More years ago than I care to mention - I worked for the guv'mnt blowing very LARGE holes in the Nevada desert. We would at times have to travel out to the test site and wear funny little moon-boots to keep the dust off our legs... and this was when we were at the site, but still many miles away from the testing.

So, when I was hired, the guv'mnt, in their great wisdom, put me through the most thorough physical I've ever had in my life. Probably for insurance reasons... to determine if I had any pre-existing conditions.

Part of this physical was a hearing test. I hadn't had one of these since I was a little kid in school... Anyway, after sitting in the booth pushing a button when I heard something in my head phones, the doctor asks me "do you ride a motorcycle?"

He said that my hearing was fine, EXCEPT at one particular frequency range. This was something he had seen before with guys that rode motorcycles.

Apparently our brain shuts down our hearing within a frequency range when we are around a lot of noise within that same range. Sort of like tuning out the sound of your wife's voice...

I guess it's more of a software thing than a hardware thing..

Anyway, he told me to wear ear plugs, so I suggest you do the same.

 

Sounds like good advice Tinker, I think I'll take it. Even though the lower rumble of the exhaust doesn't seem like it's doing any damage, it may be and I just don't realize it. Might as well err on the side of caution.

Thanks

 

Once it's gone, your hearing isn't coming back.
I'd much rather wear ear plugs part of the time instead of hearing aids all the time.

 

Thanks to age, bikes, guns, big stereos and years, my right ear has lost some of its range. I would advice everyone who rides, especially those with the 1/2 shell helmets who have have no windshield, to wear earplugs. Wind noise can be as loud as any exhaust at speed.

 

I can understand wearing earplugs because of the wind. Even with a tall windshield you can still get a lot of noise, especially with a half helmet but if you are wearing earplugs because your pipes are too loud, get quieter pipes!!!

 

There isn't as much energy in the lower frequencies produced by the exhaust, so if that is all you are hearing, you are probably OK. It is the wind noise that has the most energy, and does the most damage. However, as it has been said before, once damage is done, you hearing doesn't come back, so why take a chance.

 

Question. Never rode with earplugs before but it sounds like a great idea for long trips. I am already expieriencing a great deal of hearing loss due to loud music, guns, and motorcycles. With earplugs in can you still here your bike stereo.

 

I usually wear my custom plugs for the wind noise and on the highway I can actually hear my sound system better with them in.

 

"I hear just fine."

Not for long!