How many you of use Ear Plugs?

Indy mxer
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Indy mxer 3/30/2017 5:09pm
3/30/2017 5:09pm
olympiamann wrote:
Only when im in the same room as my Ex wife
LMFAO!! thats a good one.
cousinskeet
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cousinskeet 3/30/2017 5:51pm
3/30/2017 5:51pm
Funny topic. Was just talking to a buddy that has the noise canceling plugs that he needed with the litpro live says they make all the difference in his riding. Says his lap times went down with them.
cousinskeet
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cousinskeet 3/30/2017 5:54pm
3/30/2017 5:54pm
I wear them all the time on my road bike and can't even go to the 7-11 without them but never tried them in moto. Helped me concentrate in roadracing and blocked out wind noise. Saw Eli taking them out last race. Might try some this weekend.
smoothies862 3/30/2017 6:26pm
3/30/2017 6:26pm
yep. I need to be 100% though. I do forget them. I am 100% at work. heavy equipment,tools etc. it does get to where you cant stand not having them. protect your eyes too boys. know 2 people with one little sliver. bye bye left eyePinch

The Shop

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Drtbykr
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Drtbykr 3/30/2017 6:38pm
3/30/2017 6:38pm
I do, but I have Meniere's, and it sucks!

Mostly used to protect my good ear.
Hammer 663s
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Hammer 663s 3/30/2017 6:48pm
3/30/2017 6:48pm
Oh yeah - my hearing aids were $4500 a pair, and they are not the top end. They are fvcking amazing tho - I can hear shit I haven't heard in years. The first 2 days I wore them I was exhausted due to all the stuff I was hearing again. Took a few days for my brain to readjust to all the new input.

$4500 will buy a hell of a lot of tires. Wear earplugs young-uns.

Hammer 6632
Harry Backmon 3/30/2017 7:01pm
3/30/2017 7:01pm
Harry Backmon wrote:
OK, seriously. I usually do, and try to remember every time. Even working around the house with power equipment. 35 years of aviation & dirt bikes...
OK, seriously. I usually do, and try to remember every time. Even working around the house with power equipment. 35 years of aviation & dirt bikes is not good on hearing. Sometimes I wonder if I could hear a freight train if I was strapped to the engine and it was rolling through a tunnel.

I think the flight deck did me the worst. No doubt bird hunting in the high Mojave didn't help any either. Shotguns definitely have a report you'll remember, especially if you're with 5 or 6 of your buddies and you walk into a covey of quail or spot a bunch of chukar running up a hill.
Indy mxer wrote:
I can relate. I spent 15 years working in a Large coal fired power plant. I didn't always wear my ear protection. Now I'm paying the...
I can relate. I spent 15 years working in a Large coal fired power plant. I didn't always wear my ear protection.
Now I'm paying the price.
My hearing is not good. But I've never tried earplugs when I ride.
Like you, I wear a 6D helmet for the excellent protection it provides, but never thought about ear plugs.
Do you think they help?
Absolutely. Wear plugs my friend!
Fresh
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Fresh 3/30/2017 9:30pm
3/30/2017 9:30pm
I get earplugs free from work, and I hate loud bikes...
potatoflake
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potatoflake 3/30/2017 9:45pm
3/30/2017 9:45pm
Can you speak up please?

Ive worked on a water well rig that's basically like standing next to a national start all day for the last seven years I just started wearing ear plugs for work thinking of wearing them to ride now I'm 24 and definetly have hearing problems
JMR1976
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JMR1976 3/30/2017 9:49pm
3/30/2017 9:49pm
kott0n wrote:
Must be a 4 stroke thing. Tongue
So funny bro! Sick
RedRider785
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RedRider785 3/30/2017 9:52pm
3/30/2017 9:52pm
RedRider785 wrote:
I wear them while riding motocross. They seem to help me focus on just my bike and riding, however I can still hear other riders around...
I wear them while riding motocross. They seem to help me focus on just my bike and riding, however I can still hear other riders around me. They really help me hear when I'm not on the throttle enough or if I'm too choppy with the throttle. It seems for me that canceling out other noises really makes a difference.
Mit12 wrote:
The worst thing a person can do is shift by sound. You need to de able feel when to shift! When practicing starts I recommend that...
The worst thing a person can do is shift by sound. You need to de able feel when to shift! When practicing starts I recommend that riders use small head phones with loud music so that they have to learn the feel of the power and shift points.
Thanks Mit, but I never mentioned shifting. It seems that you have some knowledge of basic skills/technique. Obviously you want to "feel" everything on a bike, no matter what type of 2 wheels you are riding, especially motocross. I'm not new to motocross or the "basic" techniques of this mentally and physically demanding sport. What I meant is that noise canceling of the ear plugs helps to aid in meshing with the machine by hearing more what the bike is doing and not as many other things. This can only be positive as you can hear mistakes more clearly that weren't "felt". All senses are helpful when riding. Thanks for the advice though! Maybe Tomac should not wear his earplugs and just feel everything instead. Lol!
bigmaico
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bigmaico 3/31/2017 4:07am
3/31/2017 4:07am
Harry Backmon wrote:
OK, seriously. I usually do, and try to remember every time. Even working around the house with power equipment. 35 years of aviation & dirt bikes...
OK, seriously. I usually do, and try to remember every time. Even working around the house with power equipment. 35 years of aviation & dirt bikes is not good on hearing. Sometimes I wonder if I could hear a freight train if I was strapped to the engine and it was rolling through a tunnel.

I think the flight deck did me the worst. No doubt bird hunting in the high Mojave didn't help any either. Shotguns definitely have a report you'll remember, especially if you're with 5 or 6 of your buddies and you walk into a covey of quail or spot a bunch of chukar running up a hill.
Indy mxer wrote:
I can relate. I spent 15 years working in a Large coal fired power plant. I didn't always wear my ear protection. Now I'm paying the...
I can relate. I spent 15 years working in a Large coal fired power plant. I didn't always wear my ear protection.
Now I'm paying the price.
My hearing is not good. But I've never tried earplugs when I ride.
Like you, I wear a 6D helmet for the excellent protection it provides, but never thought about ear plugs.
Do you think they help?
Yes! They will keep your ears from ringing as much as they would without them.

Just try the ones with the highest reduction rating you can find!

I also have a set ( several pairs in fact) of solid earplugs for shooting that I ware on my street bike.

Just trying to keep what hearing I have left.
bigmaico
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bigmaico 3/31/2017 4:18am
3/31/2017 4:18am Edited Date/Time 3/31/2017 4:22am
Hammer 663s wrote:
Oh yeah - my hearing aids were $4500 a pair, and they are not the top end. They are fvcking amazing tho - I can hear...
Oh yeah - my hearing aids were $4500 a pair, and they are not the top end. They are fvcking amazing tho - I can hear shit I haven't heard in years. The first 2 days I wore them I was exhausted due to all the stuff I was hearing again. Took a few days for my brain to readjust to all the new input.

$4500 will buy a hell of a lot of tires. Wear earplugs young-uns.

Hammer 6632
Hammer,

I hear you on that one! mine where in the $6,000 dollar range Shocked

Your right about hearing things that you haven't noticed before.

When I got my new ones (2nd stronger pair ) I was hearing this clicking noise while walking, I thought something was wrong with the new hearing aids.

Turns out that it was my shoe laces hitting the tops on my shoesLaughing
aharper33
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aharper33 3/31/2017 5:39am
3/31/2017 5:39am
Had an old timer tell me when I first started getting better on big bikes to try and wear ear plugs when I rode. He had a philosophy that was two fold. 1) If you cant hear the people behind you as well then you are not going to worry about them as much and 2) There is a mental connection between noise and speed. The louder your bike is the faster you think you are going.
Tenacious P
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Tenacious P 3/31/2017 9:30pm
3/31/2017 9:30pm
Tenacious P wrote:
Interesting timing. Just yesterday I picked up a[url=http://www.harborfreight.com/50-pair-disposable-earplugs-96365.html] 50 pack of disposable ones at Harbor Freight [/url]for $6 (w/25% off coupon of course). Never worn them...
Interesting timing. Just yesterday I picked up a 50 pack of disposable ones at Harbor Freight for $6 (w/25% off coupon of course).

Never worn them in Moto but I watch Eli pull them out before every interview and though what the hell why not...

I'm riding some track tomorrow, will report back.
Reporting back:

Went out first moto today, spun about 5 laps with ear plugs in on my trusty CR250 before pulling off to pull them out. I felt super disconnected to the bike and the experience, couldn't get into it. I am going to try again at the end of the day when I have some better flow.
Muscle-Milk-KTM 3/31/2017 11:33pm
3/31/2017 11:33pm
Tenacious P wrote:
Reporting back: Went out first moto today, spun about 5 laps with ear plugs in on my trusty CR250 before pulling off to pull them out...
Reporting back:

Went out first moto today, spun about 5 laps with ear plugs in on my trusty CR250 before pulling off to pull them out. I felt super disconnected to the bike and the experience, couldn't get into it. I am going to try again at the end of the day when I have some better flow.
It will feel strange at first because you're not used to them, it was the same for me. Doesn't take long to get used to them. To me, my bike sounds exactly like I'm not wearing any now. Riding a dirt bike really damages your hearing so try to stick with it.
22Ryann
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22Ryann 3/31/2017 11:47pm
3/31/2017 11:47pm
I do, cannot ride without them now. Feel so much more focused
APLMAN99
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APLMAN99 3/31/2017 11:55pm
3/31/2017 11:55pm
Any halfway long ride on my V-Twin is automatic for ear plugs. Most of the rest of my "riding" is on farm quads, and I don't feel the same need.......

Pit Row

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overthebars39 4/1/2017 1:49am
4/1/2017 1:49am Edited Date/Time 4/1/2017 1:50am
I get free custom fitted alpine earplugs from my work. I have no reason to not use them.
Ashleymx
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Ashleymx 4/1/2017 1:11pm
4/1/2017 1:11pm Edited Date/Time 4/1/2017 1:12pm
I can't imagine that a helmet doesn't muffle the sound enough to prevent hearing damage. The only advantage to ear plugs I think would be concentration while riding.

Car stereos when I was younger and night clubs would be 10 x worse than riding a 4 stroke in regards to hearing damage. My line of work when I was younger needed ear plugs most of the day and I did the right thing in that regard. If I have any hearing problems when I get even older it's from car stereos or nightclubs when I was young. Nightclubs especially. The ear ringing for the rest of the night and next day are clear in my memory, often caused not just by the music but friends shouting directly into my ears to communicate in the loud environment.
harescrambled 4/1/2017 1:38pm
4/1/2017 1:38pm
Ashleymx wrote:
I can't imagine that a helmet doesn't muffle the sound enough to prevent hearing damage. The only advantage to ear plugs I think would be concentration...
I can't imagine that a helmet doesn't muffle the sound enough to prevent hearing damage. The only advantage to ear plugs I think would be concentration while riding.

Car stereos when I was younger and night clubs would be 10 x worse than riding a 4 stroke in regards to hearing damage. My line of work when I was younger needed ear plugs most of the day and I did the right thing in that regard. If I have any hearing problems when I get even older it's from car stereos or nightclubs when I was young. Nightclubs especially. The ear ringing for the rest of the night and next day are clear in my memory, often caused not just by the music but friends shouting directly into my ears to communicate in the loud environment.
anything above 85DB is harmful if you're exposed to it for an extended period. Even AMA/FIM standards for competition aren't that low..And no, a helmet does not reduce the sound pressure level below 85DB
Ashleymx
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Ashleymx 4/1/2017 1:57pm
4/1/2017 1:57pm
Ashleymx wrote:
I can't imagine that a helmet doesn't muffle the sound enough to prevent hearing damage. The only advantage to ear plugs I think would be concentration...
I can't imagine that a helmet doesn't muffle the sound enough to prevent hearing damage. The only advantage to ear plugs I think would be concentration while riding.

Car stereos when I was younger and night clubs would be 10 x worse than riding a 4 stroke in regards to hearing damage. My line of work when I was younger needed ear plugs most of the day and I did the right thing in that regard. If I have any hearing problems when I get even older it's from car stereos or nightclubs when I was young. Nightclubs especially. The ear ringing for the rest of the night and next day are clear in my memory, often caused not just by the music but friends shouting directly into my ears to communicate in the loud environment.
harescrambled wrote:
anything above 85DB is harmful if you're exposed to it for an extended period. Even AMA/FIM standards for competition aren't that low..And no, a helmet does...
anything above 85DB is harmful if you're exposed to it for an extended period. Even AMA/FIM standards for competition aren't that low..And no, a helmet does not reduce the sound pressure level below 85DB
Has this been tested? A helmet dampens sound no doubt. The flag marshal on the side of the track is the one copping most of the noise. I've never had ringing ears from riding/racing ever, even with a very loud Akropovic exhaust on a 250F. I get what the experts say in relation to DBs but I think there is a real world scenario to be honest. The sound is behind you most of the time too reducing that level when actually riding. Following another bike may cause something but wind noise is more noticeable usually. If your trail riding you can hear whats going on better as in where its coming from and how loud it is while following. I can possibly see the accumulative sound a pro gets every weekend from surrounding bikes being an issue long term especially indoors I guess but not for the majority of riders.

It wouldn't hurt to wear them. I'm all for it, It never crossed my mind to try in my racing days. Like a mouth guard. I wish I did get to try it.
harescrambled 4/1/2017 3:10pm
4/1/2017 3:10pm
Ashleymx wrote:
Has this been tested? A helmet dampens sound no doubt. The flag marshal on the side of the track is the one copping most of the...
Has this been tested? A helmet dampens sound no doubt. The flag marshal on the side of the track is the one copping most of the noise. I've never had ringing ears from riding/racing ever, even with a very loud Akropovic exhaust on a 250F. I get what the experts say in relation to DBs but I think there is a real world scenario to be honest. The sound is behind you most of the time too reducing that level when actually riding. Following another bike may cause something but wind noise is more noticeable usually. If your trail riding you can hear whats going on better as in where its coming from and how loud it is while following. I can possibly see the accumulative sound a pro gets every weekend from surrounding bikes being an issue long term especially indoors I guess but not for the majority of riders.

It wouldn't hurt to wear them. I'm all for it, It never crossed my mind to try in my racing days. Like a mouth guard. I wish I did get to try it.
interesting question. I don't know that it has been tested. I may do so
Steadman
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Steadman 7/19/2017 6:52pm
7/19/2017 6:52pm
Digging this thread up.

I started to wear earplugs while flagging motocross a couple of years ago, but I JUST started wearing them for riding about two months ago, and I wish I would have done it years ago. What a difference. I won't ride without them anymore, heck I'm even wearing them cutting the lawn now. If anyone is on the fence I strongly urge you give it a shot. Save your hearing and improve your riding. Like others have said it improves concentration and helps me relax and ride better. It's a win-win all around!
mxtech1
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mxtech1 7/19/2017 7:20pm
7/19/2017 7:20pm
We have custom molded ear plugs at work. I could easily buy a second pair to take riding. The way they are designed and molded directly to your ear they would be perfect for sliding a helmet on and off.

Would highly recommend anyone who can to check into it.
theycallmeebryan 7/19/2017 9:13pm
7/19/2017 9:13pm Edited Date/Time 7/19/2017 9:17pm
I wear high fidelity earplugs that are made for concert goers when riding my street motorcycle and my dirtbike. These earplugs drop the volume 20db across the board, so I can still hear everything but its much more enjoyable. I've found that my head and ears feel "cloudy" or "clogged" when i ride without them, and that my mind is clearer when i have them in while riding.

Here are the ones i use. 20 bucks, and they last a really long time. Go with the large fit, the standard is for tiny ears:
https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-High-Fidelity-Earplugs-Standard-Packagi…
yz250shortshiftinhippie 7/22/2017 6:40am
7/22/2017 6:40am
Since buying a Kabuto helmet on my road bike I realised anything over a 100kp/h is seriously bad for my hearing, only really realised when my ears started to hurt when riding and I could barely hear my girlfriend talking for a good half an hour after I got home from a ride. My shoei didn't seem to have as much wind noise, but I was also not aware and probably had better hearing then. Years of playing guitar with headphones way to loud, listening to music ridiculously loud and punk shows surely didn't help. I don't bother when riding my yz250 with mates on other 2 strokes, I don't think that really bothers my hearing, and a like being able to hear what my mates are saying to me out on the trails.
MX558
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MX558 7/23/2017 6:43pm
7/23/2017 6:43pm
Always did road racing but never tried them in moto , maybe it's time . They can't make me any slower that's for sure .
Swann
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Swann 7/23/2017 7:51pm
7/23/2017 7:51pm Edited Date/Time 7/23/2017 7:53pm
Definitely wore ear plugs racing in Baja and long desert races. 3+ hours on a loud four stroke has a way of messing with your ears (and sanity). But worse than muffler noise is the sound of wind in your helmet at high speed. It is deafening over those distances.
datkin128
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datkin128 7/23/2017 8:59pm
7/23/2017 8:59pm
I do. That kx 450 is loud as hell and I'm trying to preserve my hearing for the golden years!

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