dizzy929
Well-known member
+1 cheap solution and you really should be wearing them anyways. Wind noise does a number on your hearing.
Helmets and Wind Noise
- Thread starter rbjeepthing
- Start date
+1 cheap solution and you really should be wearing them anyways. Wind noise does a number on your hearing.
Might even be 11/10.
Reader's Choice Award candidate.
Why for you not read the OP?
dizzy929
Well-known member
lol oops guessed I missed that part
You're not alone...
There's a few components to wind noise, biggest is the air gap where your neck/face don't make contact with the helmet. This has nothing to do with the cost of the helmet, Shoei have wind noise too if you aren't blinded by the fact that you spent more than an average amount of money on the helmet. Next is the seal from visor to helmet, you'll get a whistling, but not the ear damaging white noise like at the base of the helmet, more of an annoyance, this might be helmet quality related, dunno. Next are all the vents, they make some noise, not as big of a deal though. So not being able to wear ear plugs (I read OP's post) you'll want to look for the best fit around the neck/chin area. Scorpion EX-1000 have inflatable bladders to adjust the cheekpads, might be worth looking into a helmet that has inflators to improve the seal.
I used to have a fluid in the ear problem as a kid, severe dizzyness and had a simple surgery to insert some stoppels into my ears to drain the fluid. No problems now 30ish years later. Not sure if that's an option for you but the surgery is very simple if it is.
I have 5 different helmets now ranging from $100 to $600 and what I've come to realise is that price has zero bearing on the quietness of the helmet. Also a helmet that is quiet for one person on one bike might not be quiet for another person on a different bike. My quietest helmet is a relatively cheap HJCIS16 helmet fitted with a Windjammer whereas my SharkRSI fitted with the Windjammer is still noisy. Some things that I found that help are wearing a reasonably thick neck scarf that I push up into the chin area of the helmet, stops some of the louder booming noises from the wind, wearing earplugs (again, if you can correct your problem you'll be better off otherwise you can get hearing loss from this wind noise), tucking in behind the windscreen makes a huge difference but it's not that comfy on my bike, changing the windscreen height/angle can make a difference too depending on where turbulent air is hitting you.
I have 5 different helmets now ranging from $100 to $600 and what I've come to realise is that price has zero bearing on the quietness of the helmet. Also a helmet that is quiet for one person on one bike might not be quiet for another person on a different bike. My quietest helmet is a relatively cheap HJCIS16 helmet fitted with a Windjammer whereas my SharkRSI fitted with the Windjammer is still noisy. Some things that I found that help are wearing a reasonably thick neck scarf that I push up into the chin area of the helmet, stops some of the louder booming noises from the wind, wearing earplugs (again, if you can correct your problem you'll be better off otherwise you can get hearing loss from this wind noise), tucking in behind the windscreen makes a huge difference but it's not that comfy on my bike, changing the windscreen height/angle can make a difference too depending on where turbulent air is hitting you.
rbjeepthing
Well-known member
As to my ear issue it can be operated on but it it fails I risk having to possibly have a cochlear implant
so not worth the risk just to be able to wear ear plugs.
PS: I edited my original post to make the "can't wear ear plugs more visible" . Thanks for the responses everyone. I feel this could be a good thread for any newb or oldtimer as it's often over looked. Keep'em coming!
so not worth the risk just to be able to wear ear plugs.
PS: I edited my original post to make the "can't wear ear plugs more visible" . Thanks for the responses everyone. I feel this could be a good thread for any newb or oldtimer as it's often over looked. Keep'em coming!
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Those sound like some damn good ear plugs, all the ones I've tried only quieted down noise a bit, never even close to blocking engine noise completely. Can you ask where your friend buys his?
Try to stop the wind with a higher windscreen as suggested earlier. Also as suggested, try a modified ear plug... or a loose-fitting ear muff for some relief. Also try a scarf or damper under the chin area to stop air from entering your helmet. Maybe all three will have some effect. Experiment. Can you put soft cotton batting in your ear, not that it would be all that effective being so porous? Cutting off the air blast via a new windscreen seems best but it would be $$$ and have to be high enough. Good luck!
If your serious about purchasing a quality helmet then Schuberth is the way to go based on my experience. I currently own the new Schuberth SR1 helmet that I purchased in the spring in Europe. Best helmet I have ever owned in over 30 years of riding in terms of comfort, noise, visiblity and weight. I also recommend X-Lite helmets too.
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rbjeepthing
Well-known member
Is there any where locally that would have either of those? I don't really care about cost but definitely need to try on before purchasing. The Schuberth looks promising and it says Riders Choice is a retailer.
I suspect the SR1 will come to North America next year so you will have to wait. There are no plans for the X-Lite to come to NA unfortunately but available at online international retailers.
Very true and overlooked point.
Schuberths are reputed to have the "quietest" helmets on the market. Unfortunately, they cost an arm and a leg.
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Cruzinkawi
Member
Here is some information about the Schuberth C3 helmets.
The Schuberth C3 is available to purchase at Revzilla > here is their website: http://www.revzilla.com/schuberth-helmets
http://www.blackfootdirect.com/p-16006-schuberth-mens-c3-modular-flip-up-street-bike-helmet.aspx "The Schuberth C3 is smaller, lighter and quieter than the C2 model with an amazing 84dB @60mph, for the first time a flip front helmet has now reached racing specification and will become the benchmark that others will follow."
Don't do it. You would be very disappointed. I wear my Qwest everyday, and the wind noise can start hurting your ears at 60km/h riding down on Bathurst. 100% not recommended if the only constraint is the noise isolation.
What is much more quieter is a $100 ZOX. Arai Corsair V is also more quiet than Qwest, but ZOX still beats it by far (in my experience).
killerkeith
Well-known member
+1 for Shoei Qwest. I love mine.
The C3 has been available for some time in NA. The SR1 is the new racing helmet developed with the help of Michael Schumacher. It only became available in Europe in the spring where I picked it up. I went to pick up an X-Lite which I also recommend but after trying this out had to have it.
http://www.schuberth.com/en/products/motorcycle/sr1.html
http://www.schuberth.com/en/products/motorcycle/sr1.html
Nobody can recommend a helmet that is guaranteed to be quite for you. Everybody has a different head and body shape, they sit on their bike differently, and many have a variety of windshield modifications, all of which alter the air flow around the various openings of the helmet.
My recommendation, get the helmet that fits you best, and either get custom ear plugs that can work for you or, if that's not possible, try one of these: http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/windjammer/helmet-wind-blocker.htm
My recommendation, get the helmet that fits you best, and either get custom ear plugs that can work for you or, if that's not possible, try one of these: http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/windjammer/helmet-wind-blocker.htm
