Since I began riding motorcycles I haven’t really thought much about the noise levels accumulated inside the helmet. I guess I’ve always thought that if everyone else can do it I can too. But then one day I realized that the small amount of tinnitus that I already have was being more and more easily provoked by the noise in my helmet. That’s when I started riding with ear plugs and the more I asked around among other bikers it turns out that quite a few of them also wear varying types of ear protection.
Given that my ear canals are on the small side I’ve had troubles finding protection that won’t make my ear canals hurt like h**l after a while (especially inside a helmet). After some research I found a company (EARfoon – Swedish site) which will make molded forms of your ear and produce custom made ear plugs which they then fit with filters specifically made for bikers. About three weeks ago I had my molds made and now they’ve arrived at the shop. Going to pick them up at 11 – happiness! =)
- update -
Oh my, this is some good stuff I’ve gotten my hands on! They fit like a glove on the first try and no more turbulence induced noise in my ears. I’m still able to hear people talk with the plugs in (although at a slightly lower volume) and the engine is still slightly hearable. Sure, you can feel that you’ve got something in your ears, but it’s not nearly as painful as regular plugs. Plus that these plugs won’t move around in your ears (and thus causing noise/acoustic pressure) as the helmet moves on your head (due to road conditions and so forth). Given the fact that these will allow me to keep my hearing even though I’m riding bikes this might be the best investment in the motorcycle equipment department for a long time to come!
If you care for your hearing even the slightest bit – get a set of these!
Share
Entries (RSS)