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Met a friend/co-worker at the local HD dealership to check out a used Buell Blast for him. I kept having to repeat myself to the salesman. Now, I do not have a quiet voice.

After a kick of a test ride (the friend has little street experience, so I rode the bike - what a KICK!), we were chatting. Again, I had to repeat myself more than once to the salesguy. He mentioned that he'd only just started wearing a full face helmet the previous month. I had to ask him how long he'd been riding. 36 years. He added that he's got tinnitus as well.

Yup. I'll keep on wearing my ear plugs.

P

It's amazing what people are willing to give up just to avoid a slight inconvenience...

I actually get a little irritated with myself when I forget to put my earplugs in and I'm already a couple miles on the way to work. Sometimes I'll actually stop and put them in. Sometimes I'll just take it.

Of course sometimes I do notice as soon as I start up the bike, but once the helmets on... Bleh. Too bad there can't be some built-in hearing protection in helmets.

it's kind of odd too that people who don't wear earplugs while riding seem to think that they will be in more danger on the road while using them. But when they are in their cars they have the windows up, radio going, and don't give it a second thought.

When I do forget to put in the ear plugs, I always think there's something wrong with my bike, because all the noises coming from the bike and other cars sound so much more harsh.

Flesher wrote:it's kind of odd too that people who don't wear earplugs while riding seem to think that they will be in more danger on the road while using them. But when they are in their cars they have the windows up, radio going, and don't give it a second thought.

+1

I seem to have to think about it more in my truck. With the windows up or down you must turn the radio up when moving and down at red lights and stop signs.

I think less than 5% of the riders I've met use earplugs. I guess most are just completely unaware that wind roar is actually damaging, and that damage is both permanent and cumulative.

Wow, to be quite honest it never occurred to me to wear ear plugs before I got my latest helmet. My newest full face helmet although it seems like it would keep me safe, knock on wood, if I ever went down it's way louder than my old helmet, also might have something to do with the big twin belching hot gases beneath me, but it was a very reasonable $60. Anyway so I was toying with the idea of wearing earplugs. I had no idea all you guys were already wearing ear plugs. I guess it's the least glamorous member of the protective gear family...

bandit600 wrote:Anyway so I was toying with the idea of wearing earplugs. I had no idea all you guys were already wearing ear plugs. I guess it's the least glamorous member of the protective gear family...

True (especially considering protective gear in general isn't really glamorous to begin with). :-S

Anyway, google "hearing damage" and "motorcycles" and you'll find lots of online articles that strongly suggest wearing some form of hearing protection. Here's one http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/street ... index.html

And on a personal note, I find that since earplugs reduce wind roar, I find they actually help me hear more important stuff. Like, uh, car horns and sirens.