Pinlock Ear plugs

[martyl]

Bought these at Cycle gear today for $21.00 U.S. Although I ride with a very good sound damping Helmet (Shuberth) I'm still getting noise at speeds over 60MPH. I used regular foam ear plugs but they cancel everything and they're a hassle to put in and keep in. Also, I use a Sena 20S and with regular foam plugs I have to have the Sena set at almost full volume. Not good. So... I stopped by Cycle Gear and asked the guy there about ear plugs. He said that they were getting the, "PinLock" brand ear plugs. He had been using them for a while and he really likes them. They come in two sizes and has one pair of filters that fit in to the plugs. So when I get home the guy calls me and the UPS man just dropped them off. So I went back over and bought a set and went for a test ride. What's nice is these plugs dampen wind noise but not important sound like horns, sirens, and even conversation. They work well with communication systems so I don't have to crank the volume on my Sena. Very good investment to save my hearing.
 

 

 
 

[BBB]

Thanks for the heads up martyl. I got some of these yesterday and did some 90mph motorway stretches. They are very comfortable once I'd chosen the correct size and they are great at lowering the high pitched wind noise I get at that speed.

[1moreroad]

Old thread, new post.  About once a year I look into alternative ear plugs, but I've almost always gone back to cheap foamies.  For most of my 20 year riding career I've used the Howard Leight Laser Lite 32 dB plugs.  The all orange 33s worked about the same but caused pain after 1 - 2 hours of riding.  No good for day rides.  Now in my late 40s, the Laser Lites are fine except for all day rides when they start to hurt after about 8 hours.  About 2 years ago, my wife got me a set of Bose noise cancelling ear buds which are better than the Laser Lites except in heavy highway traffic - the noise cancelling can't keep up with buffeting wind noise. 

I ordered a set of these Pinlocks from a UK store on Ebay.  I tried them out today.

In town and slower, technical twisties I think these will be awesome - they cut out enough road noise to be comfortable while - like @martyl said - letting more ambient noise through.  I don't think they would be good for highway drones.  They're still too loud for that.

I also bought a bag of Oxford bright yellow disposable foamies that claim 39 dB noise reduction. 

https://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Plugs-SNR39-25-Pairs-Protection/dp/B00YBOIY4K

These are the quietest ear plugs I've ever ridden in at highway speeds.  The Oxfords in open air are  about the same volume as the Laser Lites while I'm ducked down behind the windscreen.  For the 10 minutes I had them in (trying out different ear plugs), they actually feel softer than the Laser Lites so I'm hopeful that they will be comfortable at the end of an all day ride.  $21 for 25 pairs.  Not cheap, but not ridiculous.  I can usually get about 3 rides out of a pair of foamies. If they're comfortable at the end of an all day ride, these will be my go to ear plugs.

[Bimbim18]

I've tried 5-6 different 'motorcycle' ear plugs. I use ear plugs every time I hit the interstate, even with my new windshield and neotec 2 i recommend ear plugs. 

Pinlocks are really good. Went through 2 sets (Dog ate one pair lost the second set)  

Currently using ear peace since I have tiny ear canals and they recently released a small size. Alpines are worth trying as well.  Attenuated ear plugs are so much better than foamies, I recommend to anyone trying a few to see which ones work good for you

 

Edit: in the military I used to do a lot of industrial hygiene,  including a lot of noise dosimetry. I have a good background and understanding of a lot of things the packaging and companies don't care to go into detail about (and more than I care to get into lol).  Afew years ago when i started riding,  I actually dug,  probably too deep into it,  reading published research papers on wind tunneling and noise levels at different frequencies and all kinds of stuff.  It actually gets pretty complex when you really get into it. The noise reduction ratings they have to publish is actually very unfair to the plug manufacturers,  especially ones that do better at different frequencies.  Often times the noise reduction ratings are not accurate measure of actual performance and real life noise reduction.  Try out a few different ones and see what works for you,  your bike, riding and helmet. 

Edited December 20, 2020 by Bimbim18