Ringing in the Ears (Tinnitus)

[Reginald]

But of course you can't understand that.

This statement wasn't necessary.

Put your bottom line first to make a point like "You need ear plugs all the time regardless of the helmet and where you are riding." It would go over a lot better than "you're wrong".

 

[Blue One]

This statement wasn't necessary.

Put your bottom line first to make a point like "You need ear plugs all the time regardless of the helmet and where you are riding." It would go over a lot better than "you're wrong".

Maybe so, but it didn't change the fact that you were wrong.

And maybe you do understand, or maybe as John said you are just merrily sailing down denial :crackup

 

[DaveM]

Rider magazine did a test on ear plugs and the cheap disposable ones worked just as good as the expensive ones. I use the cheap orange disposable ones all the time when I ride and have no more ringing in my ears. That's what worked for me, you may need or use something else. http://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-Earplugs-Uncorded-NRR33/dp/B0013A0C0Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1415845997&sr=8-2&keywords=orange+disposable+ear+plugs

 

[ChucksKLRST]

Because of John O's Butt chewing 13 years ago, I can hear my granddaughters laughter today. One needs to wear ear protection at all times when riding a motorcycle. Hearing loss is forever. Hearing does not come back, once its gone. Thanks John O. I owe you for that.

It will only take about two weeks to get use to wearing ear plugs. Hearing Aids are for the rest of your life.

 

[John OoSTerhuis]

Anybody have any definitive, empirical test data showing that the sound level inside a Quest helmet on an ST1300 on say... a typical one hour ride on city streets and highways didn't exceed 80db?

Ask any reputable audiologist if they recommend wearing hearing protection to prevent loss while mowing the grass, leaf blowing, or riding a motorcycle with a helmet.

Ask any helmet manufacturer if there's no risk of hearing loss wearing their product without earplugs.

Ask experienced fellow ST riders if one should wear hearing protection while riding ones STeed...

 

[Valker]

I recommend these if you have ever had some ear canal discomfort when using the foam ones.
www.earplugsonline.com
They are rated at 34 NRR. Comfortable enough to wear all day and/or all night. They are reuseable, so one box of six pairs lasts me several years.

 

[Mick]

I recommend these if you have ever had some ear canal discomfort when using the foam ones.
www.earplugsonline.com
They are rated at 34 NRR. Comfortable enough to wear all day and/or all night. They are reuseable, so one box of six pairs lasts me several years.

Those are kinda pricey. How many times can they be reused? Do you wash them between rides,... and if so with what?

I've always used the the toss away kind mentioned in my post above. I'll wear them for one weekends worth of riding and throw them away.

 

[Reginald]

Anybody have any definitive, empirical test data showing that the sound level inside a Quest helmet on an ST1300 on say... a typical one hour ride on city streets and highways didn't exceed 80db?

Ask any reputable audiologist if they recommend wearing hearing protection to prevent loss while mowing the grass, leaf blowing, or riding a motorcycle with a helmet.

Ask any helmet manufacturer if there's no risk of hearing loss wearing their product without earplugs.

Ask experienced fellow ST riders if one should wear hearing protection while riding ones STeed...

Point taken.

I went to look for empirical test data. Found it exits for only one manufacturer (and that's from the manufacturer); Schuberth at 85 dba's at 60 MPH. The Shoei RF1200 was listed as one of the 5 quietest but with subjective analysis (https://rideapart.com/articles/5-quietest-motorcycle-helmets). The RF1200 and Qwest share the same face shield mechanism but not the shell design. Shoei claims wind tunnel testing has resulted in a chinbar design that reduces noise by 2.2 dba. The "Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine" report (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC539364/) states the best locking and sealing face shield drops noise level by 5 dba and the average helmet transfers 90 dB(A) at 60 km/h or 110 dB(A) at 160 km/h . This means I'm probably running with around with 90 to 94 dba's since I'm not running around at 99 MPH and have a better than average helmet. Fortunately, I've never suffered the symptoms they mentioned with the Qwest. When I had the Nolan 103, I did suffer once and wore ear plugs with that helmet all the time following that experience.

Going to have to find ear plugs that allow me to hear the music.

 

[BakerBoy]

In the workplace, OSHA mandates hearing protection at 85 dBA TWA (time weighted average) over 8 hours, and has a PEL (permissible exposure limit) of 90 dBA TWA over 8 hours since 90 dBA is roughly the threshold for start of permanent hearing loss. A good summary: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/noisehearingconservation/

At my company, we require single hearing protection at 85-89 dBA (typically using Howard Leight NRR 33 dBA plugs, same as DaveM posted above) and double hearing protection at 90+ dBA (typically NRR 33 plugs AND earmuffs which provide NRR ~30 dBA).

A helmet that transfers 90 dBA at 60 kph is very noisy and is at risk of hearing damage in only 8 hours. For every 3-5 dBA increase above 90 dBA, typically you halve the time to damage. (90 = 8hr, 95 = 4hr, 100 = 2hr, etc.) So a 110 dBA noise can do damage in about 1/2 hr.

Regarding NRR (noise reduction rating): plugs or earmuffs are only able to provide their 'NRR' claims IF they fit tight. I personally wear NRR 33 earplugs at work, and I've been tested while wearing them to find out that with careless (incomplete, improper) insertion, they provide only NRR ~20. Conversely, if I insert them properly and let them expand (become tight and almost uncomfortable), I can get nearly NRR 30 from them. And when they're tight, they lead to sore ear canals in a day. But it's worth it.

To Reginald: There are sound isolating earbuds that work pretty well. I get about NRR 20-25 with a set of Etymotic ER6i earbuds, after finding the tightest/best fit seals for my ear canals. The Etymotic MC5 claims NRR 32 to 42 (I doubt they are that good, but that's what the literature says). You can find them on Amazon for $59.

 

[Gerhard]

Going to have to find ear plugs that allow me to hear the music.

I have a BMW System 6 helmet, basically a Schuberth rebranded, with Bluetooth speakers and find the audio quality greatly improves when wearing 32 db earplugs.

Gerhard

 

[Throttlejockey]

Point taken.

I went to look for empirical test data. Found it exits for only one manufacturer (and that's from the manufacturer); Schuberth at 85 dba's at 60 MPH. The Shoei RF1200 was listed as one of the 5 quietest but with subjective analysis (https://rideapart.com/articles/5-quietest-motorcycle-helmets). The RF1200 and Qwest share the same face shield mechanism but not the shell design. Shoei claims wind tunnel testing has resulted in a chinbar design that reduces noise by 2.2 dba. The "Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine" report (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC539364/) states the best locking and sealing face shield drops noise level by 5 dba and the average helmet transfers 90 dB(A) at 60 km/h or 110 dB(A) at 160 km/h . This means I'm probably running with around with 90 to 94 dba's since I'm not running around at 99 MPH and have a better than average helmet. Fortunately, I've never suffered the symptoms they mentioned with the Qwest. When I had the Nolan 103, I did suffer once and wore ear plugs with that helmet all the time following that experience.

Going to have to find ear plugs that allow me to hear the music.

I have the Sena intercom system and can hear the music fine with any ear plug I've tried. One other thing about reading the testing decibel...all those tests were done without a motorcycle weren't they? Windshields/fairings, as well as angle of the helmet will make a drastic difference in noise level.

 

[Valker]

Those are kinda pricey. How many times can they be reused? Do you wash them between rides,... and if so with what?

I've always used the the toss away kind mentioned in my post above. I'll wear them for one weekends worth of riding and throw them away.

I will wear these for many days....I usually lose them before they are ready for replacing. They stay pretty clean, but this is due to using them according to directions-they don't go down into the ear canal. They just fill the outer ear.....and I clean my ears!

 

[Mick]

One thing to keep in mind when talking about the measurement of sound is that the decibel scale is logarithmic rather than linear.

HERE's a good example along with the formula. A sound intensity increase by a factor of 10,000 (10 to the 4th power) is equivalent to 40 db. It is 40 rather than 4 because it is multiplied by 10 to get to "deci"-Bels.

 

[Reginald]

I have the Sena intercom system and can hear the music fine with any ear plug I've tried. One other thing about reading the testing decibel...all those tests were done without a motorcycle weren't they? Windshields/fairings, as well as angle of the helmet will make a drastic difference in noise level.

Your assumption is correct about windshields according to one of the studies. One of the British tests referenced in the report from the "Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine" stated it's possible to get a further reduction of noise (up to 7 dba) from the windshield if the wind is deflected from the bottom of the helmet. I didn't mention that because I have no idea what protection the stock ST windshield provides. It probably lowers my dba's further; hence, I never suffered from the symptoms described with the Qwest. However, I've now been convinced that earplugs all the time are the way to go.

 

[T_C]

According to NIOSH and CDC, 2002; for every 3 dBs over 85dB, the permissible exposure time before possible damage can occur is cut in half. OSHA standards dictate that for every 5 dB increase, at levels greater than 90 dB, the duration of allowable exposure is half.

Mary Wade, Au.D (Doctor of Audiology) advises, ?What is safe for one set of ears may not be safe for every person or every ear.

Okay... you can search the internet and find someone that will support any statement... no matter what:bsflag:
But using two differing opinions to support your one cause just doesn't work.



Wear ear plugs, don't wear ear-plugs. Wear a helmet, don't wear a helmet. Your ears, your life, your choice.

 

[John OoSTerhuis]

Any of the common foam earplugs will allow you to hear your music, CB, and GPS clearer and at a lower volume setting. Assuming in-helmet speakers.

I have had tinnitus for 40 years. Two tours in Viet Nam and 4,000 hours flying fixed and rotary wing aircraft during a 20 year career. A 60 second free fall will really ring your ears; 3 1/2 hours of that during 634 jumps. I also have significant high frequency hearing loss. For the most part I can 'tune it out.' But I do like to have the XM radio on while riding the bike, and TV or stereo on at home.

Since my first hearing loss waiver to continue on flight status I have been diligent about protecting my hearing. I wear earplugs or quality earmuffs while around loud noises. I urge you all to do so.

These are serious quality of life issues. Don't needlessly piss away your precious hearing.

Regards, John

via iPhone 4S

 

[Blue One]

There is plenty of evidence to support the use of earplugs at all times when riding regardless of the brand of helmet you wear, or even the type of motorcycle you ride.

To suggest that you are "OK" because you wear a certain type of helmet or ride a particular motorcycle, or travel below a certain speed is just foolish.

http://www.hearingloss.ca/articles/riding-motorcycles-cause-hearing-loss/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC539364/

http://www.hearingtestlabs.com/motorcycle.htm


I just use my audio guard custom molded plugs all the time and don't get as tired on a long trip as well as protecting my hearing.
You know what they say, there is smart, and then there is that other thing

 

[T_C]

these guys are the best you can buy.

The best ear protection is the ones you will use... anything is best over nothing.

I use a tri-option approach.

If just around town or up to a few hours... the silicone triple flanged insert tyoe with cord. Easy in and out when I stop. Withthe cord they just hang from my neck while I run into the store or...

For medium to long runs I use the expanding foam ones. Whether the Howard Leight or the cheapie HarborFreight. Most all work sufficiently for getting the dangerous levels down to a more reasonable level.

The_Dan gave me a third option that I use for really long days... the linen wax ones. They won't rape the inside of my ear canal like the expanding ones do. But I find with them is that my ears must flap in the breeze too much... I occasionally have to stop and re-work them to get the full seal.

 

[Snave]

I have it too, and it can be a real pain - when everything is really quiet around, you have your own personal jet engine in your head. I probably got it through too much loud music in my youth - live or recorded.
I have a SHOEI flip up helmet, I used an HTC flip up before which more susceptible to wind noise than the SHOEI. I bought custom made earplugs after using soft sponge ones from the lab at work. They were expensive - but worth it, around Ca$150. I have a cheapo intercom so I can hear Louise - or the phone / GPS, and I can hear the intercom quite well up to around 100km/h. I would really recommend using earplugs - even if you don't have any hearing issues - yet.

 

[The Dan]

Those are kinda pricey. How many times can they be reused?

www.earplugsonline.com

I use one set a riding season. They last as long as you keep your ears clean and your hands clean. They are the most comfortable I have ever used.