New Rider and Helmet Noise?

[belrix]

I've had my NC700X for a couple of weeks and I love it, except for the helmet noise! I switched from an open face helmet with face shield to a full face helmet and replaced the stock windscreen with a Zero Gravity touring screen to help with the noise. I am happy with fit of the helmet and the air flow feels smooth, my head doesn't get bounced around at highway speeds, but the helmet noise seems the same.

I wear foam ear plugs and they are very effective, but then I can't really hear the engine or much going on around me. Without ear plugs the noise is very loud and distracting.

Is this amount of noise normal? Should I save up for a nice $600 helmet? Would a bigger wind screen help?

I apologize if this is a silly question, but I don't any experience as a frame of reference.

Thanks a million

belrix

 

[Wild ill]

Wear the plugs.....hearing damage from wind noise is real.....don't ask me how I know.....does not matter what helmet you have......

 

[Racenut]

A tight fitting helmet will help some. And there are differences between helmets as far as noise, but the fact is you're hurling your head through the air at 70mph, you're going to hear the wind. My Shoei isn't much quieter than my HJC unless I ride with the whole thing sealed up, which then cooks my brain.

Ear plugs are your friend.

 

[Lou Wambsganss]

I have a thread about this:
http://nc700-forum.com/forum/nc700-mods/5913-wind-noise-tall-riders.html
I have an Arai Signet-Q and it is very quiet in clean air (no shield or standing up). Each rider/helmet/shield combo is unique as far as aerodynamic profile. At the end of that linked thread is my current setup of Cee Bailey shield with MRA XCreen add-on. This is the best highway rig I have tried so far for both noise and pressure.

 

[belrix]

Thanks for the replies! I truly appreciate the feedback.

With the foam earplugs inserted correctly in my ears I am comfortable at 70MPH, I'll keep wearing the plugs!

I am thinking about trying the Surefire EP7 Sonic Defenders® Ultra earplugs

 

[ziggie]

Only problem I see with the surefire is the plastic part might hurt your ears if you have a tight helmet.but I could be wrong.

 

[Vnc]

Yeah,... what they said. Plus...

Every persons head is a different shape and to buy helmets looking for quiet might get expensive.

I'm using the stock windscreen and am happy with the smooth airflow. I wear earplugs.

 

[670cc]

I'm not sure if the ZG touring screen is quiet of not; I have not tried one. But, in the case of the Honda touring screen, contrary to what you might think, it is louder than the stock screen. The smoothest air comes from a really big screen or a system like a clip on deflector or Madstad, or from no screen at all. Most screen sizes in between are noisy.

I always wear earplugs.

 

[StratTuner]

$600 for a helmet?

I think I'd be better off stuffing my ears with $20 bills than buying the $600 helmet. (smile)

 

[Labrider]

I have been riding my 700X this summer on the best road in North America for a new rider,a couple of times doing 110 km (70 miles) without having a vehicle in front or behind, on new pavement!!
I replaced the stock shield with a GIFI, but still am bothered with the buffeting, so I'm looking at the threads on the Madstad Adjustable as a possibility

 

[belrix]

The stock screen worked OK for me, but the wind hit me right in the chin. With the Zero Gravity screen it hits me more in the upper chest. I don't notice any turbulence, my helmet is nice and steady.

 

[xrlke]

IMHO, it's either all or nothing, with everything in between consisting of a compromise of some sorts. Meaning either no windshield at all (naked) or a huge windshield that completely removes you from the wind, or so I'm told (that you must look through, no thanks). I'm 6ft tall and wear a HJC CL-16. When I bought my bike, it came with a givi that gave me lots of noise and buffeting. Then I tried the stock screen and while there was no buffeting, there was plenty of noise. I then tried the 20" sport madstad - most of the noise was gone, but I still had some odd buffeting and noises that did not seem right to me. Sold it, and when back to the stock screen and dealt with it for a short time. Now, I have no screen at all, no buffeting, and a lower wind noise than anything else, except the madstad. I have always worn earplugs while on this bike, but not before. I'm only 28 and I believe I have some hearing damage from no earplugs while riding from 18 to 26 on other bikes.

Just some of my experiences.

 

[Grey1one]

It seems a lot of the noise comes from air flowing at the bottom of the helmet, I notice that when I have my colder weather jacket which has a collar that sticks up near there the noise is reduced. I have not used one of these as I always wear fitted earplugs, but it should help. Amazon.com: WINDJAMMER 2 "REDUCES WIND NOISE" fits all Full Face Helmets. The original often copied !: Health & Personal Care

 

[670cc]

For HJC full face helmets, and probably other brands, you can add an optional "chin curtain" that partially blocks the wind from the bottom of the helmet. It makes a marginal improvement in wind noise. I use one in winter for warmth as well.

 

[Whiteknuckle]

What? answer the darn phone...what is that buzzing in my ear?

yes wear plugs. i cannot stand hwy speeds at all without plugs. I have tried the expensive helmet route and they
arent really that much quieter. (Shoei RF1100 and GT-Air) I got the air because it was supposed to be a quiet helmet. nope.

wish they would make a helmet with built in ear protection. Kind of like if they could build in some "ear phone" style protection into the
helmet in place of the pocket many have for speakers.

 

[showkey]

Thanks for the replies! I truly appreciate the feedback.

With the foam earplugs inserted correctly in my ears I am comfortable at 70MPH, I'll keep wearing the plugs!

I am thinking about trying the Surefire EP7 Sonic Defenders® Ultra earplugs

Some people prefer the flanged ear plugs for a better fit and seal :

 

[Harald]

The only way I've found to get rid of helmet noise is to install a "Barn door" sized windshield. Makes sense because the noise is from wind blast hitting the helmet and the big shields divert the wind around your helmet. I wear ear plugs to try and save what hearing I have left after over 30 years of heavy riding with most of those years being without hearing protection. But I could almost get away without ear plugs with the Madstad shield because it does a good job of diverting airflow around the helmet while still allowing me to see over the shield.

 

[Russell733]

I love my Madstad windshield but its the only one I have tried so cant say if its better or worse then others. What I did notice is the engine sounds louder with it, so there is definitely less wind noise, but ear plugs are still a necessity I think. I have been trying different ones, you can even buy package deals with one set of a few different types to try and see what works for you. Somewhere on here is a whole thread on ear plugs and its a good thing to read.

Of course I spent 3 days deaf in one ear after a ride a couple months ago, when the earplugs pushed some earwax in, then when home I tried cleaning my ears with a qtip and jammed the wax in all the way I think, Took me a few days with eardrops and a syringe bulb to finally get one ear unplugged.

 

[belrix]

I tried the Surefire plugs and they work OK with my open face helmet, but as stated above the plastic is a little uncomfortable with my full face. I am using foam ear plugs and they really work nicely.

Thanks for all the replies.

 

[danrev]

Since this is the first motorcycle I've ridden on the highway I really don't have any comparison for what "quiet" should be. One thing that is clear from all the comments on this Forum is that their are too many variables to make a 'one size fits all' recommendation. Different types and shapes of helmets, the relative height of the rider, different size and shapes of windscreens; all make for an infinite number of combinations. I don't have enough resources or time to try out different combinations to find the ideal set up. I'm on my fourth windscreen (Madstad 20") and my second helmet, and that's where I stop. There is still some wind noise, but I don't know if that is good or bad, since I have no comparison. I do wear earplugs all the time, and it helps. In fact the very first ride I ever took on my NC a friend I was riding with asked if I had earplugs. I didn't, so he gave me some of the foamy ones while telling me I should always use them. Recently, I had a pair of custom earplugs made by a local audiologist, and they work wonderfully. Easy in and out, and consistent fit every time. Formerly I always struggled getting the foamy ones inserted just right. The wind noise is negligible now.