6 ms·

I’ve used the shaped orange foam 3M ear plugs extensively while riding a motorcycle. The wind noise is extremely bad for you given the duration and surprisingly

I’ve used the shaped orange foam 3M ear plugs extensively while riding a motorcycle. The wind noise is extremely bad for you given the duration and surprisingly high decibels. One interesting thing I have noticed is that these plugs are extremely sensitive to being inserted correctly and despite extensive experience and good technique (which for me involves two hands, one to insert and one to pull the top of my ear for alignment) I still find the need to reinsert plugs on occasion. Unfortunately the poor fit isn’t obvious until I am on the road at speed when the sound volume is higher than it should be. If this same situation arises in combat I can easily imagine that the higher intensity of noises would cause hearing damage far sooner and in addition it seems unlikely soldiers would call for a timeout to fix their ear plugs.

Cthulhu_ 3y ago
I've got flange-shaped earplugs for the motorcycle, they seem to be just fine. Pulling up the ear is good practice for any kind of earplug though, I presume it straightens out the ear canal or something like that, I've used it for audio earbuds as well for a long time. If they fall out, get different ones. My dad had custom molded ones for his job (in metalwork), but that was well after the damage was done. He had tinnitus and he's now finally budged and got himself some subtle hearing aids.
- idiotsecant 3y ago
  You can do the custom-molded ones yourself now, I had some for motorcycle riding and they worked very well. Unfortunately the ambulance cut them off of me when I got in a wreck so they are toast now, but they did their job great up until then! I used https://earfuze.com/ https://earfuze.com/ but I'm sure there are better ones out now.
dharmab 3y ago
I switched from the 3M plugs to Pinlock plugs for most riding. The Pinlock ones are suitable for around town, twisties and short highway runs, but allow me to hear engines, sirens, conversations, etc. They slide in easily with a little water. I still use the foamies for long road trips.
- Reubachi 3y ago
  Tangential but using water (which critically is not the same as sweat) to get earplugs in regularly would cause your doctor to have an annuerism. I'm legit interested in this because I chase constant ear infections from needing to put in earbuds/plugs right after showering for my routine/work flow. Have you ever had an issue?
  - function_seven 3y ago
    I used to use water all the time to slide earplugs in, and never had any issues with ear infections. But I always had a nagging voice inside my head telling me it wasn’t a good idea. Did I get lucky? Or maybe I’m just less susceptible to infections? I always made sure the water was clean, but I suppose if there were bacteria on the outer surface of my ear, the water would carry it inward easier than a dry fitting would?
    - m00x 3y ago
      It's luck, and maybe genetic thing. Water cleanliness doesn't guarantee anything, bacteria is everywhere. Some scuba divers with the same technique get infections often, some don't (with same techniques). I got an infection on my first dive, then nothing ever again. Some get them every 6-7 dives.
      - swores 3y ago
        Is it worse than having a bath where your ears go under water or a shower where water splashes into ears? Isn't that something many people do daily?
        ketzo 3y ago
        After a bath or shower, your ears are open to the air, and the water can evaporate. The earplugs keep the water sealed in your inner ear for a long time where it can't dry, increasing the chance of infection. Some people do just get more frequent ear infections than others, though, from swimming or even just daily showers/baths. That gets back to the luck/genetics thing.
jsyolo 3y ago
Why not use a full head helmet with windshield?
- moonchrome 3y ago
  If there's any airflow (and there better be for breathing and ventilation) there's wind noise at speed. You're always better off with plugs.
- infecto 3y ago
  That just does not work unless you have bubble around your whole body and I bet even then it’s sufficiently loud. Unless you find the perfect windscreen, most have lots of buffeting and it’s actually quite hard to dial it in perfectly. Helmets do absolutely zero to block noises. Edit: just to add. I think it stands. The helmet does not block any sound. It may be aero dynamic enough that it helps prevent additional wind noise but it’s not blocking sound. Ear pro all the time.
  - post_break 3y ago
    My Shoei RF 1400 was extremely quiet. Supposedly one of the few helmets that you actually don't need ear plugs with unless you're going extremely fast.
    - infecto 3y ago
      I would be willing to bet the db was high enough to cause damage over enough time. It’s not just just the peaks but also the duration. I would be very surprised if generally helmets provide much if any meaningful db reduction.
  - m00x 3y ago
    It depends on the helmet and speed. When I got my Arai helmet, the speed where the wind noise is troubling went from 80kmh to 130kmh.
    - dharmab 3y ago
badpun 3y ago
Is it legal to wear earplugs while riding on public roads?
- dharmab 3y ago
  Not only legal but strongly encouraged by our instructors to prevent hearing loss. There are riding specific earplugs tuned to block the wind and road noise more than sirens, horns, etc
  - aidenn0 3y ago
    It might surprise you to see how many states it is illegal in (IIRC it's close to half). This may even include states in which the motorcycle school instructors tell you to wear earplugs for hearing loss.
    - dharmab 3y ago
      That isn't the case. The majority of the states have no law and a good chunk of the others have exceptions for hearing protection. A lot of the websites online have outdated info- e.g. most websites claim CA and OH ban earplugs, when this clearly isn't the case.
      - aidenn0 3y ago
        The California carve-out for hearing protection states: "The plugs or molds shall be designed in a manner so as to not inhibit the wearer's ability to hear a siren or horn from an emergency vehicle or a horn from another motor vehicle." Ohio has a carve out specifically for motorcycles; operators of vehicles cannot (I used to own an RV where the wind and road noise at freeway speeds was well above safe levels for sustained operation).
- odiroot 3y ago
  In United Kingdom it's even recommend.
maerF0x0 3y ago
Custom mold earplugs from a ENT or other similar vendor could be a good fit for you (pun intended)
- dharmab 3y ago
  Custom mold earplugs work _too_ well for motorcycling. They block emergency vehicle sirens. I once got chased halfway down a mountain by a cop I couldn't hear (my KTM had nearly useless factory mirrors). Cop said he was leaning against n his horn and my foamies blocked it out entirely. Somehow I didn't get a ticket...
  - ArchOversight 3y ago
    You can get ones with certain dB reductions instead. Those will allow you to still hear but at a lesser level. This is great for reducing wind noise while riding, but still being able to use in-helmet comms and hearing things like sirens/honking horns.
    - maerF0x0 3y ago
      Yeah this. Let them know what you're using them for and they'll tune the NRR and frequencies for your use case.
    - aidenn0 3y ago
      You can also get ones that have interchangeable filters for different levels of protection (and they even make ones that are relatively "flat" across the audible band, which is great for movie theaters that have the volume too high).
  - akvadrako 3y ago
    Custom ear plugs don't have a higher decibel reduction rating than foam ones. They are mostly used for comfort and even frequency response.
andersrs 3y ago
[flagged]
- tguvot 3y ago
  wind noise. not engine noise.
- mathisfun123 3y ago
  > The majority of motorcycles are deliberately loud this is peak reactionary nonsense - that majority of motorcycles are stock bikes from the manufacturer, ie appropriately muffled. like with absolutely anything else in life: you don't notice the ones that are muffled and thus, conversely, you assume the majority aren't. > I can't say I have much sympathy for motorcyclists losing their hearing it's just so weird to me that people will voluntarily be spiteful like this. like does this make someone feel good? to proudly proclaim their spite? i must've watched too much disney when i was a kid because when i'm spiteful i feel bad.
  - dang 3y ago
    Please don't respond to a bad comment by breaking the site guidelines yourself. That only makes things worse. Your comment would have been fine with just the substantive point. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- barrkel 3y ago
  You're noticing the ones which aren't stock.
- redeeman 3y ago
  [flagged]
  - dang 3y ago
    Please don't cross into personal attack or name-calling, regardless of how wrong someone is or you feel they are. If you'd please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and stick to the rules when posting here, we'd appreciate it. We've had to warn you about breaking them in the past. Fortunately it looks like you've been doing it less lately, but please don't go back to posting the other way.

Cthulhu_ 3y ago

I've got flange-shaped earplugs for the motorcycle, they seem to be just fine. Pulling up the ear is good practice for any kind of earplug though, I presume it straightens out the ear canal or something like that, I've used it for audio earbuds as well for a long time. If they fall out, get different ones. My dad had custom molded ones for his job (in metalwork), but that was well after the damage was done. He had tinnitus and he's now finally budged and got himself some subtle hearing aids.

idiotsecant 3y ago
You can do the custom-molded ones yourself now, I had some for motorcycle riding and they worked very well. Unfortunately the ambulance cut them off of me when I got in a wreck so they are toast now, but they did their job great up until then! I used https://earfuze.com/ https://earfuze.com/ but I'm sure there are better ones out now.

dharmab 3y ago

I switched from the 3M plugs to Pinlock plugs for most riding. The Pinlock ones are suitable for around town, twisties and short highway runs, but allow me to hear engines, sirens, conversations, etc. They slide in easily with a little water. I still use the foamies for long road trips.

Reubachi 3y ago
Tangential but using water (which critically is not the same as sweat) to get earplugs in regularly would cause your doctor to have an annuerism. I'm legit interested in this because I chase constant ear infections from needing to put in earbuds/plugs right after showering for my routine/work flow. Have you ever had an issue?
- function_seven 3y ago
  I used to use water all the time to slide earplugs in, and never had any issues with ear infections. But I always had a nagging voice inside my head telling me it wasn’t a good idea. Did I get lucky? Or maybe I’m just less susceptible to infections? I always made sure the water was clean, but I suppose if there were bacteria on the outer surface of my ear, the water would carry it inward easier than a dry fitting would?
  - m00x 3y ago
    It's luck, and maybe genetic thing. Water cleanliness doesn't guarantee anything, bacteria is everywhere. Some scuba divers with the same technique get infections often, some don't (with same techniques). I got an infection on my first dive, then nothing ever again. Some get them every 6-7 dives.
    - swores 3y ago
      Is it worse than having a bath where your ears go under water or a shower where water splashes into ears? Isn't that something many people do daily?
      - ketzo 3y ago
        After a bath or shower, your ears are open to the air, and the water can evaporate. The earplugs keep the water sealed in your inner ear for a long time where it can't dry, increasing the chance of infection. Some people do just get more frequent ear infections than others, though, from swimming or even just daily showers/baths. That gets back to the luck/genetics thing.

jsyolo 3y ago

Why not use a full head helmet with windshield?

moonchrome 3y ago
If there's any airflow (and there better be for breathing and ventilation) there's wind noise at speed. You're always better off with plugs.
infecto 3y ago
That just does not work unless you have bubble around your whole body and I bet even then it’s sufficiently loud. Unless you find the perfect windscreen, most have lots of buffeting and it’s actually quite hard to dial it in perfectly. Helmets do absolutely zero to block noises. Edit: just to add. I think it stands. The helmet does not block any sound. It may be aero dynamic enough that it helps prevent additional wind noise but it’s not blocking sound. Ear pro all the time.
- post_break 3y ago
  My Shoei RF 1400 was extremely quiet. Supposedly one of the few helmets that you actually don't need ear plugs with unless you're going extremely fast.
  - infecto 3y ago
    I would be willing to bet the db was high enough to cause damage over enough time. It’s not just just the peaks but also the duration. I would be very surprised if generally helmets provide much if any meaningful db reduction.
- m00x 3y ago
  It depends on the helmet and speed. When I got my Arai helmet, the speed where the wind noise is troubling went from 80kmh to 130kmh.
  - dharmab 3y ago

badpun 3y ago

Is it legal to wear earplugs while riding on public roads?

dharmab 3y ago
Not only legal but strongly encouraged by our instructors to prevent hearing loss. There are riding specific earplugs tuned to block the wind and road noise more than sirens, horns, etc
- aidenn0 3y ago
  It might surprise you to see how many states it is illegal in (IIRC it's close to half). This may even include states in which the motorcycle school instructors tell you to wear earplugs for hearing loss.
  - dharmab 3y ago
    That isn't the case. The majority of the states have no law and a good chunk of the others have exceptions for hearing protection. A lot of the websites online have outdated info- e.g. most websites claim CA and OH ban earplugs, when this clearly isn't the case.
    - aidenn0 3y ago
      The California carve-out for hearing protection states: "The plugs or molds shall be designed in a manner so as to not inhibit the wearer's ability to hear a siren or horn from an emergency vehicle or a horn from another motor vehicle." Ohio has a carve out specifically for motorcycles; operators of vehicles cannot (I used to own an RV where the wind and road noise at freeway speeds was well above safe levels for sustained operation).
odiroot 3y ago
In United Kingdom it's even recommend.

maerF0x0 3y ago

Custom mold earplugs from a ENT or other similar vendor could be a good fit for you (pun intended)

dharmab 3y ago
Custom mold earplugs work _too_ well for motorcycling. They block emergency vehicle sirens. I once got chased halfway down a mountain by a cop I couldn't hear (my KTM had nearly useless factory mirrors). Cop said he was leaning against n his horn and my foamies blocked it out entirely. Somehow I didn't get a ticket...
- ArchOversight 3y ago
  You can get ones with certain dB reductions instead. Those will allow you to still hear but at a lesser level. This is great for reducing wind noise while riding, but still being able to use in-helmet comms and hearing things like sirens/honking horns.
  - maerF0x0 3y ago
    Yeah this. Let them know what you're using them for and they'll tune the NRR and frequencies for your use case.
  - aidenn0 3y ago
    You can also get ones that have interchangeable filters for different levels of protection (and they even make ones that are relatively "flat" across the audible band, which is great for movie theaters that have the volume too high).
- akvadrako 3y ago
  Custom ear plugs don't have a higher decibel reduction rating than foam ones. They are mostly used for comfort and even frequency response.

andersrs 3y ago

[flagged]

tguvot 3y ago
wind noise. not engine noise.
mathisfun123 3y ago
> The majority of motorcycles are deliberately loud this is peak reactionary nonsense - that majority of motorcycles are stock bikes from the manufacturer, ie appropriately muffled. like with absolutely anything else in life: you don't notice the ones that are muffled and thus, conversely, you assume the majority aren't. > I can't say I have much sympathy for motorcyclists losing their hearing it's just so weird to me that people will voluntarily be spiteful like this. like does this make someone feel good? to proudly proclaim their spite? i must've watched too much disney when i was a kid because when i'm spiteful i feel bad.
- dang 3y ago
  Please don't respond to a bad comment by breaking the site guidelines yourself. That only makes things worse. Your comment would have been fine with just the substantive point. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
barrkel 3y ago
You're noticing the ones which aren't stock.
redeeman 3y ago
[flagged]
- dang 3y ago
  Please don't cross into personal attack or name-calling, regardless of how wrong someone is or you feel they are. If you'd please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and stick to the rules when posting here, we'd appreciate it. We've had to warn you about breaking them in the past. Fortunately it looks like you've been doing it less lately, but please don't go back to posting the other way.