Motorcycles and Hearing Protection

You protect your head by wearing a helmet. You protect your skin by putting on outerwear layers. But what are you doing to protect your hearing?

It’s no secret motorcycles are loud. When you hop aboard one, you face the noise of your bike, other motorists, and the wind. This noise can cause irreversible hearing damage. Fortunately, the damage is easily preventable with hearing protection. Here at Peak Powersports, we care about your health and safety as you ride. That’s why we put together an all-you-need-to-know guide. Of course, hearing protection is just one of the many pieces of gear you need to safely ride motorcycles. If you need supplies, stop by Peak Powersports in Sheridan, Wyoming.

Motorcycles and the Need for Hearing Protection

Riding motorcycles exposes you to permanent and irreversible hearing damage. Any sound above 85 decibels of noise can damage your ears. If you ride at 40 miles per hour, you are hit with 90 decibels of noise. Increase your speed to 100 miles per hour and you’re faced with 110 decibels of noise.

Most of this noise comes not from the roar of your engine (though it does contribute to it). Wind is the biggest culprit of contributing to the noise. The faster you go, the louder the wind becomes. Your helmet, unfortunately, does little to block out the noise onslaught. In fact, it could make things worse because it vibrates at 250 hz. You need something more to protect your ears. That’s where protection comes into play.

Riding Motorcycles Safely with Hearing Protection

But wearing protection will block out important sounds, like the siren of an approaching ambulance, right? Wrong.

It seems counterintuitive. But wearing protection can improve your ability to hear important sounds. It’s due to a phenomenon called temporary threshold shift (or TTS). At its core, TTS is temporary hearing loss caused by constant over-exposure to sound. It happens when you go to a concert and can’t hear certain sounds for a few hours.

When you ride motorcycles for several minutes, you experience TTS caused by the high-frequency sound of the wind. This makes it hard to hear low-frequency sounds, like sirens or other vehicles on the road. Hearing protection reduces the sound of the wind and, in turn, prevents TTS. You’ll be able to hear important loud sounds (like other vehicles).

Types of Hearing Protection for Riding Motorcycles

Hearing protection cuts noise up to 30 decibels, which can turn damaging rides into safe rides. These options fit well underneath your helmet, so you won’t need to worry about looking silly wearing protection.

The cheapest option is disposable earplugs. Pick them up in a bulk pack and they cost about ten cents a pair. The main benefit, of course, is the low cost. But they can be less enjoyable to wear, especially on longer rides.

The next step up is wax or rubber balls. These can be molded into different shapes to better fit your ear. They do cost more and they can feel greasy on hot days.

The highest tier of protection is custom fitted ear plugs. You’ll need to head to a supplier for the fitting process. They do cost much more, but they also last years.

Your ideal option depends on pricing and comfort. Generally, the more you spend, the more comfortable it will be. If you gravitate towards short rides, you can get by with a cheaper option. But if you enjoy long rides, you’ll want to spend the extra money. Otherwise, your trip may get cut short due to ear irritation.

Before you head out on a ride, you’ll want to make sure your bike is in good working condition. Stop by Peak Powersports in Sheridan, Wyoming for all your parts and service needs.