Premium Member biggaudi Posted January 24, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 24, 2016 Just as a general poll and out of curiosity, does everyone wear hearing protection? I usually don't, but recently after upgrading my exhaust have been thinking about getting in the habit. How does this effect your ability to hear other things I.E. blue tooth, other drivers, sirens, music, etc.? And what hearing pro do you recommend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 I have custom molded earplugs that are reusable that I got trackside (They also often sell them at bike shows or gun shops). I never ride without them. It helps tremendously with concentration, and, even if it didn't, I personally value my hearing and want to keep it as long as I can. To me- you wear gear to protect yourself when things go wrong. You wear earplugs to protect yourself when things are going right. And no- never had any issues with hearing things with them, save maybe when someone tries to talk to me at a stop light, and mine are made to block about 33db. It basically just cuts out wind noise. Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07echelon Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 ^ what she said. I've used disposable ear plugs for about 6 months and while great, I bought these to avoid buying disposable ones over and over again. They work and go on my key chain for my motorcycle so I never forget them. Edit: These are the disposable ear plugs I used to wear. I've had great experience with both the disposable and reusable pairs of earplugs. Blocks out wind noise, can still have a conversation over a sena headset, and hear the important sounds from the surrounding. 2015 FZ07 Gallery: http://fz07.org/thread/4304/07echelons-gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member so1102 Posted January 24, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 24, 2016 I have a box of 200 pairs of foamies that I periodically draw from. 32dB protection -- work just great. You would be surprised just how windy even a high dollar helmet (like my Arai) is once you wear hearing protection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member hippiebikerchick Posted January 24, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 24, 2016 I wear blue hearos most of the time; they stay in and work well. I play music over my Sena system and with the hearos in the music sounds clearer than without. I would really like a pair of those custom made ones but so far I'm sorta chicken to have someone squirt stuff in my ear. :-/ Illegitimi non carborundum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cndnmax Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 I wear earplugs and usually have my Bluetooth speakers at full volume so I can hear it over the earplugs. I can still hear sirens, horns, exhausts, but I definitely don't hear everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineappleunderthesea Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 I always wear ear protection, got a box of foam plugs (Laser Lites). It cuts down on wind noise, but still allows you to hear traffic, Bluetooth headset, etc. I also use them for mowing the lawn.! No earplug will mute completely, which you wouldn't want anyway. You just need to get rid of enough low and high frequencies to protect the ear and help you focus on the ride instead of being blasted by wind or exhaust noise. Working in a job where going to the factory means wearing earring protection, safety training shows you how damaging loud constant noise can be in the long run, so is is a no-brainier for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07echelon Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Also, a lot of people do not know how to properly wear ear plugs. I'll admit that I didn't either. Watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nGO0qNTCd8 Before when I wore ear plugs, I literally just mashed them into my ear, in the proper orientation of course, but more or less just mashing them in. I always ended up with more than half of the ear plug outside of my ear, and it wasn't very effective. Whatever brand of ear plugs you do end up using, make sure to properly insert them with the technique shown in the video. 2015 FZ07 Gallery: http://fz07.org/thread/4304/07echelons-gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cndnmax Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Also, a lot of people do not know how to properly wear ear plugs. I'll admit that I didn't either. Watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nGO0qNTCd8 Before when I wore ear plugs, I literally just mashed them into my ear, in the proper orientation of course, but more or less just mashing them in. I always ended up with more than half of the ear plug outside of my ear, and it wasn't very effective. Whatever brand of ear plugs you do end up using, make sure to properly insert them with the technique shown in the video. It makes a world of difference when you put them in right. I pretty much wear them all day at work and I've gotten the hang of lifting my ear and putting them in with just one hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yamobethere Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 +1 for the blue hearos, they cut down the wind noise immensely and make riding for longer periods at higher speeds much more enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member rmdet Posted January 25, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 25, 2016 Blue Hearos here as well - very effective, comfortable, and I don't get too upset when I lose one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ducttapewd40 Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 The most I do is wear earbud headphones if I'm going to be on the interstate for more than 20 or 30 minutes. The difference was pretty obvious when I drove for 2.5 hours with only one ear in (the other side fell off in the pocket of a pair of jeans in the laundry) and one ear was half deaf when I got there and the other was fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kakusaizou Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Ear plugs are part of my ATGATT, I do not ride without them. My work place has stashes of pliable ear plugs that I use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member adv42 Posted January 25, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted January 25, 2016 I have tried many different earplugs over the years and usually reverted back to not using any, until I found these: http://earplugsonline.com/ They actually work without working loose, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twowheeladdict Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 I wear earplugs. I get the green contour ones at Wal-Mart. They block the wind noise so I can hear better. I still have perfect hearing because I always wear hearing protection when doing any loud activities. 2015 FZ-07 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtrapsi Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Custom molded earpieces plugged into my SENA 99% of the time I ride. Wind/Road/Exhaust noise is annoying after years of riding with hearing protection. I can keep the volume on 1 and hear my surroundings just fine. Better than trying to drown the noise out with helmet speakers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eskae3 Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 I actually used these:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032BYCWG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage I know they're not the ones from this brand specific for riding but they're quite a bit cheaper and I like them so far. My Sena Bluetooth works just fine. I can hear emergency vehicles but it does the job on killing the air noise from riding the Freeway for long trips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtrapsi Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 This works great for the folks like myself who have small or odd shaped ear canals.http://amzn.com/B003A28OW6 I have also make my own custom earbuds for music or use with my SENA by wrapping it around the headphone with no ear inserts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member biggaudi Posted February 1, 2016 Author Premium Member Share Posted February 1, 2016 I decided to go with these. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A3Z44RM?psc=1 I like them and they are comfortable, but I have to be careful not to insert too deep or else I need to pull out with tweezers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyrtgr Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 I've been using the Alpine Motosafe ear plugs. They work mostly as a filter to cut wind noise and they provide little dubbing of other noises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member adv42 Posted April 21, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted April 21, 2016 About three years ago, I finally found earplugs that work for me. They are from Beneficial Products, Inc. Website is: www.earplugsonline.com You won't be disappointed. They are a soft, pliable consistency, and seal excellently. Many other plugs I have used seem to eventually "pop" out of my ear. This has never happened with these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member piebald Posted April 21, 2016 Premium Member Share Posted April 21, 2016 Howard Leight Multi-Max Super soft on the yellow end and easy to fit. A little firmer on the red end. Comfy for long periods, and can fit a wide variety of ear canal sizes. NRR 31 so you can still hear louder traffic noises (horns, sirens, etc.), but they nearly eliminate helmet noise. I also wear them to sleep sometimes because my lovely wife snores... O_o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombiphone Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 I have custom molded earplugs that are reusable that I got trackside (They also often sell them at bike shows or gun shops). I never ride without them. It helps tremendously with concentration, and, even if it didn't, I personally value my hearing and want to keep it as long as I can. To me- you wear gear to protect yourself when things go wrong. You wear earplugs to protect yourself when things are going right. And no- never had any issues with hearing things with them, save maybe when someone tries to talk to me at a stop light, and mine are made to block about 33db. It basically just cuts out wind noise. Hey, are you the chick that's doing the "Girl Meets World on an FZ-07" blog on motorcyclist.com? I noticed your bike in your avatar and saw that you are from LA. If so, I am so jealous of you, haha! Great read!I am! Damn, it's like I'm almost marginally famous, haha. Glad to see people are enjoying it as much as I have, as it's been an adventure and a half, and I'm only just getting started (Oh- And I used earplugs the whole time #totallyontopic) Published 'Chronicles of a Motorcycle Gypsy' a book about my travels on the FZ, and a writer for Motorcyclist Magazine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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