Protect your Eyes and Ears.

spiderman302 · Apr 22, 2016

Protect your Eyes and Ears. Use dark UV and polarized sunglasses AND soft foam ear plugs. It is a safety thing.

The soft foam ear plugs at your local drug/hardware store will attenuate 33db or 2,000 times quieter. Your human hearing has over 100 db of dynamic range. That is a range of 10,000,000,000. So stuffing ear plugs in your ears, you can still hear, since you still have 67 db of range left! You are not in a cage. You are fully exposed to the elements and the sound levels sitting on a motorcycle puts you at risk for long term hearing damage. But with earplugs you are protecting your hearing while still being able to hear better than someone in a car.

15+ hours of loud high frequency noise will wear your nerves very quickly and is the main reason after a long ride why you are so tired. Ear plugs will protect you from this and you will find after a very long ride that you will be not so tired!

Your vision has about the same amount of range [28 F-STOPS] (starlight to noon sun in a snow field). We all know the value of sunglasses. So protect your vision. You put on sunglasses and you can still see. You put in ear plugs you can still hear. Save your senses so you can ride another day AND you will be less tired!

This is somehow not in the IBA AOW - I think it needs to be. I always wear ear plugs on long trips motorcycle, car, planes, when I get to my destination I am ready to work or play where my colleagues are heading for the hotel and a nap...

Jethro77 · Apr 22, 2016

Thank you for the reminder! I bought a box of ear plugs for this reason and always forget to grab some before I head out for my rides!

paulcb · Apr 22, 2016

Always wear both earplugs and sunglasses on my MC. Keep ear plugs in my jacket pockets and some spares in my tank bag. I wear the plugs when flying too... what a difference.

klaproth · Apr 22, 2016

Thank you for this reminder..it's easy to remember the ATTGAT, but so many forget the polarized glasses and plugs! Well done!

SteveST1300 · Apr 22, 2016

I can't wear polarized glasses on the bike I get far too much distortion especially when I am looking through a pinlock visor.

motofisch · Apr 22, 2016

Can't agree more about the value of earplugs while riding. I spend a lot of time with relatives that have suffered hearing loss due to extended exposure to noisy work conditions. It is frustrating for everyone involved. Hearing loss is cumulative and irreversible. But it is also easily preventable. I carry extra pairs of soft, disposable ear plugs to offer to riders I encounter that aren't using any hearing protection.

For two years I have been riding with polarized safety glasses with a bifocal. I get them from Amazon and they are available in clear, amber, and smoke. Love 'em!

paulcb · Apr 22, 2016

motofisch said:
For two years I have been riding with polarized safety glasses with a bifocal. I get them from Amazon and they are available in clear, amber, and smoke. Love 'em!

+1 on the bifocals for riding! I buy them by the pair in clear and amber for night and day.

SmashVol · Apr 23, 2016

Good reminder for everyone! Thanks for the post and can't agree more.

STumped · Apr 23, 2016

spiderman302 said:
The soft foam ear plugs at your local drug/hardware store will attenuate 33db or 2,000 times quieter. Your human hearing has over 100 db of dynamic range. That is a range of 10,000,000,000. So stuffing ear plugs in your ears, you can still hear, since you still have 67 db of range left! You are not in a cage. You are fully exposed to the elements and the sound levels sitting on a motorcycle puts you at risk for long term hearing damage. But with earplugs you are protecting your hearing while still being able to hear better than someone in a car.

+++++1 (and then some) on the ear plugs. They really DO help with fatigue! Another benefit..... I have a Sena intercom and people are often surprised when I tell them that I can hear them better WITH ear plugs than without. I tell them to try it for themselves and they are amazed when they discover that they can hear my voice much more clearly with ear plugs in (volume turned up, of course, to compensate) than without.

Ear plugs cut the distracting "white noise" from wind turbulence.

You can still hear all the sirens, horns honks, and even engine noises of other motorists....it's all just a little bit quieter.

ST Gui · Apr 23, 2016

I wear sunglasses rated to reduce 90something% of UV light but dislike polarized lenses. Seeing the various artifacts is a little distracting to me and sometimes I can't see into a car window. I've never worn them while riding the ST but IIRC they played Hob with reading the LCD panel on my V65.

I also got a box of 200 foam earplugs that are pretty good but still haven't found any that seal one ear really well. The Large is not quite large enough. They still make a big improvement at the end of a ride.

SanDiegoDan · Apr 23, 2016

What about earbuds?

I am a big believer in earplugs, but I recently bought a smartphone Ram mount and I have been experimenting with wearing iphone earbuds for iphone navigation instead of wearing my trusty foamies. I've gone short haul so far (maybe 90 minutes tops) so I don't have any all-day experience.

Any thought on earplug-like benefits from earbuds?

ST Gui · Apr 23, 2016

I've found that the plastic bodies of earbuds transmit some road sound that the buds can't really silence. They do reduce road noise somewhat but not as much as good earplugs.

Fitting is pretty individual and what works for one rider may not work for another. The triple flange tips like those on the Etymotics earbuds don't work at all for me. They don't fit and they don't block much sound. But they work for a lot of other riders. The round/spherical tips on some Sony and the higher end Apple earphones don't stay put for me.

The only thing that does work are memory foam tips. They fit well and stay put but become a little uncomfortable after three hours or more. But the don't block road noise as well as earplugs and it's tough for me to hear through them. A mixed bag for me.

Some people use Westone and other custom molded earphone/plug combos and I imagine embedding the whole thing in a molded compound isolates better than most other types. By isolation I mean reduced wind and road noise not total aural sensory deprivation.

I'd prefer earbuds over plugs if I can find some that block enough noise. I have a pair of Apple buds that I want to try but the cord is white and a little too obvious. And I don't really want to wear just one.

thumperjdm · Apr 23, 2016

Great thread--a good reminder that we need every now and then.

I've worn soft foam ear plugs for over 25 years, and at this point, I can't ride the bike for any distance (ie: from the gas station to home) w/o earplugs in----the noise absolutely distracts me.

ST Gui said:
The only thing that does work are memory foam tips. They fit well and stay put but become a little uncomfortable after three hours or more. But the don't block road noise as well as earplugs and it's tough for me to hear through them. A mixed bag for me.

My left ear canal is smaller than the right. Like you, after hours in the saddle, the pressure of ear plugs in my left ear causes me pain---but not my right ear---go figure.

For me, the most comfortable plugs I've found are EAR brand, E-Z Fit foam plugs. They taper at the end a bit more than most (for smaller ear canals), and they're a bit softer than some other plugs. I've bought these exclusively for at least the last 15 years. Even as tapered as they are, if I'm going for a long ride (3 hours +), I'll take one plug and cut a bit of the the end off w/ scissors, creating even more of a "pointed cone" shape, which eases pressure inside my left canal.

Here's a picture of the plugs I use, and an example of one that I've sliced.

Joseph/TX · Apr 23, 2016

ST Gui said:
I wear sunglasses rated to reduce 90something% of UV light but dislike polarized lenses. Seeing the various artifacts is a little distracting to me and sometimes I can't see into a car window. I've never worn them while riding the ST but IIRC they played Hob with reading the LCD panel on my V65.

I also got a box of 200 foam earplugs that are pretty good but still haven't found any that seal one ear really well. The Large is not quite large enough. They still make a big improvement at the end of a ride.

My sunglass expert specifically advises against polarized lenses for looking through any type of plastic, such as windshields or face shields.

Here's a couple of excerpts from their guide to selecting sunglasses:

Disadvantage of polarizing lenses:1. For driving or skiing they mask ice patches by eliminating the surface glare used to identify ice on flat surfaces. Will also darken LCD displays in cell phones, radio displays, GPS displays, Speedometers, etc.2. For flying they cannot be used in airplanes with thick laminated windshields, like on large airplanes, you can’t see through the windshield because of the stress caused by the laminations on thick glass.3. For flying it masks the reflections coming off other air traffic, making it harder to spot other airplanes. Will also mask LCD displays like GPS receivers, etc., making them impossible to read.4. For motorcycle riding or anytime you wear a helmet with a face shield, it shows the stress in the curved plastic shields and causes you to see blue spots on the shield.5. For boating, while the polarizer works well for eliminating reflected glare off the water, it will mask LCD displays found on marine instruments, making them hard to read unless you tilt your head sideways.6. Glass polarized lenses can not be tempered and are not a hard as regular glass lenses, so they are easy to break....

For DRIVING, all of the general purpose lenses work well. Polarized lenses eliminate some of the reflected glare off the highway, trees, water, the hood and windshield that normal sunglass lenses only reduce. If price is not important, the polarized lenses work well for driving. However, the non-polarized Dark Grey, G-15 and Kontraster™ glass do what a sunglass is supposed to do, they dim the light and protect you from UV rays. The disadvantage of polarized lenses is that they "black-out" LCD displays that are found on a lot of speedometers, cell phones, radios, etc.
For FLYING the choice of our customers is the Kontraster™ glass (VLT=17%). It not only reduces glare, and blocks UV and IR light, but increases contrast. By filtering out more blue light it makes things look more vivid. Pilots like it because it reduces the effect of haze and smoke in the atmosphere to make it easier to spot other airplanes and to see ground check points easier. A second choice would be the Dark Grey or G-15 (LT=16%) glass, they do what a sunglass is supposed to do, they dim the light and protect you from UV and IR rays.

A note to pilots about polarized lenses. They should not be worn while flying. In fact, you can't even see through the windshield on most jets while wearing them because the windshields are laminated and cause severe color distortion. On the lighter airplanes you could wear them, but because the axis of the sunglasses are oriented at 90 degrees, as you bank the aircraft it causes the “world to change”, reflectiions off of body's of water will come and go. Also, since they reduce the effects of reflected glare, it makes seeing other air traffic more difficult. Also, polarized lenses make LCD displays (such as used on GPS units, radios and some gages), "black out", if you tile you head at about 90 degrees you can see them again.

ST Gui · Apr 24, 2016

thumperjdm said:
My left ear canal is smaller than the right.

That's the same with me! I use the E•A•R Taperfit 2 for their larger diameter but they still don't seal the right ear canal fully. I'll try modding these as you did for the left ear and maybe pick up a few E-Z Fits for the left ear. Thanks for the info.

EAR Taperfit 2:

312_1219__83086__97031.1430082984.1280.1280.jpg

klaproth · Apr 24, 2016

I have been looking for a way to reduce road noise while enabling me to listen to music while riding. I prefer more instrumental music, which means that a lot of the subtlety is lost if the outside noise is too loud. I DID find Comply foam replacement tips for my earbuds, which reduce the amount of extraneous noise from wind, motor sounds, etc. They are a bit pricey, but make it easier to get a helmet on without them falling out, and they DO reduce the noise, albeit not as much as they say they will. I may try helmet speakers with earplugs, but for now at least, the Comply foamies work pretty well.

* I've been considering saving the "barrel" inside the Comply plugs ( after they are worn out, about 6 months for me), and try making my own foam plugs by cutting a hole in an EAR type plug, and gluing the barrel in.

jonz · Apr 24, 2016

I use earplugs for any rides involving consistent speeds above 45 mph or so i.e. pretty much every ride on the ST. MCN quoted a Dutch study which showed the ability to hear sounds on a motorcycle was improved at speeds above 28 mph iirc while wearing earplugs inside a helmet due to removing more wind noise than other sounds.

I dislike polarized glasses and specifically shop for glasses that are NOT polarized. Besides not being able to read a gps through a helmet shield, the reflection off water on the road helps spot areas of reduced traction. Here's the one's I like:

http://www.safetyglassesusa.com/bf59.html

Adjustable temple length and lens angle, and different bifocal diopters. The bifocal is low enough that it doesn't interfere with my driving vision but is perfectly placed for glances down at the gps. I also carry the clear version for night rides where I need to read the gps. $12 is a great deal so I don't cry too much when I drop and scratch a pair.

ST Gui · Apr 24, 2016

klaproth said:
I DID find Comply foam replacement tips for my earbuds

I'm using a set of Comply tips for my Apple earbuds and they work well. Haven't used them on the road because they're more conspicuous than I'd like. Pricey is right! Mine were $5 a pair from Comply. What earbuds and tips are you using?

* I've been considering saving the "barrel" inside the Comply plugs ( after they are worn out, about 6 months for me), and try making my own foam plugs by cutting a hole in an EAR type plug, and gluing the barrel in.

I LIKEY! Even if that didn't yield more isolation the economy of scale is great! I'm stealing that idea!

jonz said:
Here's the one's I like:

http://www.safetyglassesusa.com/bf59.html

Another great deal! I'm getting a couple pair to have on standby should I forget my regular sunglasses. Thanks!

klaproth · Apr 25, 2016

ST Gui said:
I'm using a set of Comply tips for my Apple earbuds and they work well. Haven't used them on the road because they're more conspicuous than I'd like. Pricey is right! Mine were $5 a pair from Comply. What earbuds and tips are you using?

I use two different earbuds...one is a pair of Jbud J2's, which I like better than my MUCH more pricey Etymotics and SOny's, and cost about 6$ ( no longer available, of course...), and a pair of Audio-Technica noise canceling earbuds ( model ATH-ANC3). The noise canceling unit works pretty well on the ST, canceling the constant noises, and with the Comply foam tips, isolated pretty well.

To cut a neat hole in Foam type plugs, I recommend THIS tool:

http://www.harborfreight.com/leather-punch-tool-97715.html

It cuts very precise holes, very easily.

ST Gui · Apr 25, 2016

I'll pick one up. I didn't think a drill bit would work very well. Thanks!

Protect your Eyes and Ears.

spiderman302

Jethro77

paulcb

- - - Tetelestai - - - R.I.P. - 2022/05/26

klaproth

SteveST1300

motofisch

(Scott)

paulcb

- - - Tetelestai - - - R.I.P. - 2022/05/26

SmashVol

STumped

Because I usually am . . . .

ST Gui

240Robert

SanDiegoDan

ST Gui

240Robert

thumperjdm

Naty Von Ozirisz 1997-2011

Attachments

Joseph/TX

R.I.P. - 2016/11/13

ST Gui

240Robert

klaproth

jonz

ST Gui

240Robert

klaproth

ST Gui

240Robert