Riding with ear plugs...
 

I don't usually wear ear plugs when riding, but decided I would give them a try on a short (50 mile) ride this morning...I found myself riding more aggressively and faster than normal, why is that?

Wind noise pounds your e/drums, gets you tired. You can concentrate better on what your doing (riding motorcycles). I never leave the house with out them.

I very seldom ride without them (only when I have a very short ride).

If I'm going to be on the freeway for more than 4 or 5 minutes I wear them. My tinnitus is bad enough as it is.

Funny this thread got started. Today was the first day I rode with earplugs. They are awesome! I felt so much less tired when I got done. I only did about 100 miles, but it felt more like 30-40 miles. However, my lack of ear cleaning was quite evident... the size of the earwax clumps that stuck to the end of the ear plug...holy shit! I don't even know how that shit fit in my ear. I have dog-like hearing now!

they are a big help. Once you get used to them its incredible how noisy the wind is on the bike. I even use them on airplane trips now and am much less tired when I arrive

I never thought about the fatigue thing, and honestly can't say that I've noticed any difference. I wear them to protect my hearing. About a year ago I changed jobs and my 4 mile commute became 21 miles each way. I noticed that my hearing was getting worse and I was saying "Huh?" a lot. It's pretty easy to pop them in, so I do it just for the confort of knowning that my ears are being protected.

What kind of ear plugs are people using - the foam kind that expand in the ear canal, the more expensive rubber kind found in hardware stores, or what?

I use the plain ol' foam ones. Who can afford those fancy earplugs? Aren't they like $1.50? Whew!

okay guys back to my original question, I wasn't polling the forum to see who used them and why, I was wondering if anybody had a theory as to why I was riding more aggressiviely with the earplugs than I normally do without them...

I have a pair that looks similar to these but is clear and not corded:
http://www.howardleight.com/family/index/10
Can't remember where I got them. They didn't work too well so lately I've been using the blue silicone ones, they work better but not as well as I'd like. I can still tell a difference when I close off my ears with my jaw/neck muscles, but I can't maintain that for very long.

I think badboyrr nailed it.

$18.00 for 200! http://www.envirosafetyproducts.com/...-Uncorded.html

I've been using them for years in the engineroom of the ship. I bought 2 boxes years ago and still have one full box. While riding if I don't get one quite right and get wind noise I'll have to stop and readjust. It bothers me that much.

I use foam, too. As stated by Hawkrider, if one isn't right, I'll stop and fix it. Yeah, it makes that much difference. The first time I rode the VTR home from the shop (50 mile) I thought I was riding in a tornado. I've been used to riding behind the fairings of my Concours and PC800...there is no wind back there. I can drop my head just a little and hear myself whisper on the PC. Anyhoo, a GSXR buddy of mine told me to use earplugs and I've done it ever since. For me, all the noise was just added stress that didn't make the ride as enjoyable as it could be and now is. I can still hear the bike and cars, etc., but the roar of the wind is reduced and, as stated above, focusing on the road is easier.tyronne

Oahu,

One of the reasons you'll ride more aggressively is the noise isn't "F*cking with your head" as it were. You are aware of the RPM when you begin to wind it up, but you don't feel as though the bike is screaming at you. That combined with what your brain equates to 'normal riding noise' makes you ride faster because your ears aren't telling you the bike is wailing, so your brain assumes you're not really hauling that much ass.

They sure make my ride more enjoyable, I use them just about everytime I go for a longer ride.

oahu, if you wear earplugs you won't be able to hear that beautiful Slack Key Guitar music wafting through the air over there in the Islands.;)

won't be able to hear the surf pounding either...

I have been riding with ear plugs for years now at the suggestion of a seasoned rider. I think that the reason why you are riding more aggressively is the ear plugs let you hear the engine more, so your concentrating more on it. I also agree that riding with plugs in helps fight off fatigue. Whenever I ride anywhere I pop them in.

For those that care I wear these

http://www.e-a-r.com/e-a-r.com/premo...um=340-4001001

There comfy, work well and you can wash them.

or I use these

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...glVL48MLTF4Qbl

On anything but short range surface street runs, I use the foam plugs. I use them for shooting also. I buy a hundred at a time at Rite Aid for 10 bucks.

I want to still be able to hear OK when I get old. Besides, sustained noise leaves me feeling kind of disoriented and out of sorts.

The foam plugs block out the wind noise but I can still hear my engine and exhaust, still hear the traffic around me. Before plugs were so readily available and before I knew about them, I used to snap the filters off of a couple of cigarettes and stuff them in my ears.

How fast and aggressive you ride is up to you, ear plugs or not.

[quote=RK1;218697] Before plugs were so readily available and before I knew about them, I used to snap the filters off of a couple of cigarettes and stuff them in my ears.


Cigarette butts at the range. That's ole school cop stuff. :)

With earplugs, everything is quiet and I don't sense the speed as well... so naturally I ride faster.

Same thing with cars. Give me a quiet smooth riding car and I'll be going 100mph without realizing it.

What he said... ;) I noticed I was riding at a higher rpm and a little faster all the time one time just because I switched from slightly shortened D&D's to high mount Jardines-they were simply quieter and you just don't feel like you're going as fast. Same goes for the earplugs. You just have a nice mild exhaust sound and not all that nasty wind noise that makes you feel like you're going faster than you really are.

In addition to the less noise feels slower thing, your brain is processing way less info this way. Like why a day at the beach is easier (less fatiguing) than say being a lunch room monitor. Less noise to filter through for your brain to get the needed info. Think of going to a rock concert; takes alot out of you. I manage a night club so I can vouch for this. Keep wearing them. (all racers do)

I once read an article in one of the motorcycle mags about how you should always ride with earplugs because even on the loudest race bikes most hearing loss associated with riding is due to wind noise, and even in the best helmets.

I rode with earplugs once when I rode my hawk with no mufflers on my Moriwaki header....they didnt help and it was only entertaining for about 10 minutes lol.

we just got these cool earplugs in at work (im an Infantryman in the Army, we use them for shooting) they are plastic and shaped like some sort of hearing aid, they have some type of filter that only removes the harsh harmful noises, pretty cool.

Let me get this right; reading an article that said you should ALWAYS wear earplugs prompted you to wear them ONCE? Hmm, I am guessing your berricks mates are getting extra earplugs for shooting.

Honestly, I don't go faster with earplugs in. In fact, I'd venture a guess that I push harder without them. I get hyped-up by the sound and feel. That stirs me to push harder, with earplugs I'm more subdued..... maybe.

I guess my point is that earplugs won't make you faster, slower, better, or anything else. I wear them to protect my hearing because in 30 years I want to be able to hear what my Grandkids are saying.

I agree with the majority here. Earplugs -for me anyway- let me hear the bike rather than the wind. I'm not sure I'm more agressive while riding, rather I'd say I'm more in tune with the bike and can hear/feel it better when putting it into a corner. Plus, after riding for a while (over half an hour) I'm still able to hear myself think and am not easing up in the corners.

i ride with my ipod on longer rides and i've found that the skullcandy earbuds with the silicone nubs work well. I don't necessarily listen to music all the time but i've found that these earbuds do a good job of blocking out a lot of the high pitched wind noise. The added bonus is that you can throw on some tunes at a reasonable volume and still hear what's going on around you. i think these things were like $17. i love 'em. anybody else do the same?

Earplugs anyday, everyday; that I ride. It makes riding much more enjoyable!

+1 on the Skull candy earbuds. I picked some up about a month or two back and they are amazing. Super comfy, sound great and were pretty cheap too. Most days I just use foam earplugs but when I am listening to tunes the skull candys do a good job of keeping the wind noise out.

I have a strange right ear and I can't get most earplugs to stay in. This is especially worse when I have to put my helmet on and it knocks an earplug out. I ended up ordering a variety pack from these guys;

http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/...p-1-c-343.html

I went through 75% of the bag before I found a kind that worked. Just in case someone else has the same ear-dilema. (I'm still looking for something better, they can still take 2-3 tries to get the right one in and keep it there).

Surefire sells earplugs with that technology called Sonic Defenders. They use something called the "Hocks Noise Breaker" which claim to dynamically change the level of dB reduction depending on the level of noise. The theory is that you will be able to hear people talking, but louder noises are blocked out. I use them at the shooting range, but shots still seem loud, so I double it up with a pair of muffs.

http://www.enforce-logic.co.uk/ep4.jpg


Another plus is that it uses the shape of your ear to hold the plug in

+ 1

mostly ride w/ plugs or about 2% of time w/ iPod

relative to the reason for traveling faster with earplugs, galaxieman explained it well. I started using earplugs years ago and liked them so much, they became a regular habit when driving truck. Wish i would have started earlier cause my hearing probably would be better now. Wind noise ruins your ears over time, tires you, and distracts. I don't ride without them anymore. It is much more enjoyable with earplugs once you get used to them, then you will want them in always for riding. use hearos.

Every ride.

Sounds like hocus pocus to me.

For that to be true the air pressure from loud noises would have to force the earplug flutes harder against your ear canal.

If it is an electronic device, those have been around for a long time. I've used them as ear muffs, ear plugs are new to me. In time, everything gets smaller though.

Not hocus pocus. Technology has been available with "Wolf Ears" shooting muffs and others for at least 20 years now.

Doesn't matter to me. I use cheap foam plug on the bike and the range. On the bike I'm not talking to anybody but myself. At the range I'd rather remove a 10 cent ear plug than leave on $200 high tech muffs.

I haven't used them, but the information I found said that they use an acoustic filter that only allows a certain decibel level (voice level) to pass through the ear plug. I take this to mean that it is limiting the air pressure (sound waves) that are entering the ear canal to a minimum velocity/pressure that is still audible at voice level. Sounds like it works like a good ole ear plug but probably much more efficient.