Regarding ear plugs... In the past I've ridden at highway speed for 4 - 6 hours without ear plugs & my ears have still been 'ringing the next day,.. from the wind noise, not exhaust noise. I'm sure I've done damage to my hearing, so now I always wear ear plugs when I'm traveling on the bike, (don’t bother so much for bopping around town).
Regarding Aftermarket Pipes...I know there are several brands available that have removable restrictors so have the option of adjusting the sound level, (restrictors in or restrictors out). I have a set of Staintune end cans so I know they come this way. I believe blue flame and or hole shots and others do too, but you'd have to verify that.
As for the Staintunes, the consensus seems to be that quality is "second to none" & I concur. Sound level with the restrictors IN is just slightly more than stock, but a little "throatier" at lower speeds. Once I'm up to about 80 - 100 km/h (50 - 60 mph) I can't hear the exhaust for the wind noise.
With the restrictors OUT, I think the sound level is still fairly moderate, but certainly louder & more "throaty". I quite like the sound level without the restrictors for higher (highway) speeds (80 km/h - ????). Previously (on other bikes) I've had VERY LOUD exhausts & I’m now quite sensitive from a politically correctness point of view to how much noise I make. With the restrictors out I feel that the noise level can get a little loud for "in town" if you happen to gas it / get the revs up a bit.
For in town I've been riding with the restrictors in. I'll probably take them out for my next road trip, but may pack them along, so if I'm staying in a town or city for a day or two, I can put them back in for the duration of my stay. They're pretty light & don't take up much room. They just slide in to the back end of cans & are secured by a single Allen head screw on each side, so installing or removing both is about a 2 minute operation.
