Helmets and Wind noise
 

Can anyone recommend a fairly quiet helmet I know most are quiet noisey but there must be one thats got good sound deadening properties.
ian:puzzled:

schuberth? believe they're supposed to be about the quietest

Ear plugs are the best way mate I never ride with out them :biaggi:

yep ear plugs are the way, I have a hearing loss and now tinnitus cause i didnt wear plugs when i got my first big bike. Its the most annoying thing a constant noise in ur ear basically.

Believe me u dont want it at all, can also prevent fatigue to wearing ear plugs esp on long rides.

But u either have resistant ears to tinnitus or not but ear plugs still prevent hearing loss to:D:D:D

http://ducatisportingclub.com/xmb/vi...=3926#pid30836

I find that the Schuberth Concept is quieter and more comfortable than both the Arai and Shoei that I own. But for longer rides I still wear earplugs. You should too.

[Edited on 5-29-2005 by Shazaam!]

Shoei are noise free and the best fit I have ever had.
Check out I think it was Ride magazines group test. The XR900 (?) came out tops.
Arai also have a great reputation but are noisy. The Shoei would be my choice for a lid if buying today.
Always wear ear plugs in any case.
I never did 'till I got the Arai, and having read up more on bikes etc, know more about how damaging to your ears the noise we make really is.
Deafness is cumulative after all.

Tim

I got a new Shoei XR1000 at Ally Paly this year and its a great deal quiter than my previous Arai RX7 Corsair.

Always used ear plugs with arai, now I don't bother - but suppose I should really.

Go for a helmet with fewer vents, I find additional vents increase the wind noise, got a Shoei X spirt which is OK but will probably get an XR1000 for longer trips. Tried Arai's and AGV but found the visor system with its external pod facing forward increases noise. keeping the rubber visor seal strip onhelmet cleaned and lubed with the silicon supplied also decreases noise at the expense of fogging up as it seals so much better

The Roof has a good reputation as a quiet helmet. I only have 1 lid, a Roof Diversion R010 so have nothing to comapre it too but can confirm it is comfortable and well made with all the right regs passed. I still wear ear plugs though.

:rolleye:I had a Roof,very quiet,much more so than a Shoei xr1000 and a couple of Arai's i've had.But really like everyone else says,wear ear plugs.If you can't get ones that are comfortable,look into getting custom made ones.:rolleye:

Buy a helmet cause its fits the best , that way it will offer best protection , then wear ear plugs
Dont go for one just because its the quietest unless its also the best fit :D
Which would make it the perfect helmet

I find my AGV is quiet enough to hear CK's singing at 90mph (on the track of course :o )
I always wear ear plugs when I'm biking anyway. Make sure the screen you have is not firing the wind straight into your face, it creates a lot of turbulence which makes for a noisy ride. That's why you'll find a quiet spot at certain speeds, when the airflow smooths out around your head ;)

Thanks peps
I do wear ear plugs but I've got a very noisy helmet (no laughing at the back):lol:
I like the XR1000 so might give that a look over cheers
ian

I keep trying ear plugs and cant seem to get to grips with them, perhaps I just need to give it a bit of time but I find somehow it turns the whole riding experience into a bit of a video game. Does that make sense? What I'm trying to say is whenever I have worn them I find myself going quicker than I would without them as everything is so much quieter and I feel more "remote" from whats going on. Anyone else feel the same?

Saying that when I have been on long tours abroad I have made the effort to wear them and after a day or 2 wondered I have managed so long without them but on returning home I started riding without again and got used to that.

I have a Arai RX7 and a Quantum and they are very noisy I borrowed my mates Shoei for an hour once and it was much quieter. Has anyone tried those ear plugs that are made to fit your ear?

I have Arai and Roof.

The RX7 Arai is hugely noisy and you need plugs for almost any ride but the Roof is very quiet and you can leave the plugs at home if you choose.

You should really wear plugs all the time though I suppose :(

Phil

I wear the made to measure ear plugs ( work pays for them)
and would not go out without them , i have tried the foam type one's but could not get on with them at all

I know exactly what you mean.
My hearing has suffered through riding with draughty old helmets in the 70's and 80's.Those Bell Star lids were terrible.I started to wear ear plugs for long trips,like up to the TT or NW200.I have gradually got used to them and would never ride without them.I find the classic foam plugs suit me best.I've tried the rubbery ones and could'nt get on with them.
Just as well really,as I have an unlimited supply of the foam plugs.Marko and I both have to work in noisy environments and we get them for free.

in the last 12 months ive owned a arai quantum, ( a bit noisy but very comfortable) a agv rossi ti-tech ( would never buy agav again ) and i now have a shoei xr1000 kagayama( good but not that good )

i will only buy arai in the future as its far comfier, its still fits me now 4 years later where the shoei has given in already ( 2months old )

wear ear plugs if you can then buy a helmet thats comfy

makes sense to me, i found that with the plugs in it was like i was watching telly..weird..but ive got to get used to it cause my right ear crackels when the exhaust note is at a certain pitch.....

My UVEX RS WING Is very quite but since I changed the visor I get a cold draft in one eye most anying can't seem to adjust it out.
I might go back to a Shoei next time:D:D
But always wear ear plugs.:eureka:

Shoei Z One, very quiet, very comfy, oh yes, and I always wear plugs. I have a Shoei shaped head and couldn't get an Arai to fit me, they have now changed the shape of the Arai-actually they have 2 shapes-so I can now get them to fit so may try an Arai next time.

John

pardon? what did he say? ;) old ones are the best, - jokes monty, not you.

arai will always be noisy until the change their ear pod design, - too lumps of plastic over your ears cause air turbulance which is what does the damage, - wonder if I have a legal case as I have constant tinnitus, guess the AC/DC concerts in the 1970's may also have something to do with it!
Howver I like the fit and quality of the arai, - until I tried a Shark RSR last year, - arai quality and fit yet quieter. But still need ear plugs, - made to measure fit best but not as quiet as plug in types.

I know exactly what you mean, I can't hear a thing when I have occasionally tried earplugs, but now with the 999 and a new RX7 the noise is getting unbearable, after a day on the bike yesterday my left ear was aching, but I know if I try earplugs I end up in my own little world and cannot hear a thing around me. :puzzled:

My Shark lid was much quieter than my Shoei XR1000 which I think is a noisy lid. With the Shark, short trips without earplugs were OK, with the Shoei, there's no way I would ride without ear plugs, I did it once just after I had bought it for a 40 mile trip back home from the BMF. Never again, plugs every time now.