Bandit Alley
GENERAL MOTORCYCLE FORUMS => GENERAL MOTORCYCLE => Topic started by: Slider on January 10, 2009, 12:39:53 AM
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I have trouble getting Helmets large enough and the right shape to fit my cranium. I asked the salesman in our little burg whether he thought it was due to a swelled head or a fat head? To his credit, he didn't take the bait.
Still, I'm stuck with a cheaper helmet that I can afford... usually.
Even so. I have had many helmets, even a Shoei and Bell and I find them all NOISY on naked bikes or even my current Bandit S1200.
Who wears ear plugs on long trips? :motorsmile:
Does anyone have a quiet Helmet?
There's too dam much snow to ride here guys. Help us out with a few winter tales to help the site stay alive. :beers:
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Anything further than 1/4 mile.... I've got earplugs in. Trying to save what little hearing I have left.
They really help filter out the "bad" noise (aka: wind) and you can actually hear the subtleties of the "good" noise (rpm range, sweet pipe, etc.)
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I wear them on anything outside of the city. In town I find them too restrictive
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I don't ride a Bandit but I'll chime in...
I've gotten lazy. When I first started riding my B4 years ago, it had a LOUD D&D and I wore them. When I swapped out that pipe for an quieter M4, I stopped. This past season, I rode the Kawi quite a bit - commuting on the bike when ever I can on my 53 mile (each way) country road ride for a total of around 6K miles - I've noticed my ears ringing from wind noise when I get off. I definitely need to get back in the habit.
What are you guys using - just the little, cheap cone-shaped foam things?
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What are you guys using - just the little, cheap cone-shaped foam things?
Pretty much.... I get the 80 pack (orange and purple) from Lowe's for about 16 bucks. :deal: They start losing their effectiveness after a few days. On trips I treat myself to a new pair everyday - nothing like a new pair for sound attenuation.
I've tried the more expensive "Hero's" and a few other foam ones (E.A.R.?) but they are either too pricey or uncomfortable. I'd like to pony up the bucks for a custom set (ear molded) but would hate to find out they weren't any better.
Sometimes I think earplugs are better suited for city riding - especially with those freeking diesel pick-ups running the huge fart cans.... :annoy:
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I use 'em 99.9% of the time. Wind noise is still there, even with the quietest helmets I've ever tried, and I'm trying to keep what little hearing I have left from getting any worse. Fortunately for me, my employer always has an ample supply of ear plugs due to the noisey work environment - and they encourage us to take them home for activities that may need them (safety glasses, too, fwiw). We always have several brands around and my favorites are Howard Leight MAX (http://www.howardleight.com/family/index/1) and Moldex Pura-Fit 6800, (http://www.moldex.com/es/hearing-protection/foam-earplugs/pura-fit.php) both with a NRR 33 rating, which is better than any custom molded plugs I've ever seen advertised or at bike shows. On trips, I usually carry some of each brand because it seems that day after day of constant use, one kind will start to bug me, but if I alternate between the two, I'm OK.
We also regularly have the E-A-R Classics, (http://www.e-a-r.com/e-a-r.com/roll_detail.cfm?prod_family=Classic%20Misc&ind_prod_num=390-1000001) but I don't find them to be very comfortable and their NRR 29 rating isn't good as the two above.
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I don't wear them in-and-around town, simply because I'm not on for more then 25 minutes. But I do when I'm just joy riding outside of the city. I use various foam ones, and I like the ones that are like those corn-based packing/shipping kernels...one of the Quiet! branded products. I also have those rubber ones made to fit at a bike show, and they are great. My usual helmet is the Shoei Syncrotec, which doesn't seem noisy until I ride with earplugs and then without. I can wear earplugs and still hear the comm set speakers, so that works well.
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I use them on all out of town trips, which is 95% of my riding. Like the guys above, I want to save what's left of my hearing. I should have used them back in my loud electric guitar days...
Anyway, I've had several different full face helmets, and don't find any of them to be quiet enough to take out the wind noise, so it's ear plugs all the way.
I don't care which kind I use, so usually the cheapest I find. Like Red01, my employer (me) buys them by the box, so I always have ample supplies.
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I haven't gotten my Bandit yet, it is on the way though :motorsmile: Anyhow I don't know if my helmet does a really good job with wind noise or what but with my old CB750 (naked) I never wore plugs and had no problem. Maybe I am already deaf :yikes:
This is the helmet that I have http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/bell-zephyr/ Hard to beat for the money imho
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I wear them nearly all the time. I ordered one of the sample packs from Earplug Superstore (http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/unfoamtrialp.html) and found what I worked best by trial and error. Incidentally, my ear canals are not the same size! I use Moldex PuraFit 6800s in the right ear and Moldex Sparkplugs in the left.
BTW, I found that the most important factor is correction insertion (add your own joke here.) You have to pull the ear with the opposite hand to open the ear canal and get a deep seal. It does get a bit wearisome on trips when you are stopping a lot, and I am thinking of getting a custom-molded pair. Anybody have any experience with those?
P.S. Lately I have been using Etymotic ER-6 earphones on longer trips, which do a pretty good job of noise attenuation and allow me to hear music and the GPS. I don't find them all that comfortable though, so I have yet to find the perfect solution.
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Wear 'em all the time. I haven't had a problem with Hearos. Don't know why people find them uncomfortable, they're the softest I found. I don't wear the odd-colored stuff you get in places like Home Depot or Lowes anymore, as I've had some of that color stay in my ears! I get the "flesh" colored ones:
(http://hearos.com/images/products/hearos-02525.jpg)
All day comfort with these.
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disposable foam type (white or yellow). I just don't throw 'em away. Yeah, I know, gross, huh?
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disposable foam type (white or yellow). I just don't throw 'em away. Yeah, I know, gross, huh?
Not really... most of them are washable. I just don't bother since I always have plenty of new ones.
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You could get ear infections from re-using them too many times. As long as you keep your ear canal relatively clean, you can use 'em two or three times.
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I wear the foam ones most of the time. I usually regret it when I don't put them in. It's one of those habit things and a good one at that.
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Used to wear foam plugs but spent a bit extra and had a pair of moulded plugs made. Very comfortable and just as effective as the foam plugs. They make a huge difference when touring long distances, besides protecting your hearing it's amazing how they help reduce fatigue. I wear them as often as possible!
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Earplugs or foam ear jacks for radio/mp3 player. The noise really hurts when I rode without ear protection.
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I always regret not wearing them or putting them in (foamy type) when I wear my slightly un-snug helmet. If I wear my slightly tight helmet I don't need them but then I have to take more breaks to relieve my squeezed painful ears. I prefer the foam plugs for comfort and to eliminate annoying wind blast noise, an un-snug full face helmet so I can put my sweat shirt hood up inside my helmet if it gets cold.
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I have a cheap Z1R Strike Helmet (they tested best in the Motorcyclist Magazine comparison article titled "Blowing The Lid Off") and foam earplugs from Walgreens.
Absolute comfort and much reduced fatigue.
Highly recommend both.
You don't have to spend big money for big comfort and safety.
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I guess I am guilty of my street and off road helmets never costing more then $70 tops. But usually I pick up the best looking and color matching to cost ratio I can find for as little as $39. My metal flake star studded G-Max full face helmet cost me $69 on sale 3 years ago and I just bought new shield assembly brackets for it for $5.50. But I know since my brain and ego image are the most important things I should have bought the The Schuberth S1 Shark RSR for only $1400 so I could nod my head at the other bikes at intersection stops and say "that's right I'm bad". LOL Just kidding
The Schuberth S1 Shark RSR
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/helmet-photos/schuberth-vs-shark.jpg (http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-helmets/helmet-photos/schuberth-vs-shark.jpg)
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I've used the foamy throwaways for years and years. As posted by others, get the highest NRR rating you can get and use 'em anytime you're going to be on the bike for more than 10-15 minutes. An absolute must for ANY road trip on ANY bike, even with stock exhausts. Take along 10 sets on your road trips and change 'em every day. Light and easy to pack. Cheap insurance, IMO.
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I used to use the foam ones on trips until I got a molded pair (I know this is illegal) so I can listen to my MP3 player on long trips. Works great. And before you all start getting on me I turn the MP3 player off in heavy traffic or in the city or anywhere I need to have 100% concentration. But on those long winding roads with only me and the misses in sight for miles it’s great. No wind noise and my favorite tunes. Now that’s scootering !!!
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I seldom go any where out of town without them. If I am just ponying up to go to the store I might not put them in, but if I will be on the bike for hours at a time, I never leave home without them. I think that I probably had my day with the loud rock&roll to and I also would like to save what little hearing I have left....banditone1250s....
There is a thin line between fear and respect....Feel free to drift across every now and then....
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i actually use a pair of earphones with foam buds. got them from skullcandy.com they work great and yes i can hear averything i need to!
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Yeah Downunder I do sort of the same thing, but I usually am listening to rock&roll when I am riding and the ear buds help tremendously with all the unwanted sound and road noise. Rock& Roll will never die...not on the steel pony any way...Banditone1250s...
There is a thin line between fear and respect...Feel free to drift across it every now and then... :beers:
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I wear these while riding...
(http://www.aearo.com/prod_images/340-4004.jpg)
http://www.e-a-r.com/e-a-r.com/premold_detail.cfm?prod_family=UltraFit&ind_prod_num=340-4004001 (http://www.e-a-r.com/e-a-r.com/premold_detail.cfm?prod_family=UltraFit&ind_prod_num=340-4004001)
...even on short trips. IIRC anything over 85 dB can cause damage, and even lower levels over an extended time will cause harm as well (time weighted average).
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I wear these while riding...
(http://www.aearo.com/prod_images/340-4004.jpg)
http://www.e-a-r.com/e-a-r.com/premold_detail.cfm?prod_family=UltraFit&ind_prod_num=340-4004001 (http://www.e-a-r.com/e-a-r.com/premold_detail.cfm?prod_family=UltraFit&ind_prod_num=340-4004001)
...even on short trips. IIRC anything over 85 dB can cause damage, and even lower levels over an extended time will cause harm as well (time weighted average).
+1
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+1 - I wear plugs all the time. These hearos are a bit pricey, but you save if you buy in bulk.
Definitely needed unless you're riding a wing with a 3 foot windshield and no wind whatsoever.
Wear 'em all the time. I haven't had a problem with Hearos. Don't know why people find them uncomfortable, they're the softest I found. I don't wear the odd-colored stuff you get in places like Home Depot or Lowes anymore, as I've had some of that color stay in my ears! I get the "flesh" colored ones:
(http://hearos.com/images/products/hearos-02525.jpg)
All day comfort with these.
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>>Definitely needed unless you're riding a wing with a 3 foot windshield and no wind whatsoever.<<
You mean, like, standing still?... :bandit:
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You WILL have loss of hearing if you ride long enough without ear plugs, guaranteed. The amount of loss varies by person.
I wear them all the time unless I'm just riding at low speed in a residential area somewhere (it's the wind noise that causes the loss of hearing)
I read before that the wind rushing through your helmet is equivelent to a jet engine....and no helmet is quiet enough.
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I agree, the wind noise is the danger and it is amplified if you have a modular flip up helmet. Mine is much noisier than a regular full face helmet.
I used to use the little foam ear plugs but I always found them popping out and usually just as I got a good pace going. If I continued to ride I would end up with ears that felt like they'd been to a heavy metal concert.
I was at a motorcycle show this year and bought the custom fitted silicon ones. They inject the goop in your ear and 15 minutes later a set of perfectly formed ear plugs. They also don't snag on the helmet liner when I pull my skid lid on and you can still hear what is going on but without the loud noises getting thru. Bliss!!
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Ummm... if you're snagging the foamies when donning/doffing your brain bucket and/or they're falling out in the middle of a ride, you're not putting them in your ears correctly!
If you're not putting them in right, you're not alone. I see folks wearing them wrong all the time when I'm at the races or out riding. If you're not using two hands to install foamies, or if the plugs extend outside your outer ear, they are not only installed wrong, their effectiveness is significantly reduced. Here's a poster that shows how to properly install various ear plugs:
http://www.howardleight.com/images/pdf/0000/0065/HP500_Howard_Leight_Earplug_Instruction_Poster.pdf
Lots of folks love their custom molded ear plugs, and perhaps you may find them more comfortable to wear and will wear them more often because of this and that's great! :thumb:
If you want speakers built in, they're a great way to go, too. :bigok:
OTOH, I haven't seen a custom plug vendor yet that says their plugs have a better NRR number than the NRR32-34 ratings of the better brands of disposable foamies. For me, the NRR # is what keeps me wearing the foamies.
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I used to wear the foam type ear plugs whenever I was heading out of town. But, for some reason, I don't understand why, I now find them uncomfortable after an hour or so. In fact it gets to the point where they actually cause pain.
On longer rides these days I wear the 'in ear plugs' attached to my MP3 player. Much more comfortable, and I can listen to my favourite music. Although it can be a bit disconcerting listening to Offsprings No Brakes.
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If I'm going for any distance I do. I have a big box of them that I bought through a construction wharehouse place. So I keep a bunch in my van,some in my tank bag,in the pocket of my leather jacket,some around the house.
I already have tenitis in my ears. The left one has been ringing since I was 13. The holeshot can on the Bandit was used when I bought it, it can be loud after awhile.The SV isn't quite as loud,it has HMF cans on it,but I can sure tell the difference if I wear them or not.
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Can't seem to get comfortable wearing earplugs, I think for me it's a mental thing reminding me of work :annoy:. So I go for the MP3 player.
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Can't seem to get comfortable wearing earplugs, I think for me it's a mental thing reminding me of work :annoy:. So I go for the MP3 player.
Geez...an MP3 player is worse than no earplugs! Have to have it turned up so loud to hear it. Besides, the soundtrack to the movie version of TOMMY is always playing in my head when I ride anyway.
I have a pair of the made-while-you-wait-at-the-bikeshow and they are really good.
I used to like the Quiet Downs...very comfortable and easy to insert (they were like cotton wads in little plastic condoms) but I haven't seen them in a few years.
Now I use some that (I think) are one of the Flents products...they are an odd texture, almost like those packing peanuts made from corn starch, not foam rubber. They stay compressed a little longer and are easy to get in and can be reused until they get dirty. I wear them to sleep sometimes if it's noisy.
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Anything more than a local ride, I always wear earplugs. It makes it so much more enjoyable without the wind noise.
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Huh????? Wudjasay? :grin: