Safety Tip from Throttle - What did you say?

Riding motorcycles can be noisy. At speeds above 40 mph most of the noise doesn’t come from your motorcycle but from the wind. In fact, at about 60mph, you can expect wind noise to be around 100dB. OSHA standards would allow you only about 2 hours of exposure to that level of noise. Ear plugs significantly reduce wind noise. And because the sound frequency of wind is much different from that of the sounds made by your motorcycle and surroundings, ear plugs don’t actually reduce your ability to hear your engine/pipes or the sirens from emergency vehicles. Ear plugs actually enhance your ability to hear your surroundings because you don’t have that constant “howling” of wind. Many folks also comment on how wearing earplugs has reduced their fatigue while riding.

The negative I hear most often about ear plugs is their comfort (or lack thereof). There are several different types of ear plugs from disposable foam ear plugs (a few dollars for a pack) to custom molded plugs (~ $55 and up).

Here are a few articles on ear plugs and motorcycling:

• http://www.isvr.co.uk/at_work/m_cycle.htm
• http://plugup.com/cart/images/NakedTruth.pdf

For questions, comments, or suggestions on safety tips please contact Rob 'Throttle' Capozzi.

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