Protect your Eyes and Ears.

Hummmmmm.... I am either already deaf or the plugs I tried on my last trip fit way too well! Even with my Sena at max volume I could barely hear the music!

Nah, that just means you likely need to adjust where the speakers are in your helmet. If they're not exactly out from the ear canal they will be lower volume with the plugs in. I find I that if I don't use ear plugs I have to turn the volume WAY DOWN on my Sena to avoid being blasted. It actually hurts when I don't use the plugs if I don't turn it down. With the plugs I have plenty of volume. Move the helmet around on your head to see if the sound improves any. If it does, then adjust the speakers accordingly.

rjs987 said:

Nah, that just means you likely need to adjust where the speakers are in your helmet. If they're not exactly out from the ear canal they will be lower volume with the plugs in. I find I that if I don't use ear plugs I have to turn the volume WAY DOWN on my Sena to avoid being blasted. It actually hurts when I don't use the plugs if I don't turn it down. With the plugs I have plenty of volume. Move the helmet around on your head to see if the sound improves any. If it does, then adjust the speakers accordingly.

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+1

Also, check the volume control on your phone/ipod/whatever. Many have a default setting that prevents full volume output to "protect" your ears that you may need to override to get full volume out of your device. My Samsung Galaxy S5 has this and I need to override it every time the phone reboots as it reverts back to "protection" mode.

STumped said:

+1

Also, check the volume control on your phone/ipod/whatever. Many have a default setting that prevents full volume output to "protect" your ears that you may need to override to get full volume out of your device. My Samsung Galaxy S5 has this and I need to override it every time the phone reboots as it reverts back to "protection" mode.

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I have an S5 and can't hear my Sena's with my earplugs in at any speed above 55 or so. Where is this override found?

jonz said:

I have an S5 and can't hear my Sena's with my earplugs in at any speed above 55 or so. Where is this override found?

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Jeff, after connecting to your Sena, start playing music. Then, on your phone, turn up the volume. You'll get a splash screen with something about protecting your ears and are you sure that you want to turn this up (going from memory here). Select "ok" and then continue to raise the volume on your phone to max setting.

Hope that helps.

jonz said:

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.

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Everyone should take not of this above safety glasses link!! great site and better to be safe then blind!!

I understand some of the drawbacks of polarized glasses but for me the benefits far out weigh the limitations. I very much prefer polarized glasses. They really cut the glare that comes off the polished cement slab on morning and evening commutes. Mine are extra dark and have UV protection and are in wrap around frames (Rayban) that give me peripheral view. It makes the sky bluer and the colors richer. It really adds to the joy of the daily commute. Just my opinion.

the above link also carries these. I might get one for a backup.

http://www.safetyglassesusa.com/edge-zorge-polarized-bifocal-safety-glasses-with-black-frame-and-smoke-polarized-lens/

added this here from another thread since there is some confusion about legality. Laws in your state maybe different....

It is legal in California to wear foam earplugs under your helmet, because you can still hear sirens and horns and you need to use ear plugs to protect your hearing from wind and motor noise.... read the exception carefully!

CA law:

27400.
A person operating a motor vehicle or bicycle may not wear a headset covering, earplugs in, or earphones covering, resting on, or inserted in, both ears. This prohibition does not apply to any of the following:

(d) A person wearing personal hearing protectors in the form of earplugs or molds that are specifically designed to attenuate injurious noise levels. 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.

note
the law is a bit vague - if you can hear a siren or a car horn you are good, it does not say from what distance...... hmm

I don't know that it's ever been litigated to define what "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" means. I know there was a lot of buzz at the time that this was the loophole for motorcyclists.

In the meantime an overzealous LEO could still write you up for it.

Very much not likely to happen in California.

Yeah, your "'not likely" is not much comfort to others cause it may happen. I have had twice a LEO threaten to write me up for a fictitious law about putting both feet down at a STOP sign.

I wear custom fit IEM's. From the street view an officer would never know, only in a stop could they find out. But if they want to take me to court, I'll be happy to go. I already had a rental cop try to bust me on base for the feet thing; when he tried to talk to me about how I know a motorcycle comes to a stop I couldn't hear him until I took out my ear monitors.

His first question... how do I know a motorcycle is stopped? He thought it's because I put my feet down. I told him you don't need to. He cited some fictitious law, I told him him he just missed the moment.

I'm awaiting the battle, firmly believe it'll happen since the state is a no-helmet and I prefer a full.

Maybe because I hang out with a bunch of LEO's on a regular basis. I have asked if the foam ear plug would be an issue on a motorcycle. To them the law is clear enough (here in CA) and has been for some time. They have bigger fishes to fry and will not bother with something that may not stickup in court and no big $ fines. Your IEM's might be a violation since you can "not" hear with them in, foam ear plugs would not.... but you are in a different state and your rules are different....

The point here is to know your local laws.
In Ca you must come to a complete stop - no forward motion, you do not have to put your feet down if you can balance your bike...

LOL.. and if you have a tipover at a stop sign... it's failure to control your vehicle..

As far as legality for ear plugs, aren't deaf people allowed to drive?

Great advice on wearing the noise and brightness protection.

Whether legal or not, it can still cost you and at least be inconvenient (even if thrown out in court). But I still choose to wear plugs to be less fatigued and to save my hearing--I'll take my chances with encountering a zealous LEO.

Regarding the NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) of 33dB (or whatever rating) earplug manufacturers state is just a rating for a perfect fit. Earplugs never fit perfectly, and you never get full NRR as claimed. I have had my hearing tested with them in and have gotten (with NRR33 plugs) about 27 dB reduction, at best. Sometimes only 10 dB reduction. I'm not arguing against wearing them (do wear them!), but the point is they have to be inserted properly to get most of the noise attenuation. A slight bunching, lack of insertion depth, uneven density within, or creasing of the plug and the NRR is greatly lessened.

I wear noise isolating earbuds rather than foam plugs though--I want good quality audio and foam plugs with helmet speakers is poor. Noise isolating earbuds are a mixed bag ... they may provide 15-20 dB reduction, solely based on my judgement. But there's rarely any data from manufacturers on NRR of earbuds. Oh well.

Regarding the glasses, I like polarized lenses as I can see into cars and see whether the driver is distracted or is even looking my direction. But many face shields are slightly polarized, so adding good polarized glasses under the shield produces those distracting color shifts and moire interference patterns from the dissimilar polarization of the faceshield and glasses. So as of late, I've resorted to a UV reducing shield on my helmet with my regular (clear) glasses underneath and I've good enough results.

Stay safe.

A cop isn't going to mess with you for wearing earplugs....... unless you are a jerk. Then they will hit you with anything they can think of. Moral of the story, don't be a jerk when you get pulled over.

ST_Jim said:

I don't know that it's ever been litigated to define what "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" means.

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Or for that matter what constitutes 'injurious noise levels' since no spec is given. What is a 'specially designed...' earplug vs a non-specifically designed ear plug. Is the former the mechanical type that is supposed to pass normal sounds but then block loud percussive sounds? (They don't work for motorcyclists in my experience.) That's what case law is for. Somebody with access to the Annotated CVC could see if any exists yet.

ST_Jim said:

In the meantime an overzealous LEO could still write you up for it.

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He wouldn't have to be overzealous. He could be just a guy doing his job working with a vague law. I'm often a pedestrian and find that a lot of cars won't make a turn in front of me once I step into a crosswalk at a controlled intersection. I wave them through and the majority won't budge even though they'd be perfectly legal— as a result of case law. They just don't know it.

spiderman302 said:

In Ca you must come to a complete stop

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In CA this is the long and the short of it— a complete stop. The CVC section just says 'shall stop' and not complete stop. But that's what's required.

A bunny trail— a lot of people make up laws in their head or maybe more correctly get it in their head that their notion of correct or safe action is the result of a specific law. I've heard people that a stop must be 3sec long to be legal. In reality (here in CA) that's probably Dad telling kids how to be safe.

Does anyone here live in a state where the '3sec rule' is statue law? Extra virtual points if you have the state's VC section stating such. Zero virtual points for 'I think...' or 'I've heard...'

ST Gui said:

In CA this is the long and the short of it— a complete stop. The CVC section just says 'shall stop' and not complete stop. But that's what's required.

A bunny trail— a lot of people make up laws in their head or maybe more correctly get it in their head that their notion of correct or safe action is the result of a specific law. I've heard people that a stop must be 3sec long to be legal. In reality (here in CA) that's probably Dad telling kids how to be safe.

Does anyone here live in a state where the '3sec rule' is statue law? Extra virtual points if you have the state's VC section stating such. Zero virtual points for 'I think...' or 'I've heard...'

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Yeah, it's right next to the vague law allowing the CHP to make lanesplitting guidelines defacto legal...

CVC 22450

"shall stop" = complete stop = no forward motion = stop. The required time is 3.14159 micro seconds. Sorry, I had to squeeze some pie in to the equation. I like chocolate cream pi with a lot vanilla ice cream.

You could reprogram your GPS's firmware to give you a green light after you have met the above time condition since it is accurate to pico seconds.....

Even with foam ear plugs correctly inserted (as best as I can), I hear sirens at least once a week as I travel the city streets of the San Fernando Valley on my daily commute. I pass a fire station and a police station. I would have to go to a third world country where they wear out their car horns faster than tires to test the ability to hear a car horn....