This is a very weird discussion. I wear either ear plugs (to cut down wind noise and wind in the ears)or MP3 phone plugs (to hear my tunes and cut down wind). My pipes (SE II slip-ons) don't bother me.... IF they did, I'd sure as heck change them.. the idea that the pipes would be too loud for me, but what the heck, other folks don't mind is kind of ludicrous.

 

I've been wanting to try wearing them, but have this thought in the back of my head like....what if someone honks and I don't hear? or what about sirens? I've had to wear ear plugs at work before, and I know they don't eliminate hearing...I just know that on a bike, one can't be too careful.

 

I use earplugs because I have 4 women living in my house........ride the bike to get some peace & quiet.......

 

Take it from me, you can hear everything just fine. Plugs get rid of the howl of the wind, and that actually makes hearing everything else MUCH easier!

Cheers!
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Yep they are great for wind noise. Exhaust sound never bothered me because it is behind me. Sometimes I lean way back just to listen to my pipes.

 

If your own pipes are the cause of your hearing problems, either you are sitting around the garage too long with the motor running, or you have some serious issues with your pipes! The thing that affects your hearing most while riding (as several others have pointed out) is the wind rushing by your head/ears. At 60mph + you shouldn't be hearing much from your own pipes (the guy in front of you might be a different story!)

 

my pipes are loud but i only wear them on the highway. the wind comming off the straps of my helmet is brutal over 50.

 

"I heard that" ! ... at least I thought I did ... what'd he say? Seriously though, went for a 225 mile ride today with 12 Harleys with "pipes". First part of the days ride my hearing was fine at lunch, because we cruised up the coast. I'm sitting here right now, two hours after parking the bike in the garage with a ringing in the ears...a result of blasting wind noisefrom the high speedfreeway run home. (my plugs were in my bag, not in my ears where they should have been)

 

i like to go for rides with my ipod , the earbuds keep the wind out of my ears and i can actually hear the bike better on the highway without the wind. . . and its nice to have a soundtrack while out riding. i can hear sirens and my pipes still with the music up.

 

yup, wind noise is a killer