Modern Vespa

I know that this is/can be a controversial issue around these parts, but I wanted to share my experience with earplugs . . .

I have been staunchly anti-earplug for a long time. Both of my vespas have tall windscreens and I wear a modular helmet, so I felt that I didn't need them. I also felt that they would be dangerous because I wouldn't hear what was going on around me, yada yada, etc. etc.--excuses basically.

Anyhow, fast forward to last week when I was forced to stop at a hardware store and pick up a pair after an extremely painful 15 minute ride on a non-windshielded PTW.

After gaining immediate relief, I decided to try them once I got back behind my shower door--and I can tell you that the difference is astounding. I'm sold! I find myself less "on edge", and contrary to what I had thought, they do not eliminate the sounds around you--but rather reduce the volume to a point where you can hear the sounds you need to hear more clearly. I find myself more focused, because I'm not distracted with all of the busy noise.

I started off with the foamies, and then switched to the triple flange silicon jobbies that are connected by a cord--I found these to create a much better and more reliable seal. I have a pair of etymotic research er4 earbuds, so i'm very adapted to the triple flange design. I also ordered a couple of pairs of the ety-plugs to see how well they work.

I guess my point here is, if you are like me and are anti-earplug, spend a couple bucks on a set of plugs and take them for a test ride--you just might like it, and might save your hearing in the process.

I use a full faceshield helmet and I use the foamy ear plugs to cut down on wind noise. I highly recommend it if your commuting at high speeds.

From someone who wears hearing aids in both ears, I urge everyone to do all possible to protect your natural hearing.

As an aside, my digital remote controlled units cost more than my LX150 did new!

I've been using earplugs for the past 8 years after realising that I was losing my hearing.

The cause being too much motorsport, live bands and riding without ear protection so I'm going to try and preserve what's left.

Most of the time I use an open face helmet mostly for vision but it also helps being able to hear traffic when it's creeping up along side you.

They don't block out the sound of a siren either.

I prefer the "Christmas Tree" type after using the foam ones initially.

That's my 10 cents.

Bill X

I've been trying the foamies for the last week or so, and I agree with the sound level dampening. But, in my case, the foamies don't seem to fit right, meaning, the one size fits all doesn't seem to work for me.
What brand of "silicon" do you use/recommend?

Spot on post!!! I have a GTS in devises in my ears!

(but have to admit, that I do enjoy the silent world when I turn them off!!)

I use these:

http://www.uvex.co.uk/Products/HearingProtection/ReuseableEarplugs/whisper/tabid/142/Default.aspx

I can't recommend them highly enough. Effective, comfortable, easy to clean and inexpensive.

I picked these up at Menards:

http://www.stanleypersonalprotection.com/Comfort+Adapting+Reusable+Earplugs

And I just ordered these to try:
http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20.aspx

I have a pair of these that block 35db:
http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er4.aspx

These are great on an airplane, and could imagine myself using them on the scoot if I were on an extended journey.

Because I work in a power plant the managemant deemed it wise to get all the journeyman custom fitted ear plugs. Never thought I would use them on my scoot. I also wear 2 hearing aids. It's a pain in the arse to remove and reinstall my hearings before and after riding, but I enjoy the silence when riding(not totle silence though). I now don't leave home without them. Makes a world of difference and I enjoy the ride better than before....................Vince

These work very well for me. I cut off the smallest flange to fit in my ears, but YMMV.

You can find them here: http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/honobr.html

I completely agree. I've been using foam earplugs for years in all sorts of situations. I started out wearing them when flying--and I discovered the very same thing--it didn't block out all noise, it just made things quieter and those things I needed to hear noticeably clearer. Amazing. Now I wear them on the scoot and even at home when I'm working--helps me focus on what I'm writing or reading. I even will wear them in public sometimes when I need to concentrate in crowds--I'll often read or correct papers at lunch in noisy cafeterias, for instance. Ear plugs are really helpful in all sorts of situations, both on and off the road. Highly recommended.

1+ Wear them when I fly...reduces stress level and help to take a nap. Use them at home when I take a nap during the day. Wife is suppose to use them when she rides but does use them at the "library"...you'll be amazed how distracting sounds are in a supposed quite zone.

Thanks for the leads. I'll give them a try.

I've been using a variety of foam earplugs. The cheap Harbor Freight ones don't block noise as well as the ribbed 3M foam ones. The older and denser Harbor Freight ones did a better job, but it seems that the Chinese supplier of late has been most astute at figuring out how to put more air and less polywhatever into the plugs. My favorites are on the left in the picture.


You get what you pay for.

Not tested are the ones on the bottom.

At work I wear headphones, I drive a tractor all day,
Can't wear earplugs, They hurt.

Now if only the helmet manufacturers would make a helmet with headphones.

Now that would make me happy.

Dave

They should make helmets with noise cancellation technology. Now that would be a hot seller! For now though, I'm using the foam ones and the dense ones work well enough for me. I can't even imagine what it was like on highway before when I wasn't using them. Thankfully that was only for a very short while so here's hoping that my hearing is not too affected!

I don't wear them for short runs, but I sure do on anything long or at higher speed. The are also handy for: rock concerts, plane rides with screaming kids, noisy hotels, and my wife's "non-stop talking" Aunt when I am stuck in a vehicle with her. In some cases they protect your ears, .... in other cases they protect your sanity.

Anything produced by Etymotic Research is going to be first-rate.

I worked with Dr. Mead Killion, the founder and CEO of Etymotic on an advisory committee some years back. The man truly deserves to be called a genius and is acknowledged by his colleagues to be the top researcher in audiology.

These guys had a booth at the NYC Motorcycle Show. They inject a silcone material into your ears to get a custom fitted earplug. Sportbike and Harley Riders were lined up. So glad I got a pair they really work!

Here is the link: http://www.instamold.com/products/featherweights.html

Very cool that you know him.

Not to change the subject, but I've had my ER4's for years. They were designed in 1991, and remain the standard for pure transparent recording reproduction. From what I understand, the drivers are hand assembled and perfectly matched as a pair.

I've tried dual and triple driver buds, and nothing compares to the natural, neutral sound of the ER4--it's like you are in the recording studio with the artist. Uncompressed music on my 5th gen iPod with my ER4's gives me the bliss that I can imagine audiophiles with 6-figure systems hope for.

Dangit! I just placed an order with them this afternoon--i would have thrown a set in the cart.

My 'night job' for about 18 years was as a trombonist in a NYC club date band.

As a member of the NY musicians union (local 802) I was entitled to get a pair of free custom made earplugs every year from a local manufacturer. They basically inject plastic into your ear canal to mold it exactly, and then once it is cured they trim it, hollow it out and add a little attenuating button that takes off either 15 or 25 Db depending on how loud your work environment is.

These plugs are the same basic design as the in-ear monitors you see live musicians and singers wearing, but instead of the speaker you have that small attenuating plug.

If you live in a big city with any kind of music scene, I highly recommend finding out where to have a pair of these custom plugs made. Not only are they comfortable (since they are molded exactly to fit your ear canal), but they take off 15 or 25 db without making the world around you sound like you are underwater or making you hear your own voice overly loud in your head.

Oh, and they don't stick out from your ear so they don't bump into the lining of your helmet.

After a week of riding on the motorway (autostrade in Dutch) at about 90 kph I just had to wear earplugs, because my helmet makes too much noise.

At the moment I use foamies which reduce the noise incredibly, but they aren't very "clean".

This weekend I'm taking the lady helmet-shopping, so I hope to pick up a pair of "christmas tree" earplugs too...

I might leave the earplugs out for short trips/city traffic, but otherwise I'll always wear them!

+1 for earplugs

Niels R.

I have tied several different types but I have been quite happy with the foam ones I got at my local Wal-Mart (in the pharmacy). I purchased a package of the light blue colored, 30 db Hearos. Normally, I don't like the foamies plugs as they make my feel plugged up. These don't seem to do this. I think it may be that they take a long time expand after I roll them before insertion. This may allow the pressures to equalize better during the installation. I have not felt them against my helmet either. I have also purchased the industrial ones with the orange cord between them.

I recently figured out that the ones with the small plastic tube on the string, the tube inserts the plugs easier than just with your hands. It pushes them in, in a way that is more comfortable.

Love the earplugs. I wear them for any significant ride, >20 minutes. They work great for screaming kids. My son used to love to scream in the bath tub. It hurts my ears and drives me mad. So I used to use earplugs when bathing him.

A tip: If they do not mold/mash into your ear well, then put them in the freezer. This works for foamies only. Take them out of the freezer, smash them down, and slide them in. They stay smushed longer and will expand back out.

I like these Hearplugs:



They do a good job of letting voice get through but not generic noise.

And they dont irritate my ears so much as some of the other brands.

[url]www.bigearinc.com[/url]

Big Ear Custom Ear Plugs have these "musician earplugs" (with different sound reducing filters) as an option as well as custom molded earplugs. You can go to their website to find an independant representative or where they might be at a show (like the IMS)....
I'm a Big Ear Representative. If anybody in the LA area wants to get some plugs I'll give you the MV discount.
PM me.
BTW, I used to be in industrial safety and strongly believe in hearing protection and can't ride on the freeways without some type of ear plugs! I got involved in the Big Ear thing, because they were doing plugs for me at an IMS show and were looking for new Reps....
Great stuff!
~Robyn

I don't wear earplugs every time I ride, but perhaps I should. The sound dampening definitely does make for an enjoyable ride for me. I have a pair of the "Christmas Tree" type from Etymotic, and I don't wear them that much, as they don't seem to fit well. That's not a knock against Etymotic - their reputation precedes them - but rather more of a commentary that I most likely purchased a pair that don't fit my (apparently) small ear canals correctly.

What I *have* found, however, is a pair of disposable plugs from E.A.R.soft that are incredibly comfortable. They are flourescent yellow in color, are slightly tapered, and are rounded on the end that fits into your ear canal. I've seen them before at local sporting goods stores, so you might be able to locate them there if you're interested.

At the risk of sounding like a Playtex 18-hour Bra TV spot, those earplugs really are "all day comfortable."

I had a set of custom ear plugs made (your local audiologist can do it). Since I mix sound for our church, I am sensitive to activities that can result in hearing loss.

Riding with them definitely makes a positive difference. If you don't ride with ear plugs, I guarantee that you are building up a hearing loss.

Good post, Stinky. I think I will give some sort of plugs set up a try.

Interesting that you brought up Etymotic, in inspired me to go to there yesterday and drop off some ER6 buds for plug stem repair.

While there I inquired with Mo about the ER20's and she comped me a pair, I didn't think that they would be ideal with a helmet and she didn't either - we turned out to be right. That being said they are essentially just the normal bud with a stem. Glad I have them and will use them when I use my blower or if at a concert.

I buy a box of 144 foam, -32dB, contractor plugs at Home Depot. I love riding with earplugs. No wind noise, engine noise becomes a low frequency rumble (well, whatever a Vespa does), and I can still hear other traffic and horns fine.

And the real magic is when I stop and pull them out. A symphony of sound instead of feeling tired and battered by too much audio stimulation.

As much as I've been tempted to use the foamies... especially on empty back roads, I feel like they block out too much noise. I want to hear what my scoot is telling me. Sometimes a flat tire is preceded by a small change in the tone or the pitch of the wheel noise... and engine and exhaust noise has a lot to tell the rider... especially when things start to go wrong.

But most important is the fact that other vehicles can sneak up on us, and the warning sound of their approach is often lost in the squishy insulation of the foam plugs.

Just my 2 cents. YMMV

My mileage certainly does vary. I use plugs (just cheapo foam ones) every time I reckon I'm going to be going over 40 mph. It's not just wind noise that needs to be cut, it's other road noise as well.

The brain has a sort of AGC operating, so you don't actually lose the ability to hear anything with earplugs, it's just not at such an original high level that would cause noise trauma to the inner ear.

i guess the only input i can bring to this discussion is my experience as a drummer, i use hearoes hifi essesntially the same design as the etys, i'd love to be able to get the custom molded ones made but the only place to get those done is at an audiologists office and those will cost waaaaaaaay more than a $12-$15 pair of hearos or etys but i find the protection they offer is really good since it cuts out the intense hi and low frequencies and i can still hear details

Fair enough Jim. Please don't think I was advocating against earplugs. As I said in an earlier post above, I'm all for them (and I use a set of custom musician's earplugs to protect what's left of my hearing whenever I am out on the scoot).

I just personally feel like the foam ones insulate too much of the feedback I rely upon to stay safe and aware of what's going on with my scoot.

Bottom line, everyone should use what works for them.

As to the effectiveness of the foamies and the relative sounds, I feel you need to wear the plugs for 5-10 minutes before you really get a feel for how well they work... for you.

Everyone is different and has different ears. After wearing them for a week or two, I really prefer to wear them each time I am going to ride more than 30 MPH. My hardest thing to do is it remember to put them in before all the other gear is on. It's tough to put them in your ears once you get your gloves on... even worse after your helmet is on too.

I would definately recommend getting cutom fit ones - especially if like me you can no sem to get other to fit.
Mind yo I always keep some spare foam ones for camping at rallys works a treat in adding actually getting some sleep!

Personally I prefer to use noise cancelling in the ear headphones. I've used them on airplanes and other places for years. Not only do I get to hear music or more likely a book on disk and still hear traffic or whatever else is going on.

I hate flying or riding w/o them even if I choose not to have any sound coming out of them at all.

After riding for two hours Saturday, I thought I might give earphones a try. It's warm enough that I removed my "ear muffs" from my helmet and now there's nothing between my ears and the wind.

Glad to have found this thread. The foam cylinders tend to hurt after a while and I haven't been able to find alternatives in town.

I fly quite a bit (once or twice a week), and i do the same thing--i wear the in-ear buds whether or not i have it hooked up to my ipod.

I tried using the noise canceling in ear buds, and couldn't stand them. Too much compression/fragmentation. The ety's and the shures (as well as a couple of other higher end brands) have great seals, and eliminate the need for the cancellation mechanism.