First off, loud pipes are way over-rated. If you change your pipes to gain performance and they happen to be louder, that's a different story. But, if you're just changing your pipes to get them as loud as possible, I don't see the point. IMHO, all you're really doing is trying to draw attention to yourself by saying, "Hey look at me. I'm a bad *** 'cause I ride a loud motorcycle."

To the point of riding with ear plugs, I wear them religiously. About two years ago, I went to bed one night, woke up the next morning and was stone cold deaf in one ear. The doctors still don't know for sure what caused it. However, I HAVE to wear ear plugs to protect the hearing in my one good ear. For me, it's all about wind noise. I can still hear my exhaust. And, quite honestly, I can hear the tone of the exhaust better with the ear plugs because the wind noise is eliminated. It's just not as loud.

 

Wouldn't be the side the little woman sleeps on by any chance ?

 

My ears are so far gone, I like to keep what hearing I do have, but I notice my straight pipes don't bother me at all and the windshield keeps the wind noise down...

 

Actually yes, it is the side the little woman sleeps on. And, it's also the side she sits to when I'm in my recliner watching TV. And, it's my right ear so, when I'm driving I have a good excuse for ignoring her then too - even if I do hear her. In retrospect, I guess fate took something away from me but, gave me something in return.

 

I mount Krome Werks pipes, you can see through them. But at 80 mph I can't hear them due to wind noise.
Plugs are for the wind, not the pipes.

 

Figured , sounded an awfull lot like what happened to me when I was married . Nature works in mysterious but wonderful ways sometimes .

 

No one has mentioned the obvious...

Ear damage is caused primarily with high frequencies, the sound from a stationary bike with loud pipes has sufficient highs to hurt your hearing. However, when travelling you must take into account the doppler effect on the frequency spectrum of the exhaust. Since the exhaust is thrust back away from you there is a significant shift to the low end of the spectrum of the sound you hear from the pipes, due to the doppler effect. The resulting frequency does you less harm than when the bike is stationary.

So to the op... the dudes that wear ear plugs are posers. They don't actually need them to protect their hearing from the loud exhaust. What they should do is get themselves a road glide with a good front end to control the wind. Problem resolved.

 

Yours has nothing to do with fire trucks? My Dad is retired LA City Fire, his hearing is really bad. My hearing loss is from rock n' roll in the 60's. And Skilsaws.

 

Well to all who say its for the wind only...when I ride around town at 25 to 30 mph not much wind just my pro pipe barking in my ears that I have to wear plugs...I'm getting sick of it and its coming off come spring.

When I had my Wing I could ride without plugs no problem

Yes I ride on the hwy and yes I do wear plugs

 

Whether it's wind or pipes... I'm good... i wear a FF