Plug Your Lug, Prevent Permanent Hearing Loss

[admin]

How often do you ride without ear protection?

If you’ve got a superbike in the garage, you might make earplugs a daily ritual with the ride; if you’re like me and swing a leg over an unassuming (but sexy) Yamaha R3, however, that routine might get tossed a bit more frequently.

Tinnitus UK is urging riders like you and me to load up on ear protection in the name of hearing loss – as much as 80 decibels will cause trouble, despite the Heath & Safety Executive recommending that “anything over 85dB an employer should provide ear defenders.”



A view of a rider using the LOOP continuous earplugs. Media sourced from LOOP.

According to Motorcycle Cruiser, bikes average around 85 decibels of sound at 35-45mph, with a 30-bike pilot test completed by the University of Florida showing far higher levels at highway speeds.

“Measurements of motorcycle riding noise levels vary, but are generally around 85-95 dB at speeds up to 35 mph, climbing to 110-116 dB at 65 mph,” agrees Evan Kay in coverage from Motorcycle Cruiser.

“According to the chart, you shouldn’t ride on the highway for more than 15 minutes a day.”

Here’s a look at that same chart – she shows the max amount of time our ears should be exposed to certain decibels of sound:

NOISE SOURCE	SOUND LEVEL (in dB)	Maximum OSHA Exposure Time
Conversation	65	unlimited
Motorcycle (at rest, idle)	85 to 88	16 to 10.6 hours
Lawn mower, shop tools	{{{90}}}	8 hours
Leaf blower	95 (up to 105)	4 hours (at 95 dB)
Chain saw	100 to 105	2 hours to 1 hour
Woodworking shop, stereo	110	30 minutes
Sandblasting	115	15 minutes
Ambulance siren, rock concert	120	7.5 minutes
Jet engine	130	1 minute, 52 seconds

A view of a pair of riders using the LOOP continuous earplugs. Media sourced from LOOP.

“The loudest bike we tested measured 119 decibels with the engine revved, and the recommended exposure time at that level is only 11 seconds… Potentially, the vast majority of motorcyclists could be exposed to dangerous levels of noise,” a contributor named Colle says in the UF experiment.

“You might get away with [not wearing earplugs] once or for a short part of a day, but if you’re out on your bike regularly, that damage can build up, and it can’t be undone,” adds Nic Wray of Tinnitus UK in an interview with MCN.

“You can lose some of your hearing, and that can affect all aspects of your life.”

Do you plug in before you swing a leg over?

*Media sourced from RideWell and LOOP Earplugs*​

The post Plug Your Lug, Prevent Permanent Hearing Loss appeared first on webBikeWorld.

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[Deleted member 1183]

Totally agree with earplugs. Unfortunately I left it too late in my motorcycling career to use them, and have tinnitus because of it, albeit not as severe as I could have done.

 

[670cc]

I’ve worn earplugs while riding for probably the past 35 years. More recently I had gone on a few long trip rides with a coworker who had basically an open pipe Harley. The earplugs were a necessity to be in the vicinity of that running engine (bike has since been sold!). Primarily, though, since I ride quiet motorcycles, the earplugs are to combat wind noise. Even riding the ultra quiet electric motorcycle still calls for ear plugs.

 

[Rabbit]

I wear them most every time and I feel less tired after a ride than if I don’t plug up

 

[StratTuner]

How often do you ride without ear protection?

If you’ve got a superbike in the garage, you might make earplugs a daily ritual with the ride; if you’re like me and swing a leg over an unassuming (but sexy) Yamaha R3, however, that routine might get tossed a bit more frequently.

Tinnitus UK is urging riders like you and me to load up on ear protection in the name of hearing loss – as much as 80 decibels will cause trouble, despite the Heath & Safety Executive recommending that “anything over 85dB an employer should provide ear defenders.”



A view of a rider using the LOOP continuous earplugs. Media sourced from LOOP.

According to Motorcycle Cruiser, bikes average around 85 decibels of sound at 35-45mph, with a 30-bike pilot test completed by the University of Florida showing far higher levels at highway speeds.

“Measurements of motorcycle riding noise levels vary, but are generally around 85-95 dB at speeds up to 35 mph, climbing to 110-116 dB at 65 mph,” agrees Evan Kay in coverage from Motorcycle Cruiser.

“According to the chart, you shouldn’t ride on the highway for more than 15 minutes a day.”

Here’s a look at that same chart – she shows the max amount of time our ears should be exposed to certain decibels of sound:

NOISE SOURCE	SOUND LEVEL (in dB)	Maximum OSHA Exposure Time
Conversation	65	unlimited
Motorcycle (at rest, idle)	85 to 88	16 to 10.6 hours
Lawn mower, shop tools	{{{90}}}	8 hours
Leaf blower	95 (up to 105)	4 hours (at 95 dB)
Chain saw	100 to 105	2 hours to 1 hour
Woodworking shop, stereo	110	30 minutes
Sandblasting	115	15 minutes
Ambulance siren, rock concert	120	7.5 minutes
Jet engine	130	1 minute, 52 seconds

A view of a pair of riders using the LOOP continuous earplugs. Media sourced from LOOP.

“The loudest bike we tested measured 119 decibels with the engine revved, and the recommended exposure time at that level is only 11 seconds… Potentially, the vast majority of motorcyclists could be exposed to dangerous levels of noise,” a contributor named Colle says in the UF experiment.

“You might get away with [not wearing earplugs] once or for a short part of a day, but if you’re out on your bike regularly, that damage can build up, and it can’t be undone,” adds Nic Wray of Tinnitus UK in an interview with MCN.

“You can lose some of your hearing, and that can affect all aspects of your life.”

Do you plug in before you swing a leg over?

*Media sourced from RideWell and LOOP Earplugs*​

The post Plug Your Lug, Prevent Permanent Hearing Loss appeared first on webBikeWorld.

Continue reading...

 

[StratTuner]

I've been very careful with loud noises my whole life, and I rode with soft ear plugs on any and every long ride.
At age 60, I've still had to resort to hearing aids, so in my case it was genetics not lack of caution that got to me.
You should still ride with hearing protection, always, but that doesn't mean you'll be spared.

 

[CamaroEric]

I rode probably my first 5 years without them, only because I didn't know any better. Since then I wear them on every ride anywhere, and when I go to concerts. Concerts are just too loud these days, or am I too old (35 lol)?

 

[mzflorida]

I'm almost deaf in one ear. I lost it in about 30 seconds during an incident at work. You would think I would pay more attention to hearing protection while riding as I do in just about any other loud environment. I'm a little intimidated by reducing the sense of sound reducing awareness of my surroundings. I'll give it a shot. All my riding buddies do, as do many of you, so it's probably an irrational fear.

 

[670cc]

My goal in inserting earplugs is if I can barely even hear the engine run, I’ve got the 32db earplugs in pretty well. If the engine is clearly audible, I stop and seat the ear plugs better.

I gather all information around me while riding by sight; I do not depend on sound. However low frequency sounds still come through because they are sensed through the skull (bone conduction), not the ear canal.

Gotta protect all the hearing I still have. If I’m not riding, mowing, operating tools, etc, most times of the day I usually wear $5,600 worth of hearing aids due to congenital hearing defect. I am extra aware of more potential hearing loss from exposure to loud sounds. I find loud exhaust pipes, for example, most annoying/painful and usually have to cover my ears tightly in their presence. Why someone would voluntarily subject themselves to damaging loud sounds is beyond me. I guess you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

 

[CamaroEric]

I must say, I use the cheap Harbor Freight orange plugs that are something like $7 for 50 pair. I should try something better sometime but I feel they work well anyway. Plus with 50 pair, I can stash them everywhere in case I need a set.