Motorcycle Hearing Protection: Why You Need It

If you've ever been walking down the street when a Harley® ripped by, you know that motorcycles are loud. Depending on the make, model, and style of bike, they can be painfully loud. What's worse is they might be doing more damage to your hearing than you even know. This brief guide, brought to you by Durango Harley-Davidson® was made to show you why if you own a motorcycle, you should strongly consider wearing hearing protection.

Durango Harley-Davidson® is a leading source for Harley-Davidson® motorcycles in Southern Colorado. We sell the latest from Harley®, and we also carry a wide variety of pre-owned Harley®'s, too.

Why You Need Hearing Protection

Having a noisy bike is fun! The noise announces you're coming and let's people know you mean business. But if you're someone who feels that way, you should think about the fact that motorcycles are extremely hard on a person's hearing. The strange thing is, it's not just the engine and exhaust noise that does the damage. In Colorado, a motorcycle's volume is limited at 88 decibels when measured at a distance of 50 feet away. That's very loud, but riding on a highway can actually be louder. The real damage comes from the wind. At 60 km/h, a motorcycle rider will experience 90 decibels of noise. The volume continues to increase as you increase speed. By 160 km/h, about 100 mph, you'll be experiencing a deafening 110 decibels. Regular riding at these volumes is enough to do serious permanent damage to your hearing.

But doesn't a helmet help dampen the noise? Unfortunately, no. Helmets have been found to be extremely poor at noise dampening. On top of that, the helmet can even make the noise more powerful because at certain speeds, the helmet can vibrate at 250 hz. All that is to say, you'll need additional hearing protection if you don't want do damage to your ears.

Different Types of Hearing Protection

The good news is that hearing protection is cheap, easy to use, and if you're concerned about how it makes you look, no one will even see you wearing it. Because you'll be wearing a helmet, you'll need hearing protection that fits in your ears, under your helmet. This rules out hearing protection with a stiff band or large lanyard. Some earplugs feature a flanged design that's comfortable to wear. You'll need to try these out for yourself with your own helmet, because if they have a large stalks for inserting in your ear, they might not fit under your helmet. And if you push them too far into your ear, you could do more damage to your hearing. Another common form of ear protection are shapeable wax or rubber balls that can be rolled into whatever form you like. These work well, although they can start to feel greasy on hot days. Simple, traditional foam earplugs might be your best option. Lightweight, cheap, easy to use, and form fitting, these earplugs can remove as much as 30 decibels of noise.

How to Use Hearing Protection

Each different type of earplug will have its own instructions for use, so consult those after purchase. If you choose foam earplugs, follow these instructions. You'll need to squeeze or roll the earplug between your thumb and your forefinger to form a narrow shape that can slide into your ear canal. As you do this with one hand, reach over your head and pull the top of your ear with your other hand. This sounds strange, but it helps to open up your ear canal for easy insert. At this point, gently insert the plug. When you feel pressure, don't push any further. Make sure to not push the plug in hard because you could end up damaging your ear drum. The foam will then begin to relax and expand to completely block your ear canal. Repeat this process on the other side of your head. You will have full hearing protection after about two minutes. Regardless of what type of hearing protection you use, don't apply a large amount of force on it when you put it in your ear. This can cause serious permanent damage.

Hopefully this has given you an idea of how important it is to wear hearing protection while you ride your motorcycle. Riding a loud bike is fun, but there's no reason to lose your hearing over it. If you need parts or service for your motorcycle, stop by Durango Harley-Davidson® today. Located in Durango, Colorado, we proudly serve Cortez, Alamosa, and Montrose, Colorado.