Member Contributer Belfry Posted February 1, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted February 1, 2015 I'm one of those who uses earplugs every time I ride. I didn't use them as a teenager riding dirt bikes, but I have ever since I started riding on the street. I had an ear infection years ago that caused me to lose some range in my right ear, so I want to preserve what's left as long as possible. Also, I find it more relaxing on long rides to be free of the wind noise and I can still hear bike sounds, cars and other noises without too much difficulty. I've never invested in custom earplugs, preferring to buy the foam ones in bulk. At the moment I'm halfway through a box of 200 pairs of 3M E-A-R plugs that I bought online for a good price. As a certified 'cheap bastige,'™(complete with some Scottish blood) I can sometimes get two or three days out of one pair of disposables before I notice that they aren't expanding as they should, or l lose or drop one. I recently came across a video (below) by E-A-R that shows the proper technique for insertion. I have to admit, for many years I was just cramming them in. Then I learned about rolling them, which helped a lot, then about pulling on the ear to straighten the canal. My take-away from the video is that I should be compressing them even more than I usually do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted February 2, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted February 2, 2015 I started wearing ear plugs a while back but have had my time under the sun without them. It wasn't until later in life did I start to notice the discomfort when not wearing ear plugs, when I did not have any available. Although every now and then I use the foam plugs, I switched to 'mighty plugs', which are more pliable and "tunable" than conventional foam plugs. They're made of beeswax and cotton and are absolutely the most comfortable earplugs I've ever worn. www.earplugsonline.com Although the video more or less showed what I already knew, it was good confirmation and reinforcement of how to properly install and wear earplugs, so thanks for posting. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer gll429 Posted February 2, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted February 2, 2015 :happy2: :tongue2: whooooooooooo thanks for the laugh!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Switchblade Posted February 2, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted February 2, 2015 I staple mine in . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MarkDetroit Posted February 2, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted February 2, 2015 This is a good video and is exactly how i was taught to use foam ear plugs. Very useful post! I use Moldex 6800 plugs that i bought in a 200 piece box. I don't recall the cost but it was very affordable. They really take the wind noise away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted February 2, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted February 2, 2015 No matter what you use, earplugs are key when riding. Happy with my BigEars after...5 years now or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enzed_viffer Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I use Howard Leight plugs every day, because they're not particularly noise-reducing (plus I don't insert them all the way in. This cuts out the wind noise, and most of the road noise, so I can listen to loud music. For touring and other things, I use 3M plugs, because they are particularly noise-reducing. I wish I'd had them in the 70s and 80s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNRabbit Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I have a 200 pack of the 3M plugs; keep a zip lock baggie of them in my tank bag in case I drop one or have a flat~ They make riding MUCH more serene, & tone down the BRAAAAAT of my D&D exhaust to an acceptable level.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum CEO HispanicSlammer Posted February 2, 2015 Forum CEO Share Posted February 2, 2015 The arm over the head technique to open the ear canal, got it! Useful post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4 Rosso Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 I have custom molded ear plugs but always carry a few spare foam plugs with me. Good info on how to properly insert them, thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer FJ12Ryder Posted February 3, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted February 3, 2015 "I wish I'd had them in the 70s and 80s." Amen, brother. Too late for me. An open face helmet, no windshield, Triumph Bonnevilles with no-baffle TT pipes, and 8-10 hours a day in the saddle for a couple weeks at a time. Bad news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Q-Dawg Posted February 28, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted February 28, 2015 Yep, it seems silly to have a vid on how to insert earplugs but it makes a huge difference and the finer points of it are not generally something one figures out easily. I wear them all the time at work and at home, bike, etc. I even sleep with them when I am working nights! Howard Leight laser plugs (the pink and yellow ones) are my favorite for comfort and function. Can wear them all day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer VFROZ Posted March 1, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted March 1, 2015 Thanks Belfry, I've been a user of ear plugs for the last couple of years, 52 now and started riding when I was 12. Never saw the point in them, until I started using them. I thought I was using them correctly, roll them the right way, but didn't insert them anywhere near as its shown on the video. Just tried it out, could not believe they would go in that far, and worked so well. I already suffer from hearing loss due to my job in the construction industry, don't want to lose any more. I started using them after an 800km each way, non stop trip, my ears were ringing for 2 days and I'm sure I never got my full hearing back after. I run a Staintune without baffle and love it, would not change it, but I think the most damage comes from wind noise over extended periods. I can still hear my motor, traffic and even my bluetooth intercom/phone, but the beggest change is lack of deafening wind noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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