Decibel Noise

Pouakai · Dec 19, 2013

Agreed !
I've never needed on a bike before but on this bike anything more than a 20min doddle through town will leave me with ringing ears. It's more about engine and exhaust noise than wind cos my other bikes at same speeds don't need plugs. Riding with plugs though is great - it really increases your focus and I can ride faster and more accurate with plugs.
Interestingly I had cause to fit the baffles to my termis the other day and I took the opportunity to take a measurement. Using 'SPL Meter' on my iPhone at helmet height and 5000rpm I measured 105db for the baffled Termis, I removed the baffles then repeated the measurement - 102db !!
The unbaffled Termis have a greater low frequency component which will be the hardest to register with the small microphone of the iPhone but I was still surprised to see the lower figure for the unbaffled Termi!
P

Brad · Dec 19, 2013

NOLA said:
So, I just got back from a ride, was gone most of the day (Yes, it was like 60-68 degrees here today ). I have the Termi exhaust on my Panigale and usually wear inside the ear foamies when I ride. Today I stopped for gas a few miles away from my house and didn't put them back in on the ride home, and when I got here, realized that when I got off the bike it was weirdly over quiet, then I noticed a little bit of a ringing"¦I thought :
1. Why did I do that?
2. I wonder how many Decibels my Termi's put out?
3. How long can I hear that PLUS wind noise before hearing damage?
4. How many people on this board use ear pro when they ride?

I have looked on here and the net for Decibel (dB) ratings and learned that for the most part a stock Panigale is 92ish in dB and with Termi its 111ish in dB. So I took that and did some cross reference to some studies with Doctors in Audiology giving their thoughts on damage. Keep in mind those 92-111dB ratings are prob not also factoring in wind noise at 55-65 miles per hour.

The study below shows that with 111.9dB you can safely have that amount of sound entering your ear for 56 seconds. Yes, 56. I sure rode more than 56 seconds at 65mph.

http://www.audiologyworld.net/pdf/motorcyclenoise.pdf

So my ultimate question is, how many people here use ear pro when they do normal street riding ? Is it normal to wear them on Ducati's ? I don't see many other V2 style bikes with riders putting them in.
Maybe one of the Mods can make one of those little "Vote" survey links at the top for people to vote on.

Thanks

NOLA

The study is correct.

So if one values listening to good music on quality HI-FI then I'd suggest we all should use the best ear plugs available.

Also if I remember correctly, every 3 db is actually double the volume

I know it doesn't sound like it whilst listening to noise though.

Brad · Dec 19, 2013

double0 said:
There's no way the stock cans are only 92db. I think they're around 100-105 range. I forget the exact number but it is over 100. I don't wear ear plugs when I ride. I've been bumpin sounds in my cars for over 15 years and my last car was a Yukon Denali with 4 12" subs. Was puttin out about 154db. I can definitely feel a noticeable difference from my right to left ear since the left ear is by the window side and isn't impacted as much as the right side but to my surprise, I haven't lost any hearing yet after having hearing tests performed. I'm sure that as I age, I'll notice it more n more but time will tell.

Once I get the akra pipes down the road, I may start using plugs but dont know yet. I've been riding for 10 years and have never felt the need to use them. Then again this is my first twin bike.

Youth is a wonderful thing.

Pity it's wasted on the young.

Brad · Dec 19, 2013

outhouse said:
me thinks someone is forgetting ones helmet reduces decibels

Not as much as one would think.

Then there's the issue of the wind noise generated from the helmet itself. It's very destructive in it's own right.
It's advisable to wear the maximum db protection ear plugs that one can get at all times.

Brad · Dec 19, 2013

transdesigner said:
As outhouse said, there is a fairly large db drop from helmet on vs off. The other thing is in regards to that 56 sec at a time, the 111db is at high RPMs, and at least on the streets I personally don't ride around pinned at redline all the time. So I don't think it's quite that bad with a helmet on and say an avg of 6k RPM level of sound

That said, after an hr ride with a friend that also had an 1199 with termis next to me, my ears were absolutely ringing when i got home... so i can relate

Go riding with a pack of Harleys that have very loud exhausts.
Then you'll know about it

Brad · Dec 19, 2013

ScrapperX said:
Stock cans were measured @103db at Laguna. Even tried rolling off but no go got kicked off the track. The Termi full system is pretty loud with my COSAIR V. I bought a Shoei RF1200 to reduced the exhaust and wind noise. It reduced it dramatically but I am wearing ear plugs now with NPR33 ratings. Never had noise problems with my other bikes.

Very wise

2013RedSabs · Dec 19, 2013

I use to have a set of molded earplugs which were filtered to allow the voice frequency range to be heard in a noisy environment. I often paired them with hard shell type hearing protection. They were comfortable to wear for long periods and worked quite well. Unfortunately, they took a long walk and haven't been seen since. If you can find a disposable type that you like they will be cheaper depending on how often you ride.

Like DoubleO, I also ran a sound system for well over a decade. I went for a hearing test and was surprised to learn that I was at the 95th percentile for my age. I attribute part of that result to my sensitivity to the higher frequencies which lead me to reduce the harshness of my systems top end. Having the windows down reduced the reflected waves back into the vehicle but did expose me to more wind noise, particularly the left ear.

bradp51 · Dec 20, 2013

NOLA said:
So, I just got back from a ride, was gone most of the day (Yes, it was like 60-68 degrees here today ). I have the Termi exhaust on my Panigale and usually wear inside the ear foamies when I ride. Today I stopped for gas a few miles away from my house and didn't put them back in on the ride home, and when I got here, realized that when I got off the bike it was weirdly over quiet, then I noticed a little bit of a ringing"¦I thought :
1. Why did I do that?
2. I wonder how many Decibels my Termi's put out?
3. How long can I hear that PLUS wind noise before hearing damage?
4. How many people on this board use ear pro when they ride?

I have looked on here and the net for Decibel (dB) ratings and learned that for the most part a stock Panigale is 92ish in dB and with Termi its 111ish in dB. So I took that and did some cross reference to some studies with Doctors in Audiology giving their thoughts on damage. Keep in mind those 92-111dB ratings are prob not also factoring in wind noise at 55-65 miles per hour.

The study below shows that with 111.9dB you can safely have that amount of sound entering your ear for 56 seconds. Yes, 56. I sure rode more than 56 seconds at 65mph.

http://www.audiologyworld.net/pdf/motorcyclenoise.pdf

So my ultimate question is, how many people here use ear pro when they do normal street riding ? Is it normal to wear them on Ducati's ? I don't see many other V2 style bikes with riders putting them in.
Maybe one of the Mods can make one of those little "Vote" survey links at the top for people to vote on.

Thanks

NOLA

I wear some 33db rubber/foam earplugs. I have Tinitus in one ear and do not want it in the other.

IdZer0 · Dec 20, 2013

Probably not going to happen, but I'd love to see one of the reputable helmet brands incorporate a hardshell type hearing protection in a helmet.

capnjack52 · Dec 20, 2013

Wear plugs!

For all who have served or are serving in the military, you will recall that this subject was harped on all the time for ANY high noise environments - flight lines/carrier decks, naval gunfire, small arms training, engine rooms, you name it. A motorcycle is no different: engine/wind noise = high noise environment. That ringing you 'hear' after a ride? Your inner ear telling you it's just been badly rattled. Do you recover from it after awhile? Sorta. Short of a single destructive blast (Gunny, you can relate!), hearing loss is insidious - and cumulative. You may not notice it very much when you're younger. But, as you are repeatedly exposed to high noise environments, I absolutely assure you that it WILL catch up with you. Your helmet gives you some protection as the UF study showed, but plugs make a big difference. Disposable foamies (I use MAX brand 33 dBa attenuating plugs) are cheap insurance against the thousands of bucks that hearing aids will cost you later (earlier?) in life. Please, take care of your hearing, my friends - you cannot replace it.

du11co · Dec 20, 2013

bradp51 said:
I wear some 33db rubber/foam earplugs. I have Tinitus in one ear and do not want it in the other.

Same here. It sucks.
Years of a pressure-washing job during college,,
before I knew any better (or my boss knowing/caring about OSHA).

I always wear earplugs when riding now.

Brad · Dec 20, 2013

Back in my early working life the only people who had hearing protection supplied by the employer were those that worked at the airport around jets on the tarmac all day.

I've paid the price with my hearing.
Now I wear 33db ear plugs whenever I ride as well.

I am also of the understanding that the experts are saying that even 33db ear plugs aren't really enough.
They say that one should also wear proper hard ear muffs as well due to lower frequency pressure pulses doing damage which is not mitigated by the foam ear plugs.

Maybe after I'm dead it will be confirmed by extensive studies to that effect.
I suppose i'll just have to go to my grave with the last sounds i'll ever hear being the ringing in my ears from tinnitus.

John1199 · Dec 20, 2013

Certainly a loud bike, even with the stock system. I rarely wear earplugs on the road, but always on the track. I seem to go faster when I'm isolated from the wind noise specifically...

Keilaz · Dec 21, 2013

Brad said:
Back in my early working life the only people who had hearing protection supplied by the employer were those that worked at the airport around jets on the tarmac all day.

I've paid the price with my hearing.
Now I wear 33db ear plugs whenever I ride as well.

I am also of the understanding that the experts are saying that even 33db ear plugs aren't really enough.
They say that one should also wear proper hard ear muffs as well due to lower frequency pressure pulses doing damage which is not mitigated by the foam ear plugs.

Maybe after I'm dead it will be confirmed by extensive studies to that effect.
I suppose i'll just have to go to my grave with the last sounds i'll ever hear being the ringing in my ears from tinnitus.

I have been wear the same type of ear plugs for many years as I have tinnitus as well. Found your comments interesting on the low frequency noise. Might have to do some more research on how to manage it.

turnone · Dec 22, 2013

I wear ear plugs for all the reasons stated.
Less chance of damage to ears, better to hear the bike and traffic.

Hell, I'm one of those types that wear my ear plugs even when I don't wear a helmet.

I use the E•A•R foam ones with flames on them to make me faster. Buy by the box on Amazon.com.

Highly recommended on any bike.

Phl · Dec 22, 2013

Brad said:
Go riding with a pack of Harleys that have very loud exhausts.
Then you'll know about it

They hate me

Decibel Noise

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