In search of quiet air

[RoadGlide]

Get a new "high quality" helmet! Any of the aftermarket shields should have provided some relief from the noise. However as wind hits your helmet it creates sound waves that are transmitted through physical vibration to your ears whether or not you are wearing ear plugs. The plugs don't help much in that case. I use a VStream with ER6 plugs to my XM etc. It works good but changing through several helmets was the biggest help. The quietest helmet ever for me is the Suomy. Made in Italy and around $400. Very light and super quiet. If using ear plugs (other than foam) make should they are fully seated in the canal and no part of the ear plug is touching the helmet/lining. The transferred vibration noise will wear your ass out on a long ride. Just my opinion but I do ride 1,000 days.

 

[Solo]

At 70 mph with my stock shield all the way down and wearing disposable foam earplugs with about 33 DBA attenuation, it is so quiet I worry that I wouldn't hear a siren at 25 yards. Install good foam plugs properly and you won't have noise issues. You may still have wind buffeting issues, but you won't hear the noise.

 

[rfulcher]

I like my Rifle shield alot and find it very quiet.

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?s...Rifle++rfulcher

 

[Aasland]

My experience with various bikes and aftermarket shields is that the smaller the shields, the cleaner the airflow and the quieter it is. But never quiet enough to not wear earplugs.

There are times I wonder if the only non-plug solution is a giant windshield - so big one has to look through it.

 

[user 8909]

My 1st set up was the stock, then a Rifle w/blocks, what an improvement!

Then got a deal on the CeeBailey and mounted it with the blocks. Seems quiter to me and being an inch taller than the Rifle I don't have to raise it much to find that pocket of quiteness without having a barn door in front of me. The Cee is also not as wide as the my Rifle which makes it cooler as well.

I would like to try a VStream next, with the blocks. I think the blocks are the cat's whiskers with any shield.

 

[Herkypilot]

Use these ER-6'swith an I-pod and you'll forget all about the wind noise. You can keep your music at a reasonable volume and enjoy the ride!

Herkypilot

 

[paulie]

What Herky said! +1. I've had ER6 Etymotics for years and they are awesome.

 

[Tinker]

clicky
Earplugs?

Anyone ever used these rumble strips? I would be interested in how well they really work.

Yes I have. Not worth the postage let alone the purchase. I installed on both my Arai Signet GT and on the Caberg Justisimo. No change at all, well mabe a little noiser at 80+. No reduction in noise in my case.

 

[Fred W]

What Herky said! +1. I've had ER6 Etymotics for years and they are awesome.

This is a very subjective issue. Here are my personal thoughts on it after many attempts at various methods.

There are no "off the shelf" in-ear monitors that provide me the amount of sound isolation I get with NRR33 earplugs. It may be due to the shape of ear canals, or it may just be individual's tolerance to noise. I imagine that custom ear molds wiould do the trick, but I still have not made that leap. When the noise is not fully attenuated you then have to pump up the music volume to overcome the amount of ambient, increasing the actual sound pressure levels delivered to your ear. Seems counterproductive since thge goal is protecting your hearing.

OTOH, after you have some highly attenuating earplugs in for a while you are gradually able to "hear" outside sounds again, even though they are at greatly diminished sound pressure to your ear. With a decent sound system (starcom, autocom, etc.) you can easily get enough volume in the helmet speakers to override the ambient helmet noise and enjoy the music quite well. Since the music is being attenuated at the same rate as the noise the pressures to the ear remain very low, but you can still hear the music well over the noise and your hearing is still protected.

 

[J-DADDY]

bes-

I'n not familiar with the '08 shields performance, so YMMV, BUT the '05 has a next to useless std screen - nothing but wind noise!

Wearing earplugs didn't work for me - made me feel disoriented.

I'm 6' 0" w/ 34" inseam soooooo, again YMMV... I have a CB +4H +2W w/o flip. This screen is MUCH better than stock, but still allowed some wind noise. I installed "stealth edging" from Saeng/TA Stealth Edging (sorry, I don't know how to create a URL) and have experiencd a quiet ride since. I can actually hear the engine/exhaust at any speed.

Good luck-

JC

 

[Aasland]

Use these ER-6'swith an I-pod and you'll forget all about the wind noise. You can keep your music at a reasonable volume and enjoy the ride!
Herkypilot

I use the ER6's as "backup" devices (have Challengers for the primary).

They work reasonably well, but flanges aren't the most comfortable - after a day of riding my ears are raw (I also use Oto-ease). THe solution was to install some Sebotek (hearing aid) tips. A little harder to get in, but they have all-day comfort.

 

[Bounce]

even a gold wing barn door isn't quiet enough to mitigate hearing damage over long exposure. ear plugs for the win!

 

[Fred W]

bes-
I'n not familiar with the '08 shields performance, so YMMV, BUT the '05 has a next to useless std screen - nothing but wind noise!

Wearing earplugs didn't work for me - made me feel disoriented.

I'm 6' 0" w/ 34" inseam soooooo, again YMMV... I have a CB +4H +2W w/o flip. This screen is MUCH better than stock, but still allowed some wind noise. I installed "stealth edging" from Saeng/TA Stealth Edging (sorry, I don't know how to create a URL) and have experiencd a quiet ride since. I can actually hear the engine/exhaust at any speed.

Damn... I would hope you can hear the exhaust without earplugs. I hear mine just fine with them.

 

[J-DADDY]

bes-
I'n not familiar with the '08 shields performance, so YMMV, BUT the '05 has a next to useless std screen - nothing but wind noise!

Wearing earplugs didn't work for me - made me feel disoriented.

I'm 6' 0" w/ 34" inseam soooooo, again YMMV... I have a CB +4H +2W w/o flip. This screen is MUCH better than stock, but still allowed some wind noise. I installed "stealth edging" from Saeng/TA Stealth Edging (sorry, I don't know how to create a URL) and have experiencd a quiet ride since. I can actually hear the engine/exhaust at any speed.

Damn... I would hope you can hear the exhaust without earplugs. I hear mine just fine with them.

Yes, Fred, I can hear engine/exhaust since going with the CB. Improved that much more with the addition of the stealth edging. OH BTW, I wear an HJC half helmet in warm/hot weather with no hearing challenges. Before the CB I certainly could not hear the exhaust (stock system).

 

[rocketman]

I have a hearing problem and have had surgery to my ears. Any noise over a normal conversation can start to cause ringing in my ears so the motorcycle is a chalenge. I bought the "SuperVisor" to keep the sun out of my eyes when riding and found it cut out almost all the wind noise form my full face (winter) helmet. Summer open face still gives me a little too much noise for longer rides. Also do the ear plugs. I had custom ones made but they are too much of a pain to put in and out so I use E.A.R Ez_fit. I also have Burgman 650 with a windshield that swoops upward and I think that windshields that swoop upward do better job of preventing buffeting on your helmet. tried those rummle strips, they didnt work. Tried a lot of stuff. The best thing is a windshield that gets close to your face, right angle and it need a cut in it or under it to allow air to get behind it and reduce the low pressure on the back side. This will alow air to go over the top wqith less turbulance.