I wear ear plugs on anything more than a short ride(30 minutes or less). I want to be able to hear the wife yelling at me and nagging me when I"m old and gray.Well.....older and grayer than I am now.

 

My last 3 helmets have been HJC, as a matter of fact, I just bought a new one. Mine are 1/2 helmets. Unfortunately, living in Tennessee, a helmet is required, otherwise it would just be the earplugs.

 

OK, that's good.[sm=closed.gif]

Anyway.......I was using the foamy ear plugs until I got a pair of the E.A.R. Inc. custom molded ones this year. I'm not so sure that they're worth the money though. I don't feel like they really seal out the wind noise as good as I thought that they would. I always have to keep reaching up & pushing on the left one to manipulate it into a position to seal. Then it only seems to keep a good seal for a short time. The right one is only slightly better. With the foamies, you roll them small & insert them & they expand to seal. Then they stay sealed if you get them in good.

 

This is a link to a webBikeWorld article on hearing protection. I found it very useful. Be sure to check out the earplugs reviews also.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/Earplugs/earplugs.htm


I tried Smith & Wessonearplugs for shooters, but they hurt my ears on long rides. I also tried several brands and types of foam earplugs. I found the E.A.R., Inc. EARsoft Gripperswork best for me. They provide excellent hearing protection while still allowing me to hear the sounds I need to hear...like crazy cagers speeding up beside me. They also are comfortable in my ears, even on the longest of rides. You can find them from several sellers on the Internet.They don't cost much, so that's a plus for me also. They hold their shape very well, so I reusea pairuntil they get too dirty. I have washed a pair just to see how they would hold up. They did okay, but they are so inexpensive it wasn't worth the effort to wash them.

 

I second that! Amen!

 

I just started after I read a good article in Thunder Press and another article in Thunder Roads -
I've been riding for 6 years, and never used them before....

I went to Lowes and bought the kind that are attached together with a thin strap $1.95- they fit pretty good...I noticed that I was not as fatigued after a long ride on Saturday...at one point during my all day ride (on the Skyline with some of our forum's finest- https://www.hdforums.com/m_2043077/tm.htm) I did notice a huge difference when I forgot to re-insert them after a quick break...

What a noticable difference! I can actually hear the bike better, and focus on my riding with the plugs in!

 

What NRR level are you guys wearing? I just bought some of the cheapos that are rated at 29db and while they do remove windnoise and the ride is more enjoyable, I feel like I should hear just a bit more. My bike sounds like a honda and I feel a little closed off in traffic. Can we cut maybe 1/4 off the cheapos and get a good balance?

 

I use plugs. My hearing is fading as I age, so I prefer not to speed up the process. This is also the main reason I'm keeping the stock exahust. The alternativeI guessis togo with a full face helmet, but during he summer, the damn thing is just too hot! For those states that don't have helmet laws, you should at least wear plugs - You will go lose some of your hearing!

 

I'm hooked on ear plugs now. I wore them for six hours yesterday and liked the feeling. You knowwhen highwayriding they take the edge of the excitement when rolling at 75+. Most times the wind and noise adds an extra level of concern when drivingat those speeds.