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Which earplugs do you use?


dakota

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I bought the Alpine motosafe earplugs a few days ago. I haven't got any experiences with it, but I hope the test results are true. It has two changeable filters for different noise effects. One is for touring and an other is for race or naked bikes. We will see...
 
 
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Okay, I'm going to take a chance on looking stupid here but I was all set to buy the Sena SMH-10 Bluetooth headset when it occurred to me..."I wear earplugs!" I can't imagine riding without earplugs but my question is, has anybody used the communicator AND earplugs successfully? In other words, can you hear your GPS audio directions for example, while wearing foam earplugs? I'd buy the communicator and try it out but Revzilla doesn't take returns on electronics, so don't want to take a chance.
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I bought the Alpine motosafe earplugs a few days ago. I haven't got any experiences with it, but I hope the test results are true. It has two changeable filters for different noise effects. One is for touring and an other is for race or naked bikes. We will see...
Sorry to say that I didn't find these very effective, with either filter and they hurt my ears. I really hope they work better for you. 
These pinlock ones have the same idea and work much better for me.
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/212436
 

Red 2015 Tracer, UK spec (well, it was until I started messing with it...)

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I have switched from No Noise to disposable orange foam ones. I still use the no noise for my longest rides as I find them a bit more comfortable but they do not block sound as well as the foam ones. I still feel like I can hear traffic adequately using the foam earplugs.
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I wear custom earplugs after I tired of messing with foam. I wore these for years since I already had them for range use:
 
https://www.westone.com/store/defendear/index.php/defendear-recreational/filtered
 
But once the FJ came into play, the noise was too much and as some mentioned, my Hornet X2 and speakers made the plugs move:
 
https://www.westone.com/store/defendear/index.php/defendear-recreational/sleep
 
Otoblast silicone rather than the one the sleep normally comes in. Now, those take some time to get used to put on. I have one that always takes some time. But still easier than foamies.
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Okay, I'm going to take a chance on looking stupid here but I was all set to buy the Sena SMH-10 Bluetooth headset when it occurred to me..."I wear earplugs!" I can't imagine riding without earplugs but my question is, has anybody used the communicator AND earplugs successfully? In other words, can you hear your GPS audio directions for example, while wearing foam earplugs? I'd buy the communicator and try it out but Revzilla doesn't take returns on electronics, so don't want to take a chance.
 
 
I have no problems hearing the SMH-10 when I wear ear plugs. I use the No Noise plugs.
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After trying a variety of foam plugs, none being satisfactory, I bought the Bose QC 12 noise reduction ear buds.  The price is steep at $249, but the results have been fantastic.  I ride with a Shoe modular helmet and the ear buds fit underneath easily.  I don't connect the ear buds to a music source so I can still hear well enough to detect surrounding traffic and emergency vehicles.  Riding now is much more enjoyable.
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  • 3 weeks later...
I bought the Alpine motosafe earplugs a few days ago. I haven't got any experiences with it, but I hope the test results are true. It has two changeable filters for different noise effects. One is for touring and an other is for race or naked bikes. We will see...
Sorry to say that I didn't find these very effective, with either filter and they hurt my ears. I really hope they work better for you. 
These pinlock ones have the same idea and work much better for me.
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/212436

I just picked a pair of the pinlocks up and I absolutely love them, started out using the larger ones but quickly switched to the smaller ones and they are perfect I can wear them for hours. For those considering a re usable kind like this or those that already have them I highly recommend a nice small container to keep in your jacket for storage. I'm using a little plastic container that came in a travel kit intended for makeup or something.
'17 electric white fj - oem heated grips - oem hard side bags - heated corbin saddle - mra touring screen - motodynamic tail light - baja designs led turn signals - yoshimura full exhaust/fender eliminator - k-tech razor r rear shock/front fork kit - evotech radiator guard - mt-09 adventure pegs - pazzo shorty levers - stainless bar end weights
'19 Husky fe501 - cut off a few things and fixed the fueling
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Used foam plugs for years and always found them acceptably comfortable and way less fatiguing than riding without.
 
But on a whim, I purchased the Pinlock earplugs and was totally smitten with the sound dampening.  The thing that makes the Pinlock ones great (and unique) is that they attenuate wind noise frequencies and super high frequencies more than the other ranges.  This means that wind (in my Shoei RF-1200) was reduced to a whisper at speed and the engine is even easier to hear... sounds very natural and you don't have that intensely-muffled, "I-can't-hear-sh**!" sound profile of foam plugs.
 
However, my ear canals are too deep for the pinlock plugs and after almost losing one to the abyss of my left ear opening, I bought a pair of Etymotic ER20XS high definition plugs, and they have a flatter ~20 db attenuation across all ranges, but still sound great and stick out just a bit so that removal is much easier... for some people this might protrude too much though and cause issues while wearing a helmet.
 
Overall both the Pinlock and Etymotic options are great and I wholeheartedly recommend them over foam plugs :)
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I have a set of customs, Ear Mold. Not sure if these are uniquely Australian, or whether they're available to our American kin, but I love them.
 
Good noise reduction (and my helmet is getting quite leaky and loud by now), while still being able to hear my engine, and traffic.
They can make it a smidge hard to hear people trying to speak when we pull up, especially if there's a bunch of surrounding noise (like half a dozen running bikes), but overall I reckon they're excellent. They're also available with speakers in them, along with ruggedized auxiliary cables etc, but I went with the plain ones for my first set.
 
Have been using them six-months or so now, and can really pick the difference when I pull up at the end of the day. My ears don't ring, fatigue is lower, and they only get uncomfortable after 10+ hours riding, in hot conditions.
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I have a set of customs, Ear Mold. Not sure if these are uniquely Australian, or whether they're available to our American kin, but I love them. 
Good noise reduction (and my helmet is getting quite leaky and loud by now), while still being able to hear my engine, and traffic.
They can make it a smidge hard to hear people trying to speak when we pull up, especially if there's a bunch of surrounding noise (like half a dozen running bikes), but overall I reckon they're excellent. They're also available with speakers in them, along with ruggedized auxiliary cables etc, but I went with the plain ones for my first set.
 
Have been using them six-months or so now, and can really pick the difference when I pull up at the end of the day. My ears don't ring, fatigue is lower, and they only get uncomfortable after 10+ hours riding, in hot conditions.
Been using these for years.   Your comments are spot-on.   Best bike accessory yet! 

Riding a fully-farkled 2019 MT-09 Tracer 900 GT from my bayside home in South East Queensland, Australia.   

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I have a set of customs, Ear Mold. Not sure if these are uniquely Australian, or whether they're available to our American kin, but I love them. 
Good noise reduction (and my helmet is getting quite leaky and loud by now), while still being able to hear my engine, and traffic.
They can make it a smidge hard to hear people trying to speak when we pull up, especially if there's a bunch of surrounding noise (like half a dozen running bikes), but overall I reckon they're excellent. They're also available with speakers in them, along with ruggedized auxiliary cables etc, but I went with the plain ones for my first set.
 
Have been using them six-months or so now, and can really pick the difference when I pull up at the end of the day. My ears don't ring, fatigue is lower, and they only get uncomfortable after 10+ hours riding, in hot conditions.
Been using these for years.   Your comments are spot-on.   Best bike accessory yet!
Yep. Only thing I could change, if I could, would be to go back in time and get them with speakers. 
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