motorcycle induced deafness

[MacV2]

Totaly agree with all thats been said about wearing them. The biggest danger to your long term hearing is the bloody wind noise!

With or without ear plugs next time your out on the bike try ducking down behind the screen & just see, or rather hear the difference it makes to the wind noise.

As for dulling the senses whilst riding I would have thought your sight is the most important to you when riding & ear plugs are not going to efect that in any way!

Personaly I use 'em all the time when out on the bike, I want to be able to hear things in years to come, with hearing loss once it's gone it's gone.

THEN YOU HAVE TO PUT UP WITH PEOPLE SHOUTING AT YOU ALL THE TIME....

[Anotherbikerbabe]

As a sufferer of dreadful migraines 4-6 per month (tried all sorts of meds to help combat them as they can last over 7 days at a time,last lot of meds off my gp 2 weeks ago made me vomit and allsorts of nasties)I now just stick to my Imigran etc and hope for the best.. So I have to wear wax plugs n get mine from boots. I can't keep those pesky foam ones in. .I found these around 20 yr ago when worked nightshift and wore them to bed during the day..They come in a box of around 8 pairs, reusuable, brilliant for anyone who sleeps with a snorer too..Dave said he won't wear them in case owt happens in the house and cost around £3! You simply roll the plug in your hand to soften it up as they come shaped like a small roll, soften it with the heat, simply press them into your ears whereby you can manipulate them to fit your ears perfectly and they you can have them in quite firmly, or as loose as you like. They don't fall out. I have mine in quite firmly and can still hear stuff although my cans are very loud, I do suffer terrible headaches if I forget to wear them but I can still hear a small drone from the cans, but nothing like the noise I hear when I forget them .I think it does make a huge difference and as stated previously, it heightens your awareness of everything else going on when riding as you don't have the distraction of noises etc when on the road. I used to think I didn't need them, but I feel quite ill without them in.Any boots will sell them, just ask for the wax ear plugs

[LotusSevenMan]

All the rubbish I've heard about not needing earplugs etc from chaps over the years.
They ARE required to prevent ear damage due wind noise as well as bike noise and as for not allowing concentration etc well it doesn't seem to affect all the MOTO GP riders does it?
Got to be one of the cheapest 'safety devices' we can buy and yet.................................. they aren't always worn!!!
Another good reason for wearing them is it actually makes a Honda VTR's gearbox sound good!!!!!!!

[marlbororman]

hmmmm never worn em in more than 10 years of biking, at more than 50mph maybe i oughta try em

[Pointblank]

After years of standing next to bass amps blasting out tunes i suspect i could be in trouble in years to come, that and headphones i use for mixing .....

I never used to wear earplugs whilst riding but have done in the last 2 years, its ok on local journey's without them, but on long / motorway journeys it becomes tiresome with the wind noise , i find them uncomfortable on journeys longer than 2 hours tho.

[Jbrebel]

TBH, I do try to wear plugs most of the time-I'm a tw@t for loosing them though or getting them burried in my pocket/bag.

I was thinking about getting a pair made (the latex ones) but I'm loathed to pay 70+quid-I've also seen the one's you can make yourself.

At the minute I've just got a honking great bag of the green ear soft ones-they cost me about a fiver some years ago

[sirch345]

I always wear ear plugs, wind noise WILL damage your hearing. However, if you think you are invincible, then don't bother.
Tesco do 6 pairs for £1.50.

I have to agree with that.

I also aways wear ear plugs now.

Once your hearing is damaged you will not get it back.

Chris.

[marravtr]

ive never tried em tbh, but now im getting older im sure all the feckin hair thats started sprouting out me ears will do the job!!

[BigVeeGrin]

I never wore them when yojnger, had 15years off bikes and now back on they're a must. As stated, you don't turn into a deaf senseless lump with them. If we wanted to hear everything we'd have ear holes in a helmet!!!!

ABB - those waxy ones I can't be doing with, can never get them in to stay and get the helmet on, mind you I was nick-named FA Cup as a kid

[tony.mon]

And then Benny spent this weekend riding up the drag strip in my wake listening to the aural delights of my straight-through's.......

[benny hedges]

as my mother used to say, you can go off people.