hearing protection - If, at 140 km/h (87.5 mph), your ears listen to 102 dB of noise and if everything over 80 dB eventually causes damage, then you know you will suffer from hearing problems in the short/long run. The problem of this is that it is irreversable. Sound is experienced through small hairs in your middle-ear. These hairs are damaged when exposed to excessive load. In contrast to most heads they will never grow back. To prevent damaging your hearing you can get filters. Just like your exhaust you can have a silencer in your auditory canal.
Load Dangerous
80 dB(A) more then 8 hrs
86 dB(A) more than 2 hrs
89 dB(A) more than 1 hrs
92 dB(A) more than 30 min
95 dB(A) more than 15 min
Speed Wind noise Max. load
110 km/h 94 dB 15 min
120 km/h 98 dB 7 min
140 km/h 102 dB 3 min
The yellow \'Noisestoppers\', available at drugstores, cause around 15 dB deadening over the whole spectrum. So from low to high pitch tones. Most noise is caused by the high pitch tones so you can use a little more over there. Besides, 15dB is not really a lot if you\'re used to fast riding. At 140 kmph (102 dB) you\'re still 7 dB over the safety level. And who does not go for 140 kmph at times. These are polyvinyl plugs that you press together, put in your ear and they expand to close off your canal. They tend to get dirty by earsmear (?) and although you can wash them, you can do that only so many times before they have to replaced.
The Alpine Motosafe silencers are prefab plugs with a built-in filter. They are made of a flexible, soft plastic/rubber and look like two small umbrellas on a short stick. You put it into your ear, umbrellas first and they close off your ear while letting little sound in through the filter. They give a 15 dB (low pitch) to 26 dB (middle) to 19 dB (high pitch) deadening.
The Otoplastics (?) made by Alpine, Earlab, Earmo, Elacin, Irenum and Tympro are tailormade plugs with (replacable) fiter. Filters can be had with different deadening characteristics. An otoplastic is made from a mould. The mould is an exact copy of your auditory canal. To make the mould your ear is filled with something like silly-putty. It hardens and that makes the model of which the mould is made. That mould is very personal. No one else can use it because of differences betwen the canals. This makes it the most expensive type of protection. But the good news is that they wil normally last for 4-5 years. The price-per-km goes down.
Otoplastics are available in a hard and soft option. Both have their disadvantages and advanages like fit, irritation, cleaning and durability. whether it is pro or con depends on who you\'re talking to. A set is normally sold in a case, if you like with desinfectant and insurance against loss and theft.They\'re warranted against mis-fit and being soundproof for two years. But they can last much longer. It is not so much the otoplastics that wear out or age but sooner your auditory canal will change due to getting older. That makes for openings for noise to pass outside the filter which is not what you want.
Manufacturer Telephone
Alpine +31 33 4942600
Audisafe +31 181 328099
Earmo +31 38 4210303
Elacin +31 78 6181400
Irenum +31 299 404449
Tympro +31 181 324910