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gary tompkins · 21-05-2009, 09:23 AM

I personally value my hearing as much as my eyesight and other senses

There are strict health and safety limits (at work) on exposure to noise, making it mandatory to wear ear defender/plugs in many locations. It's now medically proven that long term exposure to loud noise wrecks your hearing permanently, and by excessive we are only talking 80db+. The wind noise in many helmets at 70mph is often far higher than 80db, and that'll do more damage than a loud exhaust noise on longer rides.

I always wear plugs nowadays & have done for at least 10 years. My hearing's already suffered from 25 years of riding un-plugged in the 80's & 90's, and I want to protect what have left. To be honest riding any distance on straight through pipes (90db+) just gets on my tits now, and prefer to run db limiters.

By all means ride unplugged if you wish, but don't complain if you have to wear hearing aids or learn to lip read in later life. My Stepfather has acute industrial deafness caused by years of working (unprotected) for the paper mills, and it's not a huge barrel of laughs for him now.

21-05-2009, 09:23 AM	#9
gary tompkins 1/2 man - 1/2 pogo-stick Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Dartford, Kent Bike: M900ie Posts: 7,241	I personally value my hearing as much as my eyesight and other senses There are strict health and safety limits (at work) on exposure to noise, making it mandatory to wear ear defender/plugs in many locations. It's now medically proven that long term exposure to loud noise wrecks your hearing permanently, and by excessive we are only talking 80db+. The wind noise in many helmets at 70mph is often far higher than 80db, and that'll do more damage than a loud exhaust noise on longer rides. I always wear plugs nowadays & have done for at least 10 years. My hearing's already suffered from 25 years of riding un-plugged in the 80's & 90's, and I want to protect what have left. To be honest riding any distance on straight through pipes (90db+) just gets on my tits now, and prefer to run db limiters. By all means ride unplugged if you wish, but don't complain if you have to wear hearing aids or learn to lip read in later life. My Stepfather has acute industrial deafness caused by years of working (unprotected) for the paper mills, and it's not a huge barrel of laughs for him now. __________________ GT Fully paid up member of the S.A.S. (Scottoiler Appreciation Society) 27,000 miles on original chain - and still going strong! Last edited by gary tompkins; 21-05-2009 at 09:27 AM..