I won't crank the engine over unless I've got plugs in. Mine are custom made and I have mild tinitus from a few cross country rides a couple decades ago.

 

Wear them on pretty much any ride over 50 miles. Like others have said it not so much the exhaust as the wind noise. They took a little while to get used to both from a comfort standpoint and a sensory isolation standpoint. Once you get used to the reduction in wind noise you won't have any trouble hearing traffic and the police sirens behind you.

-Hugh

 

I agree with wearing of the plugs. I wear them on long highway trips but not on short around town type stuff, I have Rinehart True Duals on my Road King and they aren't that obnoxious.

The distraction in music or cell phones etc... comes in when you loose focus of what is important, driving or listening/talking. I used to be cop and have on numerous occations had to talk on a radio and drive at high speeds at the same time. Just like now, talking on the cell phone or driving. The driving part is priority, the radio or call isn't, period. Today's cops have radio's, cell phones and onboard computers they are trying to operate all while driving the car. The number one priority for them is the safe driving. To hell with the dispatchers, supervisors, other officers etc... Drive the car safely first then communicate with them.

That is the problem, people loose focus on what is important at that moment. Tuning the radio or paying attention to the 800 pound chunk of steel you are sitting on that is going 70+ miles per hour down the highway. I prefer to pay attention to the vehicle and my surroundings first. I know this may be hard to believe, but I have actually been known to turn the radio off, much to the wifes dismay, if I find it to much of distraction.

I have even been known to ignore her when I am driving too. I tell her I can talk to you or I can kill us both, what is your choice?

 

Never tried earplugs while riding. Thought my hearing loss was from the gun range. Guess I could have been wrong. Don't let my wife know I said that. I will have to try earplugs when riding. I always thought the ringing was due to the wind but now I am convinced. thanks guys. You may have save what little bit of hearing I do have left. Sometime I can barely hear what I am reading.

 

I run heavy equipment for a living and wear ear plugs all day. Without ear plugs all I hear is the scream of the engines, with ear plugs I can tell the difference between engine noise, transmission, final drives, and hydraulics. You can’t hear the small noises when your ears are bleeding from the deafening ones.
When I bought the Harley it was second nature to pop a pair in before hitting the highway.
-From my safety meetings I sit thru every Monday morning(they actully won't let me sleep thru them)-

PROTECT YOUR HEARING and BE SAFE.

BHB

 

protect your ears.wear them plugs.screw what anyone say,s

 

I always wear them, i can hear BETTER with them in as it eliminates the wind noise and the loud pipes. I ride alot so my hearing would suffer I'm sure if I didn't. Even with FF helmet I wear them...

 

My hearing is shot and my tinitus is always there, mainly from 30+ years of airplane cockpits and airport noise. I wish I'd protected my ears many years ago. Now I do, but it's too late. You young guys ought to believe us when we tell you that not being able to hear your grandkids or wife talk is awful. Wear earplugs and turn down the volume on the iPod.

Jim

 

What you say is so true, years and years of loud noises in engine room of a tin can, rideing down highway 17 wide open on a sporty, working in power plants, running backhoes, pavement breakers, trenchers, hugh taping machines, shooting 4-5 nights a week all this over a course of about 45 years and the one word I'm famous for is "What" about 5 years before i retired the company i worked for made it a rule, you have to wear ear plugs..well it was a little late for me to..and that is why I try to tell people to wear pretection, same with glases, but then most do wear sunglasses cause it looks cool, but rideing with a set of earplugs sticking out don't look cool..but I keep fighting the good fight, wear ear protection, you will be glad when your 66 and can hear every word your grandson says, that you did.