Superbike Planet has been running a series of posts from staffers that used to work for the Late, Great, CYCLE magazine, all of which have been very interesting, and bring back memories of one of the Golden Ages of Motorcycling.
Mark Lindemann is the latest ex-CYCLE staffer to contribute his thoughts on life after working for THE GREATEST MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE OF ALL TIME. From his post at Superbike Planet:
"Then you get out into the rest of the world and you discover that it's largely made up of 15-watt bulbs, and half of those aren't screwed in. It's tough to do your best in an underlit room."
". . . 15-watt bulbs . . ."
That one goes straight into my lexicon.
Go
here
for more of the same, and a look back on the inside of the best motorcycle magazine ever.
From 1975 up till about 1994, I used the yellow foam ear plugs available at drugstores (shown above), which are now sold as E-A-RŪ ClassicŪ Plugs by the
E-A-R company. They had an NRR rating of 29dB, which was pretty good at the time.
The E-A-R plugs came in a little "pillow-pack" shaped package (see right), which could be re-used (beats putting them in your pocket and getting them all linty/dirty/more gross than they already are after using them). Of course, being a poor student at the time, I stretched the "Single Use" earplugs' life out as much as I could. they generally lost their effectiveness after about 2 and a half to 3 days of commuting back and forth to school.
Then early in 1994 while looking for a set of ears for a shooting meet, I found
HOWARD LEIGHT MAX earplugs (shown on the right). They have an NRR rating of 33db - that's 4db greater than the old yellow E-A-R earplugs I used to wear. 33db is about as good as it gets without having custom-molded earplugs made specifically for your ears.
If you ride on a daily basis, I HIGHLY recommend these earplugs if you intend to have any hearing left at all when you get to retirement age.
I buy the MAX earplugs 200 to the box now (see right), and use them for everything, including riding motorcycles, mowing the lawn, using power saws and other tools, and driving noisy cars. I keep a handful in my backpack, another couple of packages in my fanny pack, and another bunch in my shooting bags.
They claim single use - I use one pair about every two to three days when riding back and forth to work. If you're really cheap, you can wash them, but they are very difficult to get in your ears after washing - they won't squish down.
Check out your local safety supply store for MAX earplugs. There is also a size for people with slightly smaller ears.
UPDATE: Well, I guess
Hippo Hands DO still exist, but good grief! I didn't remember them being so humongous and extending all the way up to the elbow!
Check out the picture of the touring rig on the right. You could store a spare helmet in those things!
Not exactly small enough to store conveniently for those of us who don't run car-sized rigs!
My homemade versions were much smaller and easier to stash. Let's see what else we can find . . .
UPDATE to the UPDATE: Ahhh . . . here we go. Much better. Looks like there are a lot of different versions on the market. Here's a much smaller, more versatile (and stylish) option called
Moto Muffs. Cheaper, too. The inset picture shows the same set mounted on a dirt bike.
If you're going to mount something like this on a sportbike, be sure to check the clearances and operation of your controls during full-lock turns in the parking lot. It would be really embarassing to dump it because your thumb got squashed due to reduced gas tank/handgrip clearance.
Best.
I've been using earplugs for motorcycle riding since 1975. I originally started using them to protect my hearing, but almost immediately discovered a much bigger benefit. They protect you from sound-induced fatigue. Continuous wind noise is probably the biggest impediment to rider concentration there is. Cutting wind noise will increase your ability to concentrate more than any other distraction, which will increase your safety tremendously.
From 1975 up till about 1994, I used the yellow foam ear plugs available at drugstores (shown above), which are now sold as E-A-RŪ ClassicŪ Plugs by the
I buy the MAX earplugs 200 to the box now (see right), and use them for everything, including riding motorcycles, mowing the lawn, using power saws and other tools, and driving noisy cars. I keep a handful in my backpack, another couple of packages in my fanny pack, and another bunch in my shooting bags.
Nicky Hayden Wins USGP !
It requires only a couple of produce bags from the local grocery and a couple of medium sized rubber bands. When you get caught in the rain and have miles to go to get home, this will make it bearable for the 'ol digits, and improve both comfort and safety. Check out the graphic on the right, and follow these simple steps:
UPDATE: Well, I guess
UPDATE to the UPDATE: Ahhh . . . here we go. Much better. Looks like there are a lot of different versions on the market. Here's a much smaller, more versatile (and stylish) option called
What Doesn't See You WILL Kill You - Part
I