Wind noise

alexk

alexk

Weekend Rider
The amount of wind noise I'm getting is maddening. Since I'm an audiophile, I can feel the ear damage after even a 10 minute ride if I skip the earplugs. I've tried a few things, and want your input if you're willing.

Foam shooter's 32db earplugs
I can now go 45m-1h before it starts hurting. Usually.
​
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Proline-Windjammer-Reduces-Helmets-Original/dp/B003FHLNVK/"]WindJammer[/ame]
Reduced the frequency and slightly nudged down the voloume. No time difference.​

Placing my hand around my throat
Holy damn... MASSIVE improvement. Wait.... what?​

That's right... putting my hand around my throat while riding kills the wind noise. It has to be breaking up the wind flow, and it has nothing to do with a flapping collar (I can tighten that down with no effect).

I can't seem to find any products that might do this, so I open this up... any ideas? Could this just be a shiatty chin design on the helmet? Something else I'm missing entirely?
 
Rabbitman109

Rabbitman109

Lumen Junkie
It sounds like your main problem is your helmet. I do not get very much wind noise with my helmet. I have never used ear plugs, but I have heard that they work.
 
alexk

alexk

Weekend Rider
From what I've read, wind noise is a very subjective thing, especially given the varying levels of hearing damage from misspent youth. =p

What I'd love to find out is if others can replicate this - do things go quieter if you cover your throat with your left hand? I've moved the hand all over, and it's most effective vertical, close to the throat, and with a small gap below the helmet.

Forgive the pun, but... baffling...

Earplugs do definitely help, and I'm trying to find something that fits better. Since my ears are so incredibly sensitive (nobody believes me until I sit down and tune their stereos) I feel things so much more quickly than my friends. =(
 
DLSGAP

DLSGAP

New member
More than likely the hand simply diffuses air buffeting at the bottom edge of the helmet.

I've worn ear plugs when I ride since the early 90s and I've always just used hearos or gun range quality foam disposable plugs. Landscaping ones aren't bad either and used to be cheap. I developed tinnitus when I was younger as a result of riding without ear plugs and when I stopped wearing cheap helmets and started wearing plugs... Everything was so much better

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
 
RoadKill

RoadKill

New member
I have to use earplugs or i get ringing in my ears for hours from the wind noise.
over the years I have tried at least 10 different helmets and they all have too much wind noise for me. i never tried the Schuberth C3 but it is out of my price range anyway.

I tried the hand under the helmet before too and that does work but obviously is not practical. ;) now i am used to the earplugs so i don't have to worry about how quiet the helmet is as much.
After years of trying to battle wind noise i eventually gave in to ear plugs.
 
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9 Lives

9 Lives

New member
You can get a chin barrier which will fit most helmets, mine uses the snaps for the liner to clip on. There for snowmobiling to keep the cold air/snow out of the helmet, not sure how it would work for wind noise.
 
chefwill

chefwill

New member
Rabbitman109 said:
It sounds like your main problem is your helmet. I do not get very much wind noise with my helmet. I have never used ear plugs, but I have heard that they work.
Click to expand...

i agree.. after i investing $500-$600 on my Shoei RF-1100 helmet i hear nothing on the freeway. its like driving in a car..silent!
 
1

118118

New member
From my experience there are lots of variables. I used to buy cheap helmets as I only did local trips to work but then my company moved me to a new office 34 miles away with nearly all of it on motorways. Doing a constant 70 mph (honest officer) the wind noise got silly so I resorted to ear plugs and they were great. Then I bought a bluetooth kit so I could ring the wife to put the kettle on ready for my arrival and couldn't hear because of the earplugs (no bad thing thinking about it). After much research I found the Schuberth had one of the best noise ratings but it didn't fit me so I settled for a Shark and could bin the earplugs. This was great on the FZR600 Genesis and R1100RS. Then the FZR went and was replaced by the Fazer8 and back came the wind noise. So off for a new helmet and settled on a Nolan N104 for the bluetooth/FM Radio and still there is wind noise and to make it worse if I have the visor open the smallest amount I can't breath over 40 mph. Next to try is a higher screen (any suggestions greatly appreciated). I also found that the noise was louder if I wore a jacket with a higher collar. I guess you're all bored now and none of this was any help anyway but I suppose the answer is spend enough money and eventually you'll give up and go back to earplugs.
 
TwoWheels

TwoWheels

New member
I rock Klipsch S4 earbuds, they come with a bunch of "buds" but one set of them is made of "foamy" earbud material (what we call squishy earplugs at work). Great earplugs, and, since I have them wired to whatever brand of bluetooth receiver thing i have (I honestly don't remember the name, it's been so long since I bought it), I get to have music when I want it. No calls though, I purposely chose a headphone without a mic, I don't need to talk when I ride.

But for the ultimate in going deaf, I don't know if it's the best on the planet or not, but on my last deployment, they gave me these...



Overseas in a war zone, and back hear when I ride with these, it's like no other earplug I've ever used. It keeps loud noises quiet, and speech understandable. I don't know what they're called, but they're awesome!
 
T

Tango59

New member
It's the helmet !!!! Shoei RF1000 and ear plugs on any ride over 30 minutes. I've got severe hearing loss in one ear and tinnitus. I won't skimp on the helmet.
 
tzortn

tzortn

Pillion
TwoWheels said:
But for the ultimate in going deaf, I don't know if it's the best on the planet or not, but on my last deployment, they gave me these...



Overseas in a war zone, and back hear when I ride with these, it's like no other earplug I've ever used. It keeps loud noises quiet, and speech understandable. I don't know what they're called, but they're awesome!
Click to expand...

Those look like Sonic Defenders from Surefire: EarPro EP3 Sonic Defenders® Earplugs from SureFire

You also might want to look into a helmet skirt like one of these:
NOJ Quiet Rider - webBikeWorld
 
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alexk

alexk

Weekend Rider
The windjammer I linked above is basically a skirt that goes all the way around. Given how much I like skirts (When I don't ride I often wear a kilt to work), I figured I ought to give it a try.

Honestly, I'm not sure it helped. It shifted the pitch down, but I think the intensity increased.

It may be time to bite the bullet and buy a more expensive helmet. It'll probably be an Arai Signet-Q, as my head is a lot more oval than most. Shoeis just rock back and forth and place major pressure points on the front and back of my head.

Too bad. The Shoei GT-Air has a great featureset. =(
 
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