Motorcycle Hearing Protection

When people think motorcycle safety, they often think about essentials like wearing a helmet and properly maintained brakes. Granted, these are crucial parts of riding a motorcycle. But one often overlooked part of motorcycle safety is motorcycle hearing protection. Each time you ride your motorcycle, you expose yourself to irreversible hearing damage. But with motorcycle hearing protection, you can enjoy the rumble of your engine without lasting hearing damage. Here at Eugene Willamette Valley Harley-Davidson®, we care about your health. That’s why we put together this guide covering everything you need to know about protecting your hearing while you ride. If you need any other gear, visit Willamette Valley Harley-Davidson® in Eugene, Oregon.

Importance of Motorcycle Hearing Protection

It’s no secret that Harley-Davidson bikes are loud. Very, very loud. That’s part of their charm! Riders get to announce their arrival with the sweet purr of a high performing engine. In terms of hearing damage, the roar of the engine isn’t even the biggest culprit (though it does contribute). It’s the wind.

Sounds that damage your hearing are around 85 decibels of noise. The sound of the wind while you drive quickly reaches damaging levels. If you ride at just 40 miles per hour, you are hit with 90 decibels of noise. That’s already damaging. If you increase your speed to 100 miles per hour, you face 110 decibels of noise. Yikes.

Each ride will have different levels of hearing damage. It depends on how loud your bike’s engine is, your helmet, and the speed you ride. But that damage can happen during every ride.

Types of Motorcycle Hearing Protection

A helmet is a great tool for motorcycle safety for protecting your head, but not for protecting your hearing. It doesn’t do much to decrease the noise onslaught to your eardrums. In fact, it could make things worse because it vibrates at 250 hz.

You need something else. The good news is you have many options to choose from. You won’t need to worry about looking goofy because all these options are tucked away inside your helmet out of sight.

The most common option is ear plugs. These remove around 30 decibels of noise. Now your 40 miles an hour speed is only hitting you with 60 decibels of noise instead of 90

You can choose between disposable options or reusable options. Disposable earplugs are the most common. You can find them at almost any grocery store and some gas stations. They are easy to find and easy to use.

The next step up is wax or rubber balls. These are reusable (for a while). They are moldable, making it easy to create an optimal fit. But on hot days they can begin to feel greasy.