Always heard that that is a sure sign that your hearing has been permanently damaged. Same as the ringing you get when you shoot a gun w/o hearing protection.

I used to get that from riding and other things as well such as using a chain saw. Noise doesn't bother me anymore even w/o ear protection. Not a good sign.

Been thinking about getting my hearing checked but what's the point.......can't do anything about it and it'd probably just depress me.

As someone said the ringing will go away but the damage is done.

 

I hear ya but at least you've got a baseline. Mine wasn't too bad so it was reassuring a little bit ( I have lost some higher frequencies). It was enough to make me go get some really good earplugs instead of the, "I don't need those, I like the sound", attitude I used to have.

My biggest problem has and always been, not with the exhaust, but the wind. Sometimes it feels like the drums are gonna pop from so much wind being forced in there on certain gusts.

In case anyone is interested here's what I use after speaking to the ENT, riding with them and flying twice a week coast to coast:

http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/erme.aspx

 

"When you get Old and hear water running it called Tinkleitus and you got to watch your step so as not to slip..."

That's funny, I don't care who you are...

Many years ago, my then mother-in-law was complaining about her right ear buzzing. We had her tilt her head over and poured a little baby oil in it. Damn if a little spider didn't coming running out of her ear! I grabbed it and tossed it on the floor before she could see it.

Til the day she died she told people a sure cure for ringing ears was baby oil...

 

Good grief! Serious? Holy Crap!! That just gave me the shivers. Reminded me of a damn Rod Serling show called Night Gallery episode where a broach that women wore would crawl into their ears at night while they slept.

Nightmares on that one for a while.

 

I had something similar but my ears were popping like a drum-roll. After much investigation it turns out that repeated wind noises irritate parts of the inner ear and either leave you with irreparable tinitus or that popping sound. A simple fix is to wear earplugs to keep the wind sounds down - its that simple. Some are better than others but I found the cheap barrel shaped foam plugs to be the best.

 

Good info guys. Gotta get me some ear plugs ASAP.

 

Yep, tinnitus it is and it sucks. I got mine from being in too many combat zones. Now I can not stand a quiet room, I need ambient noise so I do not hear the permanent ringing in my ears. I wear earplugs or earbuds like skull candy all the time when I am riding. I know that some states it is illegal to wear ear plugs while riding the bike. Wonder what they do with people that are deaf? Not allow them to ride at all?

 

I always wear ear plugs. People are always asking if it's because of the loud exhaust but I tell them no, I can't even hear it over about 45mph. I wear them because of the wind noise.

 

I haven't seen any data to say just how much, but my seat-of-the-pants estimate is that riding fatigue is reduced by about 1/3 with ear plugs.

 

Yeah, I have that too, in one ear; I'm 66. I was in the artillery (105 Howitzers), and the noise from the machines in my shop wrecked 'em too.