Do You Hear What I Hear?

In real-world terms, that means you and I could reduce noise levels in our ears to safe levels, regardless of speed or riding time. The added bonus is that foam earplugs attenuate noise even better at the higher frequencies typical of motorcycle engines and singing tires. It's only taken me 30 years to figure out that earplugs are a small inconvenience compared to the prospects of becoming deaf. I've decided to wear my earplugs more, to protect what tired old cochlea hairs I've got left.

Will l wear my earplugs everytime I ride? No. A 55 mph ride into town and back wearing my BMW helmet shouldn't expose me to more than 95 dBs for an hour. But a round trip to the big city is about 3 hours, usually at "giddyap" speeds that generate at least 100 dBs. That's an hour over my daily limit, so I'd better wear the plugs. And for those all-day transits on the superslab at 110 dBs, it's now obvious to me that hearing protection is not an option. You'll have to decide for yourself what you intend to do. Hopefully you won't take 30 years making that decision.

Test Yourself

According to Prof. Labiak, a temporary shift in your hearing threshold is an indication your hearing is being damaged. For example, if you go into a restaurant after a long ride and have to ask the waitress to repeat the specials, or find yourself shouting at other riders after you pull off your helmet, or continue to hear the ocean roar for a while (even though you're in Kansas), those are all signs of temporary hearing damage. Another common symptom is tinnitus (constant ringing sound).

Most of the temporary hearing loss will come back after an hour or two, but if you do this over and over again, the hearing damage becomes permanent. If you suspect your hearing is damaged, you can get tested by an audiologist. I may have to visit Alan sooner than I figured.

Now Hear This!

The bottom line is that wind noise will cause hearing loss. Wind noise is one of the loudest sources of noise, it gets louder with airspeed, and helmets can't reduce it. Once those little nerve hairs get snapped off, you lose hearing, and it's a one-way trip. While we might joke about being able to get a good night's sleep at the rally after a few years of fast riding, it's no joke having to wear a hearing aid, or not being able to talk to your friends anymore, or having to learn sign language.

That's the bad news. The good news is that cheap earplugs can reduce noise by about 30 dBs in the wind noise frequencies.