If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above.
You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.
To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
New Rider ForumsJust joining the motorcyclist hobbie? Looking to get some information about a first bike? Or have some newbie questions. Are you new to the website?
I heard in California that in cars you cannot listen to music using headphones because it impairs your hearing. Is this the same for motorcycles? I hear many people wear earplugs for the freeway because of the wind. Is that legal?
I've been told that ear plugs are better for you on long rides and help prevent fatigue. I tried it a few times on weekend high spirited rides but felt uneasy not being able to hear EVERY sound around me. Especially tires screaching or sirens from emergency vehicles in the distance.
I'll admit I was a little paranoid before ever trying them so I may be a bit biased.
Try it out and see for yourself how it works for you!
Any type of earplugs are now legal in CA. It used to be that only custom earplugs could be worn in both ears while riding, but that law was changed a couple of years ago. It is probably still technically illegal to ride with headphones over both ears just like driving.
I wear earplugs whenever I'm on the bike. Every once in a while I'll take them out for the mile ride home from the gas station. It's horrible without them. You can hear all that you need to hear with earplugs plus it's much less fatiguing with them.
It does take a while to get used to wearing them, but it's definitely worth it.
__________________ Moderator - Help me fix it and riders' gear. Send me a PM with questions, suggestions, or issues.
Never out-ride your ability to react (even stop) within the distance you can see (at least on the street).
Posts: 642
Casino Cash: $13099
Sportbike: 2004 ZRX 1200R-Faster Red
Yes.
For me it does reduce fatigue due to wind noise. You will have to experiment for yourself. Try a 6 hour stint w/ plugs in over 70 mph and you'll get my point.
Also, earplugs come in different ratings for noise attenuation, measured in decibels (db). More decibels (-30db) mean more blocked sound. If you're worried about hearing stuff around you, go with a -25db or -28db plug, not a -30db. Further, realize that some earplugs attenuate different frequencies of sound better. For instance, my -30db plugs block my bass exhaust note but I can still hear my brakes hissing. You will have to experiment with plugs to find the right combination of attenuation (quietness?) and frequency pass-thru.
Start with a cheap pair of foam earplugs. That's really all you need. If you find you like wearing earplugs, you can always have customs made.
I hate riding without earplugs. I can hear everything so much better with my earplugs in. They reduce the wind noise mostly. Without earplugs I find that my ears are ringing after just a short ride. I guess I have all of those loud-assed concerts to thank for some of the ringing, I just don't want to do more damage.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by G Blaze
haha this is awesome... probably the only addiction support group i have seen that supports the addiction...lmao...
For as dumb as you are, even you will remember this. - Lee Ving/ Fear
I hate people...............they hate me! - The Anti-Nowhere League
There's a time to live and a time to die,
I smoke Elvis Presley's toenails when I wanna get high! - The Butthole Surfers
I go Beltway blitzin' on my mad mofo musclebike WFO. Its a true choice, a god-like experience if you will. The thought that I could buy the farm in a spectacular fireball...................well, that gives me a stiffie! Tesco Vee/The Meatmen
I do feel less safe, but I have more fun. I guess it could be argued that music makes you loosen up, as I seem to ride better when I'm pumped, but I think it's mostly imagined, and I do miss some things.
You get a feel for your engine when you cant hear it, and I find I try to shift to seventh less, although it does still happen because I am incapable of counting.
Long freeway rides it is a must, In town it is an option.
Posts: 2,192
Casino Cash: $15959
Sportbike: black 954RR, black 06 636
Quote:
Originally Posted by rbrsddn
I wear them all the time. It is the wind noise that will damage your hearing. I rode for years without them. Not any more.
2nd. Any ride over 15 mins I have ear plugs. If you have a SS with basically no wind screen and a high end helmet with a lot of venting, which often go hand in hand, the wind noise can be deafening. My arai makes a ton of noise due to the top vent.
__________________
"Blind is the world
Few are those who clearly see"
2nd. Any ride over 15 mins I have ear plugs. If you have a SS with basically no wind screen and a high end helmet with a lot of venting, which often go hand in hand, the wind noise can be deafening. My arai makes a ton of noise due to the top vent.
Ditto to all of the above...
If I don't wear plugs on anything over 10-15 minutes my ears ring for an hour or more once I stop. I wear an Arai RX-7 which flows a LOT of air, and is noisy as hell. That and the speeds at which I ride these days makes for a loud play-environment. As for an I-Pod? I spent several hundred dollars for the sound system on my bike....It says "Yoshimura" on it and makes the most beautiful music....
Is wearing earplugs safe?
