Halfords sell large bags of them. Just a thought.

Studies show most hearing loss while riding is caused by low frequencies from wind noise. The low freq's shake the tiny and delicate scilia fibers surrounding the ear drum.

Listening to music loudly will damage your hearing MORE than wind if loud and long enough exposure. Use Caution. If the drivers are right next to your ear drum ... you'll be deaf in no time. (trust me on this one ... I wear headphones for a living)

Studies also show riders are calmer and more focused when riding with ear plugs. Also, at days end, you will be less fatigued if wearing hearing protection. Quiet and calm is good ... less stress, less fatigue, better riding.

A UK study done on road racers showed with ear plugs, riders heart rate was down significantly. A good thing.

As a sound pro, (movie sound guy) I've dealt with all kinds of hearing protection for the last 25 years ... including "custom" fit ones. I've never liked custom ones, they get gunked up with ear wax and when you lose them ... you've got to pay again. $$$ But as always ... IMHO and YMMV. :D

For the last 7/8 years I've gone with the Howard Leight Laser Lite plugs.
Like Ted, I carry about 10 pairs with me ... and usually replace a set after
four or five days of use. If you can keep them clean ... and dry, (and not lose them) they last longer. Never wash them. Won't work.

The Laser Lite's have 32db attenuation. Better than most custom plugs.
Now up to about $28 per box of 200 pair. (In USA) CHEAP!!

They are soft and comfortable, easy to insert ... but I see MOST riders don't put them in far enough. They must be rolled SMALL, licked, then inserted as far as possible, held in place while they fully expand. DONE! If wet, they can't be rolled up. Toss 'em.

I would disagree with Ted about windshields. A shield is no guarantee of quiet air flow, in fact many shields produce MORE noise (by far) than no shield at all. Getting a shield tuned for quiet is a bit of a black art. I've chased this phantom for years on certain bikes. My DR650 uses no shield and is quieter than most bikes I've owned that have a shield. YMMV.

An under-chin noise dam under your helmet can help reduce low frequency damage, but ear plugs are the best way. The Laser's for me are ALL DAY comfortable ... and a must if sleeping in strange, noisy places.

Howard Leight | Laser Lite Earplugs

http://www.northernsafety.com/Produc...r-Plugs-NRR-32

I think wind screens are a simple science. If its quieter when its on then its... Errrr , quieter.

Duck down to your tank and hear the difference.

I test rise a lot of BMWs with big electric adjustable screens. You can literally turn noise on and off with the switch and it usually is with a couple of inches in height.

Screens work... Bigger the better. Even if they look lame ;)

But many are not quieter, regardless of height. IMO, it's not simple at all as the human factor has to be worked into it.

Ducking down or laying flat on the tank will make any bike quiet ... or even a noisy helmet. But you can't ride down there! :rofl:

Try this test Ted ... ride normally at about 70 mph behind your screen of choice and gauge the noise level. Now stand UP ... getting above the screen. Result? For me, for most bikes with screens, standing is quieter than riding behind the screen. Try it out.

Your body may be dry and protected but you can still have lots of noisy buffeting with a screen. Buffeting can make you deaf over time.
(dangerous sub audible frequencies at work)

Electric screens do give lots more adjustment ... and some can be fine tuned for quiet for some ... but not all riders. But certainly a great option!

I've tested them too ... and every brand, not just BMW. The Kawi Concours 14 is a pretty good one.

In my experience, most sport touring/ADV bikes with fixed screens have been noisy. Also, many aftermarket screens are no better. Of course different sized riders may get different results. Some big barn door screens can push you in the back, a kind of back pressure I guess? ... weird feeling. Pretty quiet but weird! :confused1: An old Guzzi SP1000 I rode years ago did this. The last Guzzi I rode, the Norge, was really noisy for me. The Griso was quiet, but very low.

On my personal bikes I've had mixed results. Took a few tries to get a quiet shield on my DL1000. Finally hit it and it wasn't bad. GREAT in rain. BAD in heat. (less air flow)

On my 1050 Tiger I tried four different screens, including one that was a UK product, multi-adjustable rig. Quite clever ... but never worked for me. Turns out that was true for about half the buyers on the UK Tiger owners forum ... most sold them off or sent them back.

Also tried:
Givi tall and short screen, Triumph tall touring screen, stock screen. Finally went with a very short sport screen which provided little protection but at least was quiet. Some riders hit the mark and got that Tiger quiet ... but it's tricky depending on rider size, shape and posture on the bike.

You can read volumes of posts about screens and wind noise on forums for many bikes ... including BMW GS's, RT's and others. The Vstrom crowd (thousands of riders) went round on screens for 4 years and NEVER found one that worked for everyone. I considered myself lucky to find one that worked! :mchappy:

Ear plugs are very handy to use, especially if you plan to hear accurately in the future. I have multiple sets of Big Ear ear plugs that reduce noise levels about 30 db. I say about, cause I have some plugs that go deeper into my ear canal or extend out a little bit further. I used to shoot trap and skeet a lot, run heavy equipment, chain saws and leave the windows down on my truck (my left ear is my worst). It is the wind noise that is accumulative. Sure wish I had started wearing better plugs years ago. For me, ear plugs are an essential part of my riding outfit and "All of the Gear, All of the time"

Ah ... no, wind noise is not cumulative ... but hearing damage FROM wind noise IS! :thumbup1:

Hearing damage is slow ... and IS cumulative over time. Most never notice until later in life. Some of us naturally lose hearing as we age ... but to protect what we've got ... Ear Plugs all the Time! (I can't ride without them!)

I bought a bag of 25 pairs from Halfords the other day as I already have hearing damage from too much time spent in night clubs and at concerts, they go under the GT Moto brand but when you open the pack they are actually manufactured by 3M and are excellent quality giving a noise reduction rating of 33 dB. However when I tried them on a relatively short trip I found myself too isolated for my own comfort and had to take them out again, hopefully I will get used to them on longer trips.

Product details:

EARSOFT FX UNCORDED

I don't like how foam earplugs muffle all sounds, so I'm not very keen on using them, but I've stumbled on something far better : Nonoise earplugs, they filter wind noise, but you can hear all other sounds that are important while riding, like engine noise, siren, and you can have conversation with someone without removing them from you ears!
They have some sort of ceramic filter that filters most of those bad frequencies that cause hearing damage.
And they come in a small metal container that you can use as keychain.

I have been reading about to use or not to use. I use them all the time. A little tip if you do as well. Poking them in and out of your ear all the time. Can pick up dirt, that end's up in your ear. I use some Sudocream. It's a antiseptic cream they use on baby's. Easy to slip the plug in once you have creamed up the plug and ear. Combined with cotton bud's. To use after a shower. Clean's the wax out as well. As the cream softness the wax up. Had no problem use them this way. Save's ear infection.
Hope this help's
John933