The Importance of Hearing Protection
If you own a motorcycle and you haven’t thought about hearing protection, there’s a good chance you’ve been doing some serious harm to your ears without even realizing it. Sure, everyone knows that motorcycles are usually loud, but fewer know the true extent of the harm a motorcycle can do to your hearing. Luckily, protecting your ears from the damaging effects of motorcycle riding isn’t difficult. Read on to learn more, and when you’re ready to look at some of the most exciting Harley-Davidson® motorcycles, stpp by Biggs Harley-Davidson®. Our team of experienced riders will help you find the perfect bike for your personal style and riding experience. Located in San Marcos, California, we serve the areas of Oceanside, San Diego, Encinitas, and Carlsbad.
Don’t Forget Your Hearing Protection!
Motorcycles are usually heard before they’re seen, thanks to powerful engines and short exhaust systems. The sound from a motorcycle is limited to about 88 decibels when measured from 50 feet away, which is about the same amount of noise a lawnmower makes. But this figure doesn’t really tell the whole story on how much potential damage a rider might cause to their hearing. In addition to the noise of the engine, a rider also experiences significant noise from the wind as they ride, and the faster they ride, the more severe that noise becomes. One study found that riding at just 60 km/h is heard as 90 decibels. As your speed increases, so does the noise, and by 160 km/h that noise increases to 110 decibels. Not only is that a painful volume to hear, it can actually damage your hearing in the long term if you continue to ride without protection.
Unfortunately, your helmet doesn’t do enough to prevent damage to your hearing. In fact, at high speeds, helmets are known to resonate at a frequency of 250hz. What that means for your is that your helmet can actually aid in doing damage to your ears instead of protecting them!
Types & Styles of Hearing Protection
In an ideal world, a motorcycle rider would get the highest quality hearing protection and the highest quality helmet, but as of now, those two things don’t usually work together. The reason for this is that the best hearing protection out there is over the ear headphone-style ear protection. Unfortunately, most helmets don’t offer the space needed to use these, so you’ll have to find something you can wear with your helmet. Twist-in earplugs can be a helpful type of hearing protection as they are easy to insert and provide good noise reduction. But the plastic stem used for insertion can get caught up in the padding of a helmet. Simple foam earplugs that are found in shops and sheds across the country may be the best option for hearing protection that can be worn under the helmet. Not only are they lightweight and comfortable, they block enough sound to put sound levels into an acceptable range.
How to Use Hearing Protection the Right Way
While simple to install, hearing protection works best if installed correctly. To do this, simply roll the earplug back in forth in your fingers in order to compress it to a more narrow diameter that can fit into your ear canal. Next, reach over the top of your head with the opposite hand from the hand in which you have the earplug. Grab the top of your ear and pull up slightly to expose the opening of the ear canal. Gently insert the plug and allow it to expand for a couple minutes. Insert the other ear plug using the same method and then pull on your helmet. If the earplug shifts out of position, remove your helmet and try the process again. Avoid pushing the earplug too deep or putting excessive pressure on it from the end.
Protecting your hearing is extremely important if you ride frequently. Luckily, a pack of foam ear plugs isn’t particularly expensive and it will do wonders for your ears. If you’re looking for your next bike or need parts and services for your current one, stop by Biggs Harley-Davidson®. We’re the source for Harley-Davidson® repair and maintenance in Southern California. Located in San Marcos, we proudly serve San Marcos, Encinitas, Oceanside, San Diego, Poway, Rancho Santa Fe, and San Luis Rey, California.