I also can't get used to them - i might try again on the trackday this week.

A lady friend of mine now has to wear hearing aids in both ears due to tinitus caused by years of touring on the back seat of a Goldwing. She didn't wear earplugs and her head was above the riders and hence was more exposed to the wind than his was.

My nan had tinitus, made the last few years of her life an absolute misery. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy

not sure whether the custom fit ones make any difference to balance. I've been buying 40 pairs of the squidgy foam ones from e-bay for less than a fiver. I noticed it was taking longer and longer for my hearing to return to 'normal' after riding without them. My problem now is remembering to get rid of the 'used' ones and not leave them lying in the tankbag or in the pocket of my jacket....'nuf said !!

One thing which has not been mentioned is their use as a performance aid.

Years ago I rode without earplugs and once just before a ride was given a pair to try. Popped em in and off we all went with me at the front for a change ( I always went at the back cos I was the slowest and got in everyones way )

We all arrived at our destination and as I was taking off me helmet and removing the aforesaid plugs I was greeted by the others with such comments as '' You got a rocket up your ar*e today or something? and '' That's the fastest I've ever seen you ride!''

It would seem that subconciously I was using the sound of the engine as a barometer of my speed and was using more revs than normal to achieve the same sound level.

So there you have it guys - Ride to the race track with no earplugs in and put them in just before you go on the track and beat everyone else!:lol:

I get mine from a safety equipment company and they work out at less than 10p a pair (ok so it was a box of 300, but five of us clubbed in and it was worth every penny).
If you go to the safety equip shop be sure to check out the noise ratings on each - cheapest is not best.

Is there a Ducatsi follower working for teletext who decided the subtitles page in teletext should be 888 - just for a laugh?

I SAID....IS THERE A DUCATSI....oh never mind.

Eh?

I've got custom made ones, very comfy but perhaps not as great at sound reduction as foam ones. Been wearing plugs (in my ears!!) for years so its second nature to me now.

never really wear them
i've got a half decent helmet and it aint that loud.........UNTIL
marko gave me a couple of sets he had floating about, popped a set in. and then realised just how much noise there normally is.

Good tip i saw in the of the bike mags if you have never worn or are wondering what all the fuss is about go on a fast ride preferably over 70mph with just one earplug in !.

try it you will be very surprised

I always wear ear plugs and have spares ones in my leathers, under the seat and in my tank bag. Its a shame they werent readily available when I left school and started work as thats when I damaged my hearing both in a noisy workshop and on my AP50 with a ****pot helmet.

I have tried a number of bog standard foam ear plugs but like the Laser Lite yellow and pink ones so I bought some for work and keep them in my garage.

The moulded ones look good but im sure you have to clean them and they are expensive so you would be ****ed off if you lost one/both wheras the litle puppies are cheap and utterly disposable.