. It seems to break them in a little, and make them more comfortable. As with anything, they take getting used to.

I always lecture younger people about their ears. Partilarly withe the ubiquitous iPod. Ipod buds can easily exceed 90db. Bad news.

My ears always ring if can't wear my buds when riding. There's this great line in the movie "Children of Men" about that ringing in your ears: Enjoy it. Its the sound of your cells dying. You'll never hear that frequency again. or someting like that. Not exactly true, but interesting way of puttingit....

 

Try a different brand of ear plugs and see if they feel better. Many companys use different types of foam so one might be right for you.

On another semi-related note, im trying to get a hold of the local distributor for EAR Inc, they make custom molded ear plugs that you were and not feel because they are molded for the person wearing them. Im trying to get a set of their Iplugz sports monitors, basically earplugs with 29db noise reduction and built in speakers for a mp3 player, ipod or anything else. I will let every one know how i make out with them.

 

Man, I can't believe this question got this much response. So, the thing to do is wear plugs and I will try this next ride of more than a jaunt around town. Love the sound of the exhaust and the mechanicals! And I can't help but think that hearing in close city quarters still has value in the safety equation. Thanks to all responders for your input.

 

I wear them all the time and I can still hear traffic and everything going on around me. It just kicks down the levels a bit so it is safe and easy on the ears.

 

I feel the same way. The ones I have ($1.87 at Wal*Mart) kill high frequencies much more than low. I absolutely cannot hear the engine on the freeway. Interestingly I can hear the engine just a bit at low speeds qne can hear the exhaust if I pass under a bridge. I can hear the tire noise (just barely) of cars passing me. I can hear my own horn truck engines etc.

Interestingly what I hear most is wind noise (but way less than without the plugs). I think the noise from turbulence hitting the helmet passes through my skull.

Try some for an hour. You'll find your rides much more pleasant. AND you'll know you're protecting your hearing.

 

I had the same problem. When I removed my fairing, the problem went away. The fairing seemed to collect every little (and big) noise the bike made...Casey

 

Can't live w/o the fairing...my face is weathered enough and at my age have barely enough strength to hold the bars without the air pressure.

Had a great experience last evening coming home on a clear and warm, starry summer night. Wound the old Maxim out to 9k in second and third. Wow, what an incredible rush! Didn't have enough face for my grin. Enough that I finally get the addiction to the sound and acceleration. Also enough that earplugs are truly needed because if I hear that sweet music too much it will make me abandon safe riding practices that one time too many. The Kerkered crotch rockets sound poor by comparison.

Folks, if I wasn't hooked before, I am now.