Hear, Hear! Do you wear ear plugs if your helmet doesn't cover your ears?

[LALoner]

Gots me a question for those who ride with helmets that DO NOT cover your ears.

Do you just ignore the wind noise OR, do you use ear plugs or some other method to prevent the wind noise?

Any and all suggestions welcomed. As an add on, my modular helmet does eliminate most of the noise BUTh, it tends to exert a great deal of pressure on the neck when turning my head.

[pegasus1300]

When I use a 1/2 helmet I use ear plugs. But then I use ear plugs on my modular as well. I have used ear plugs for years.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Gots me a question for those who ride with helmets that DO NOT cover your ears.

Do you just ignore the wind noise OR, do you use ear plugs or some other method to prevent the wind noise?

Any and all suggestions welcomed. As an add on, my modular helmet does eliminate most of the noise BUTh, it tends to exert a great deal of pressure on the neck when turning my head.

Well, a lot depends on what Spyder you have and what windshield it has... I have a '14 RT with an OEM windshield ..... I listen to music so wind noise is not an issue .... Mike

[Lew L]

.

WHAT DID YOU SAY?? Hearing loss is cumulative; ya can't get back what you've lost.

Lew L

[JKMSPYDER]

I have a modular helmet but wear ear buds so that I can listen to music but keep out the wind noise and the Harley’s with loud pipes.

[tntnj]

I have a full helmet, if I am only doing about 40-50 MPH on the short rides I don't use ear plugs. On the longer rides I do 70+ MPH, so I like them when that wind gets loud.

[Dasmoetorhead]

I only wear a full face helmet. If you have a good full face helmet noise shouldn't be an issue. Half helmets? Not!

[Mikey]

I do not! I know, I know, I should, but I have been in the fab business for over 45 years, for the most part used plugs doing that, but the wind from riding don't really bother me. And I like hearing what's going on around me!!

[rjinaz86323]

I wear a modular. I have a Sena 50S for comm and to listen to music. I still wear earplugs. These allow me to have perfect quiet if not communicating or listening to music and still hear whatever is coming through the Sena.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[K80Shooter]

I'm already deaf so I do not hear any wind noise.

[Snoking1127]

I thought only HD riders wear half helmets or no helmet.

I play music to Cardo Spirit HD intercom most of the time from my Garmin Zumo XT with a micro SD card full of my songs. I find that if my LF plays music from her smartphone the intercom still works.

[BCNewell]

I wear ear plugs w/ a full face helmet. But, I use short windscreens that keep my head in clear air

[JB62]

I'm already deaf so I do not hear any wind noise.

I wear a full face shoei and was a jet engine mechanic in the USAF for 22 years so my hearing is already shot so I don't notice wind noise.

[Quickdraw]

I'm already deaf so I do not hear any wind noise.

My wife would say that I'm deaf too.

[TRMary]

custom ear plugs ( Big Ear, https://www.bigearinc.com/ ) all the time. done correctly communications and or music is no issue.
Have nothing to do with big ear just like their products.

[RayBJ]

I always wear earplugs and wear modular lids. I found that Musicians earplugs work best for filtering out the road noise but letting the intercom and music thru. I consider the earplugs part of All The Gear All The Time (ATGATT).

[old Timer]

There is no difference between a Half Helmet and No Helmet as far as any protection is concerned. This is based on being in the business since the very early '70's.

[BajaRon]

Interesting and Fun Facts!
An increase of 3 dB represents a doubling of the sound pressure. But an increase of about 10 dB is required before the sound subjectively appears to be twice as loud. Which I take to mean that you can't trust your ears to tell you when things are too loud.

On any ride of any distance I wear ear protection no matter what helmet I've got on. Though I only ride full face helmets. I've never understood those who are so careful to provide great protection for everything from shoulders to toes. Then leave the most vulnerable, critical, and most often injured portion of their body with, sometimes, very little protection. But that's another story and I'm not here to tell anyone how to ride. Just a personal quandary.

On average, wind noise in a motorcycle helmet can range between 95dB and 105dB when traveling at 100 km (about 60 miles) per hour. Add loud exhaust or additional speed and this number can go much higher. This substantial noise level significantly influences the rider's mental status during extended journeys, and can lead to permanent hearing damage. The chart below shows some figures wearing a high quality full face helmet on some relatively quiet bikes at various speeds.

Noise above 70 dB over a prolonged period of time may start to damage your hearing. Loud noise above 120 dB can cause immediate harm to your ears.

Ear protection has been proven to greatly reduce fatigue and increase mental acquiety on long rides. Something that is well worth the effort. A 25db reduction earplug can make a great deal of difference. You can actually hear what you need to hear better with earplugs than you can without them.

Though some windscreens can actually increase noise level to the riders. It is interesting how much the right windscreen can actually reduce overall noise. Never saw a chart that showed that before.

Motorcycl Noise Chart.jpg

[ThreeWheels]

Retired Safety Engineer here.
I wear earplugs all the time regardless of helmet style.

I've been riding for over 50 years and no Tinnitus.

[Jesster72]

We wear both modular and half helmets depending on the ride. While I always have ear plugs on the bike, I don't always wear them. It depends on the wind strength and direction, among other things. If the wind is really pummeling me, I'll stop and throw a set in. It does make a difference.

[2dogs]

Been ride'n for over 60 years and never wore earplugs. Now it doesn't make any difference whether I wear them or not. What's done is done. Good lesson for the young bucks but we don't have any of them here.

[K80Shooter]

My wife would say that I'm deaf too.

My wife says that I have selective hearing and only hear what I want too.

[K80Shooter]

I wear a full face shoei and was a jet engine mechanic in the USAF for 22 years so my hearing is already shot so I don't notice wind noise.

I was a diesel/heavy vehicle mechanic for most of my life.

[BajaRon]

My wife says that I have selective hearing and only hear what I want too.

I think we all have that disorder... Though not all of us consider it a detriment...

[FrogmanDave]

I don't wear ear plugs, they get in your ear.