Motorcycle Hearing Protection Tips
After you buy a motorcycle, one must-have accessory on your riding gear checklist should be hearing protection. Riding a bike exposes you to noises loud enough to cause irreversible hearing damage. We want to make sure that you’re fully prepared to ride your motorcycle, which is why we’ve created this brief guide to help you get proper hearing protection.
Why Hearing Protection is Important?
Hearing protection is often ignored by bikers, but it should be considered essential for all riders. You might think that the rumble of your motorcycle engine on the road can’t be that loud. However, the noise you experience during your ride can be hazardous. The combination of your bike’s engine sound and the road noise can produce a huge 90 decibels, and that’s only when you ride at a moderate speed of 40 mph. The wind noise is even more damaging. If you hit 100 mph, your ears will experience a whopping 110 decibels of noise.
A common misunderstanding is that a helmet is enough to protect your ears from these sounds, but that’s incorrect. In fact, helmets produce some vibrations while you ride, and they add to the noise. That’s why you’re going to need more than just a helmet to protect your ears.
Types of Hearing Protection Accessories
Hearing protection accessories go inside the ears and block some of the damaging noise. Inner ear protection is perfect for bikers since it won’t conflict with wearing your helmet. Most hearing protection options reduce the sound by around 30 decibels.
Disposable earplugs are the most common option for hearing protection. What makes them a good choice is that they are cheap and are available at most grocery stores and gas stations. Wear a pair before each ride and dispose of them when you’re done.
You can also consider wax or rubber balls. Simply mold them into the shape you desire and then place them in your ears. The ability to quickly mold these into a specific shape might make it easier to get the right fit.
Another good option is a custom-fitted earplug. These earplugs are custom-made for your ears so you won’t have to worry about finding a good fit. Plus, these offer the most noise protection since they are designed specifically for your ears.
Picking the Right Option
Finding the right fit is crucial for proper hearing protection. You also don’t want to experience discomfort while you ride your motorcycle. If the earplugs are too big, they will stick outside of your ear and cause friction in your helmet, which will become painful over time. On the other hand, earplugs that are too small won’t fit snug inside your ear.
We hope that these motorcycle hearing protection tips have been useful. If you’ve got any questions or you’re interested in checking out some of the latest motorcycles for sale, get in touch with us at St. Charles Harley-Davidson®. We are located in St. Charles, MO, and we welcome all those in St. Louis and St. Peters.