While the wife is away I have had time for my bike!
So I have fitted things, adjusted things from the hints and tips on here - thanks guys. And the last one I tried was Ear Plugs.
Never rode with plugs before, in fact I have never used them before (always have used headphone type for noisy work) I had some of them sponge types in the workshop so I popped them in and went off on a 5 hr ride.
What a revalation! The reduction in noise was incredible, (though I forgot they were in and wondered why I couldn't hear anyone when I stopped for coffee)
So, who uses them and are these little sponge plugs the norm?
Howard Leight - Max are the plugs I use, I hate riding without them these days as it's too noisey & I get tinnitus.
I had to look up Howard Leight! :computer_type:
Funny you mention tinnitus, I have a slight case of Tinnitus, it is only a slight discomfort, but I usually notice it when I am somewhere really quiet. It wasn't too quiet when on the bike so I didn't give it a thought.
Ive never used them but im realy starting to come round to the idea !..... im finding i notice the noise more now than i did when i was younger and its realy staring to annoy me :angry:
I use those little foam plugs, even with the intercom l am still able to hear instructions from management. It just cuts out a lot of the wind noise.
yep...I use them as well - makes for a far more 'comfortable' and stress free ride. No particular brand as long as they fit properly and reduce noise by 35db.
Quote from: lil4399 on Wednesday, 22 August 2018, 09:41 PM
I had to look up Howard Leight! :computer_type:
Funny you mention tinnitus, I have a slight case of Tinnitus, it is only a slight discomfort, but I usually notice it when I am somewhere really quiet. It wasn't too quiet when on the bike so I didn't give it a thought.
I tried several different earplugs before settling on those. Different plugs cut out different frequencies by different amounts. Those seem to get rid of most of the wind noise for me which is what seemed to trigger my tinnitus after getting off the bike.
Like you mine is worst in quiet places, audiology testing rooms are hell with the door shut for example. But prolonged exposure to loud noise seems to make it much worse for hours. Which makes evenings after a long ride less enjoyable than they should be.
I have both ears ringing constantly & different 'pitches', so, it sounds like more than 1 high pitched noise I'm being subjected to. Can't get rid if it just have to live with it. Doesn't help that I'm bloody deaf as well & don't hear normal sounds. Like now, it's 4.25am, everything is quiet as & yet I can't hear even myself typing on this keyboard. It may not make any sound, but I reckon it would to a normal hearing person.
When people are talking, I can hear the sound of talking, but can't make out any words, sort of like hearing a conversation happening in the next room. I have to have my hearing aids on & also be looking at the persons face to work out what they're saying, even then I sometimes interpret what they're saying incorrectly. It's particularly bad for me if the person speaks with an accent & fast speech is also very problematic - some people, generally teenagers etc rattle shit off like a machine gun & I've no hope in hell of working out what they said.
So yeah, protect your hearing, it's bloody important. Makes life much more awkward than otherwise, something you take for granted until it's gone, then it's too late.
Hear hear col (see what did there :P).
Can't imagine what that must be like.... even in my younger days as a head bangin' musician I realised I had to protect my hearing and have worn earplugs (custom monitors) for many years.. wearing them while on the bike was a no brainer for me at least...
I actually spent 10 minutes trying to stuff the plugs down my ear hole to no avail, remembering I got them off a friend who has to use them daily at work, I called him, using face time he showed me how to role them then, with a hand round the back of my head, pull my ear back to open the hole, then pop the rolled plug in.
That way they went in deep then puffed back out. Genius.
Surprising how much wax was on them when they came out..... :sad:
Lil... :rofl2: it is a bit of a faff and must look very strange to folks who don't realise what you are doing... as for the wax... that's why they are disposables :rofl2:
Remember to only use 1 per ear or your head will get full :stir:
Quote from: seth on Thursday, 23 August 2018, 05:01 AM
Remember to only use 1 per ear or your head will get full :stir:
That might make a change from being empty headed. :happy1:
Quote from: KiwiCol on Thursday, 23 August 2018, 02:32 AM
When people are talking, I can hear the sound of talking, but can't make out any words, sort of like hearing a conversation happening in the next room.
I get that if there is much background noise, so I seem right anti-social at times in pubs. It's bloody annoying isn't it?
Quote from: Hooli on Thursday, 23 August 2018, 06:18 AM
Quote from: KiwiCol on Thursday, 23 August 2018, 02:32 AM
When people are talking, I can hear the sound of talking, but can't make out any words, sort of like hearing a conversation happening in the next room.
I get that if there is much background noise, so I seem right anti-social at times in pubs. It's bloody annoying isn't it?
Yep, it is, but there is nowt that can be done for me. I'm ok talking to 1 person up close, but if there's a group of say 5-6 people standing around talking, I find it extremely difficult to follow the conversation, and with language there are nuances & double meanings that give the conversation 'character'. I miss out on all this, I don't get the word play or sutbilties because I just don't hear them. I can't get fed up or pissed, because I can't change it, just have to accept I don't hear stuff - and explain again that I didn't catch what they said. :frustrated: :deadhorse:
I've got too old for loud pubs so can live with it for now, it's not as bad as yours though. Maybe when I get really old (like Barmy) I'll ask about hearing aids etc but I'll probably be so anti-social by then I won't care.
Col, I also have the problem understanding when there is background noise. Not due to impaired hearing though. I am hyper-acoustic, meaning I hear to good :happy1:
My ex dragged me to a hearing test and told the guy that I didn't hear well. He told her that wifes say that of their men all the time :rofl2: After testing he told her that my problem was that I hear to well. I had told her before but she wouldn't believe me (as usual).
That condition makes life stressful for me in our loud world.
I tried different earplugs but they cause skin irritation. Might be just as well if I loose some of my hearing.
Quote from: KiwiCol on Thursday, 23 August 2018, 06:31 AM
Quote from: Hooli on Thursday, 23 August 2018, 06:18 AM
Quote from: KiwiCol on Thursday, 23 August 2018, 02:32 AM
When people are talking, I can hear the sound of talking, but can't make out any words, sort of like hearing a conversation happening in the next room.
I get that if there is much background noise, so I seem right anti-social at times in pubs. It's bloody annoying isn't it?
Yep, it is, but there is nowt that can be done for me. I'm ok talking to 1 person up close, but if there's a group of say 5-6 people standing around talking, I find it extremely difficult to follow the conversation, and with language there are nuances & double meanings that give the conversation 'character'. I miss out on all this, I don't get the word play or sutbilties because I just don't hear them. I can't get fed up or pissed, because I can't change it, just have to accept I don't hear stuff - and explain again that I didn't catch what they said. :frustrated: :deadhorse:
Have you looked into getting some hearing aids? Micro technology has come on a long way in the last few years, the latest devices are really small and can be tuned for a variety of different types of hearing loss.
Apologies if you have been down this route already.
Can't stand ear plugs, never used them, never will. Never had a problem hearing either. Really not sure why people feel they need them but their choice.
I use the triple mushroom type, had never used plugs until few yrs back, now wouldnt be without them.
No apologies necessary Fishy, I have 2 hearing aids, new ones too. They are 'tuned' to my hearing loss frequencies. I wear them except for at work, metal fabricating place & the dust etc would screw them in no time.
The earlier comments apply whilst I'm wearing them, except early in the morning on the computer, I'm alone then so no need for them.
Then ya get Speedy saying about a ½ tone difference in a shock spring?? :happy1: Yeah, I can just see me doing that. :rofl2: :onya:
Mrs Notty was a teacher before we retired, a class of 30 five year olds she could pick who farted when all 30 were being noisy - she could hear an individual child above the hub bub of the classroom. Then she realised she could no longer identify the source of the child neither could she hear them close up so hearing test - 42% loss in 3 ears ( left, right and her final front ear - star trek fan ). Bought aids the price of a small car and it cuts out background noise but she rarely wears them which means I can say well i did tell you last week... :)
I have never used ear plugs either.
None of the guys I ride with seem to either.
But then there isnt much wind noise at 30mph Officer !
:devil:
I've used ear plugs for many years I used to work in noise places (fab shops and oilrigs) and always listened to loud music I need all the help I can get to look after my hearing.
I've seen it somewhere that 15 mins @30mph can start to damage your hearing .
New helmets are much better than the older ones but if I'm going further the town and back I always use ear plugs .
:cheers:
15 years of competitive Clay Pigeon and game shooting.
40 years of bikes with after market loud pipes.
Countless Motörhead etc concerts.
I'm a dumb arse, never cared, now my hearing is pretty fucked.
I had a test recently and it wasn't great, I can hear well enough to get by but any background noise stops me hearing the TV, conversations etc. For some reason I hear small things like a tap dripping / clock ticking at night fine.
I do wear ear plugs sometimes now ( too little too late!)
I don't like them at the drags or around the mountains where I'm pushing hard, but they are fine on the highway on several hour long hauls. The also help my marriage as the stop the wife's snoring annoying the hell out of me.
Funny enough I now own some proper headphone type ear defenders and hundreds of disposable plugs, left overs from 10 years of earthworks using jack hammers and demolition saws. I do wish I'd used them sooner.
It's never to late Tony.
You can't get back what's gone but you can protect what's left .
:onya:
I'm using 2 different types at the moment. Earpeace re-usables https://www.earpeace.co.uk/ for general riding around, and Scotch foam disposables for long motorway journeys.
The Earpeace ones are nice because they have tiny filters that let some of the sound through. This means you can still hear other traffic, sirens, your fruity exhaust sound etc. but the worst of the wind noise is suppressed.
For sustained high speed riding (never exceeding the national speed limit obviously) I find that the Earpeace jobs let too much through, so then I go for the disposables. They seem to remove the most noise, although then I find them too quiet around town.
Neither solution is perfect. The Earpeace ones can tend to shift around and come loose, at least in my massive ears, while the foam jobs feel like bungs after a while. I wouldn't want to ride without them now though. Even modern helmets seem incredibly noisy without them.
Maybe next I will invest in a set of custom fitted jobs. Reviews are mixed, but I'm thinking they would give the best balance between comfort and sound deadening.
I have upgraded to these Alpine one's. I went for the twin pack which has 2 different levels and comes in a small case which I keep in my jacket pocket. Work well & are comfortable. I would not ride without them & that's even with a new quieter helmet.
Cost me around $45 aud for the twin pack that also comes with cleaning fluid.
&
these are what i use. block a lot of noise but still hear what is going on around me. the pull out tang fits perfectly into helmet air vent holes, there for next ride. https://www.parkson.com.tw/EarProtection/Earplugs/Triplemushroomrubberearplugs/EP-531
I've only got a few left :lol:
I asked a mate if he could get me a few from work he got the whole container :doh:
I brought some green foam ones a few years back, had a devil of a job getting them to stay in. Still got the pack here somewhere. What I'm thinking of doing is next time I get new aids made, using the ear pieces from the old set, filling the centre part with silicone sealer or the like to block it up. Reason being is they're custom moulded to my ear canal & fit perfect, but with a hole in the centre, so block it up. Sorted & last for ever.
Think they said last time they're worth about $130 a side, so may as well get some more use out of them, especially as I'm the one who has to pay for all this stuff. No ACC for me they said!
i hate normal foam, cant get them in, keep falling out. will look at yours sweaty.
Quote from: grog on Thursday, 23 August 2018, 07:39 PM
i hate normal foam, cant get them in, keep falling out. will look at yours sweaty.
I was the same Grog & these are so good, I don't push them in too far.
https://www.alpinehearingprotection.com/earplugs/motosafe/
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/QnMAAOSwcSJa~BBB/s-l1600.jpg
Ive just bought some of these to try out !
Interesting article for those in doubt...
https://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-general-news/riders-risk-%E2%80%98permanent-hearing-damage-after-just-15-minutes-62mph
@ Grog - there is a technique you need to use for foam ear plugs - I had the same issue with them falling out until I saw this:
https://www.pksafety.com/blog/ear-plugs-what-you-need-to-know-so-they-fit-right/
I work in a very noisy print factory and have to wear ear plugs...Howard Leight foam type mostly.
I've also worn them every time I ride for the last 15 years.
It's a bonus that they don't cost me anything.
Also our work safety glasses cleaner is brilliant for de bugging my helmet visor as well.
Well my Shoei Neotec2, despite all the advertising guff, is significantly noise than I was expecting.
Investigation shows that there is a cutout section in the lining where the 'speakers' for the option Senna comms system fit. As I don't have, nor can afford, nor want, that system that leaves two 'hollows' there which act as little echo chambers... And of course they don't have any 'plugs' to fill those holes.
:facepalm: shoei.
So it's been pissing me off, I'm gonna have to get some earplugs too.
I also drive a Defender, with mud tyres, (have done for years) so my hearing isn't exactly tops anyway....
The GT Air had 'plugs' for that spot, wonder if they'd fit? They had a round circle of foam (to go in the recess) & a 'flappy' but that was wider & covered the area.
You could always just buy some foam filler & cut / shape to fit. Would cost bugger all, worst case is cut up the car wash or kitchen sink sponge.
I have an intercom in my GT Air those cut outs are great. You only get an echo chamber Vlad.......When l get lost l get the full force of the brides sense of humour failure in both ears.
:worshippy:
Ya have to remind her that is was her directions that got you to the lost stage in the first place . . . even if she didn't. Nothing like a pre-emptive strike. :whistling:
these are what i use. i find much better than just foam ones. very cheao at safety shops. https://www.safetyquip.com.au/pdEPAS1/earplug-reusable-howard-leight-airsoft-cl-5-26db-cw-impact-case/
Started using them last year, and waow, nice to lower the windnoise :clapping:
The ones i use are called nonoise and takes the wind noise away, but you hear well due to, an open canal inside the ear plugs.
Tried the foam things ( yellow industrials ) but think they filter to much, sometimes barely here my own bike! Tried the triple mushrooms but they never seem to fit comfortable, during longer rides start to irritate. This winter going to try otoplastics....custom made with filters. Guys who use them here say they are the best. Thought I was the only one with hearing problems but reading this thread made me realise that almost everyone`s hearing here is f*cked up. Is it the age?
WHAT :stir: :whistling:
Ssssh Seth.... we're not all deaf you know :whistling:
It's not just the hearing that's f**cked either . . .