Why You Should Wear Ear Plugs On Your Next Motorcycle Ride
When you think of motorcycle safety, some typical topics might come to mind. Wearing a helmet and following proper traffic laws can help keep you safe on your ride. Something that is not often considered is the health of your ears, especially if you ride a bike regularly. Like any other loud hobby, bike riders can damage their hearing if proper protection is not put into place to prevent it. Although this is something even seasoned riders might not have considered, now is a good time to take control of your hearing health.
The Decibel Scale and Your Hearing
If you have heard about the decibel scale, it's usually in reference to very loud things, such as an airplane or a rock concert, or very quiet things, such as dishwasher noise. All sounds can be measured on the decibel scale, so to understand more about the effect your motorcycle can have on your hearing, it's important to understand how the decibel scale works.
How Loud Is Too Loud?
The decibel scale measures sound in an exponential way, which means that when you compare a sound that is 10 decibels to the complete silence of 0 decibels, the sound is 10 times more intense. Add another 10 decibels, and the sound is 100 times as intense as silence, not 20 times as you might expect. If you are following this logarithmic scale, you know that 30 decibels are 1000 times the sound of silence.
Since all sounds are measured on this scale, how do you know when a sound is loud enough to damage your hearing? Experts agree that a level of 85 decibels combined with an eight-hour exposure time can be enough to affect your hearing and cause permanent loss. This assessment is made under the assumption that you are located near the source of the sound, which will be the case when you are riding your bike.
How Loud Is Your Motorcycle Ride?
Since 85 decibels extended over eight hours can cause damage to your hearing, it will take much less time for damage to occur if your average ride is much louder. A variety of factors contribute to how loud your motorcycle ride ends up being. Your bike itself, even though it might be a quieter model, contributes a great deal to the volume of sound. Another major factor to take into consideration is the sound of the wind at high speeds. The faster your speed, the higher the volume of sound the wind makes.
Even if you ride for a much shorter time than eight hours, the combination of bike sound and wind rushing sound likely keeps the decibel level higher than the 85 decibels needed to cause hearing damage. Due to the exponential decibel factors, even a combined level of 100 decibels could potentially cause issues in a fraction of the time. By comparison, any sound over 140 decibels has the potential to cause immediate damage to your hearing, which is why ear protection is needed at gun ranges and around loud fireworks.
How You Can Reduce Noise
When it comes to the noise made by your motorcycle, the loudest sound will be coming from your motorcycle exhaust. The Noise Control Act of 1972 regulates the total noise emissions for motorcycles. All motorcycles sold in the US have to meet strict sound requirements, however many people modify or change out their exhausts for aftermarket systems which tend to be louder than stock systems or the required decibel level. You can reduce the noise from your exhaust by making sure your exhaust is in good working order and the material in the mufflers that is used to reduce noise is still in good shape. If you have aftermarket pipes on your bike you can look for a new exhaust system that is quieter and meets the proper decibel levels.
Another way to reduce the noise is to protect your hearing. Some people believe that a motorcycle helmet does a good enough job reducing noise, but the best way to protect your ears is through the use of earplugs. Ear plugs, when used regularly and correctly, can drastically reduce how much wind and motor noise is able to reach your ears.
What To Consider When Using Ear Plugs
In some areas, earplugs are not allowed while operating a moving vehicle, and that includes riding a motorcycle. It's important to make sure the use of earplugs is legal where you are riding. Another consideration is the ability to hear other sounds while you are driving that are vital to your safety on the road, such as sirens from emergency vehicles or honking horns from other vehicles. Although this is a common worry, typically the reduction in the constant wind pitch allows a rider to hear the low-frequency sound of sirens and horns easily. If this is a concern for you, test it out locally before going on an extended ride using ear plugs.
Earplugs Options
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Hearos Ultimate Softness Series Ear Filter
There are a few different types of earplugs to choose from. The most common and most popular earplugs you'll find are the foam type such as the Hearos Ultimate Softness Series Ear Filter ($7.42). These come in a pack of 20 and are made of extremely soft squeezable foam. To use them you simply squeeze them between your fingers, gently place them in your ear canal (not too far) and then they will expand and form to your ear canal. You can get several uses out of them before they get too nasty. You can try to clean them but over time they'll be too grimy and gross so it's best to just toss them.
For a more long term solution there is the Hearos Rock-N-Roll Series Ear Plugs ($4.25). With this you only get two earplugs, however, they are made from soft silicon and are much easier to clean and maintain. They also come with a small carrying case so you'll be less likely to lose them. Choosing between the two is mostly a matter of preference.
Pick Up Your Motorcycle Accessories
If you drive a motorcycle and are concerned that the constant, loud noise of the motor and the wind could cause damage to your ears, investing in quality earplugs is an easy and inexpensive way to reduce your risk. If you're in the market to purchase ear plugs or a variety of other motorcycle accessories, Chaparral Motorsports has a large selection of quality products available, including popular name brands. Contact us today at 1-800-841-2960 or browse our online product catalog to find everything from motorcycle tires to high-quality gear for your ride.