Any Advice on How to Reduce Helmet Noise Without Ear Plugs

Moto-Charlie

Moto-Charlie

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I'm lucky that my ear canals are fairly large and I've got a good set of earplugs, which I wear every time I get on the bike.

My wife on the other hand has very small canals. We've tried all kinds of ear plugs without success. So now I'm wondering if there is any way to reduce noise inside the helmet that does not involve earplugs. I don't expect any reduction to be as effective as earplugs, but any little reduction would help.

Any thoughts? - Thanks
 
Some (most, maybe???) helmets have voids in the ear area that have foam inserts that can be removed to add speakers. If not using speakers, can the foam pads be "shimmed" out to press the foam tighter to the ears, if her helmet has them. If not, can you pull the side panels out and shim underneath to make the sides fit more snug to her head?
I realize you have stated that you have tried all kinds of ear plugs, but have you tried custom made plugs. They are expensive but made to fit each ear individually and quite comfortable.
I am told it is very important to keep wives happy at any cost...
Short of this, maybe a better helmet?
 
Adding another foam pad to fill in that ear void of the helmet is a good idea. Like you said, not as good as ear plugs. Custom ear plugs even better.

OR you can just be sure to ride slower? :shrug2:
 
schuberth makes a quite helmet. Lots of interior foam that muffles noise. I find it hot and uncomfortable, but quiet.
 
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Custom Plugs?
In my experience they don't always fit that well and keep less noise out than foam. Although they can be fitted with filters to allow certain pitches to be heard, listening to music for example.
In the UK you can arrange with the NHS audiology dept to have a fitting for around £80.00 a pair. Have you tried your hospital?
Have you tried the Howard Leight Laser Lite foam plugs. These go real small if needed and are very efficient. You may also be able to cut them smaller.
Hope it helps.
Upt'North.
 
I'd be interested to know what specific helmet your using. Some helmets are louder than others. Bell helmets (I had one ) are loud.
 
Custom earplugs, or maybe this option which was mentioned here a while back:

Quiet Ride Helmets Noise Reduction Helmets

Quiet Ride Helmets incorporate noise reduction muffs into the helmets interior to reduce engine noise from snowmobiles, motocross bikes, motorcycles, ATVs and much more.
quietridehelmets.com quietridehelmets.com
Haven’t had any reports by any STriders though. Similar to the flight helmet I wore for 18 years. I still wore earplugs with them though. And special ordered and installed the USAF gel-filled (vs foam) earcup cushions/seals.

John
 
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I'd say gather the list of helmets from each article, then see which helmet is consistently rated the best, then go check it out in person.

EDIT: it's also a good idea to read the articles, because they explain what causes the noise and what features are best to reduce the nose.

www.rideapart.com

Quietest Motorcycle Helmets: How Quiet Are They Really And How To Shop For One?

How do we determine which motorcycle helmets are the quietest? There's no simple answer but we do a deep dive to offer you a few good pointers.
www.rideapart.com www.rideapart.com
saferoad.org

Top 5 Quietest Motorcycle Helmets For The Money 2023 Reviews

Best Reviews Guide analyzes and compares all Amazon Quietest Motorcycle Helmets of 2023 You can easily compare and choose from the 5 Quietest Motorcycle Helmets for you
saferoad.org saferoad.org
firstcheckpoint.com

2025's 7 Quietest Motorcycle Helmets - Listen Up

Burning rubber down the street usually means road noise. You can't get away from it. But you can definitely improve is with the quietest motorcycle helmets .
firstcheckpoint.com firstcheckpoint.com
begin-motorcycling.co.uk

5 Of The Quietest Motorcycle Helmets Available Now

Are you looking for the Quietest Motorcycle Helmets available on the market now? We review and compare the options and delve deep into what you need to know.
begin-motorcycling.co.uk begin-motorcycling.co.uk
thecarsource.com

Top 8 Quietest Motorcycle Helmets You Should Buy In 2022 Review

Having a well-fitting helmet is important to protect your head and to prevent hearing loss. Pick one for yourselves from our 8 quietest motorcycle helmets.
thecarsource.com thecarsource.com
 
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Get her a BMW Hexhead or Camhead. The wind pocket is outstandingly quiet. I get on my 2007 sometimes and forget the ear plugs and it is many miles later before I realize I forgot them. It's that quiet.
 
John OoSTerhuis said:
Custom earplugs, or maybe this option which was mentioned here a while back:

Quiet Ride Helmets Noise Reduction Helmets

Quiet Ride Helmets incorporate noise reduction muffs into the helmets interior to reduce engine noise from snowmobiles, motocross bikes, motorcycles, ATVs and much more.
quietridehelmets.com quietridehelmets.com
Haven’t had any reports by any STriders though. Similar to the flight helmet I wore for 18 years. I still wore earplugs with them though. And special ordered and installed the USAF gel-filled (vs foam) earcup cushions/seals.

John
Click to expand...
I opted for the Quiet Ride system, and it DOES work well- for a short while. First the check valve on the inflator failed, ( which was replaced quite quickly, to QR’s credit), then , about a year later, the tubes started to crack from UV exposure. Great idea, poor execution. Add to that, it’s a bear to install.
I still have the cups in my helmet, and they do attenuate some wind noise.
Not recommended.
 
Since you're ruling out earplugs (even custom ones):
  • Most wind noise actually occurs around the neck, up into the helmet (assuming visor is closed). I usually ride with a Shuberth C3, flip front capable lid, amongst the quieter touring type helmets, but wasn't cheap to buy.
  • I also wear a neck gaiter, thin material, but helps reduce the wind further.
  • Whatever helmet, ensure the exit vents are open, counter-intuitive, but it helps.
  • I have a lip on the 1300's screen, and can ride with the chin bar up at 40mph, and have a conversation on the phone via the PacTalk - people can't actually tell that I'm even on the bike!
I also ride with custom earplugs, for what it's worth.
 
Thank you to everyone for posting - some great ideas and info. I will look at the various links and report back.

The challenge to earplugs, custom or otherwise is due in part to the fact that her ears seems to generate a fair bit more earwax than mine. We have found one or two brands of earplugs specifically made for women with narrow ear canals. She was able get them in with some effort, but she feels they pushed the wax back into her ears, which required a cleaning - So my goal is to do what I can to improve the non-earplug options.

Her current CL-Max 3 has speaker cut-outs so I may trying filling them with soft foam. The helmet fit her perfectly otherwise. I'm perfectly fine spending more money on Schuberth, RPHA 90 (which I have and like) or a Neotec 2, but I'm inclined to experiment with her current helmet first and then maybe carryover any improvements from that to a more expensive helmet.
 
Moto-Charlie said:
.....................My wife on the other hand has very small canals. We've tried all kinds of ear plugs without success.............Any thoughts? - Thanks
Click to expand...

You can have custom ear plugs done at Costco for about $80. I did have a pair made, but found that noise telegraphed through a hard outer shell when rubbing inside the helmet, so didn't work for me.

I use ear plugs I purchased at Home Depot in a 100 pair box for about $20. I find they can be painful after a few 10 hour back-to-back days. I trim the plug lengthwise with scissors to effectively reduce its diameter. After a bit of trial and error I know how much I can trim away and still have them be effective vs. too tight. Carve up a few and see if you can find a diameter that fits your wife's ear OK and still reduces sound. Dirt cheap if it works. If it doesn't then just move on to another solution.
 
ReSTored said:
You can have custom ear plugs done at Costco for about $80. I did have a pair made, but found that noise telegraphed through a hard outer shell
Click to expand...

You get what you pay for in anything. Hard outer shell?? A top drawer set of custom ear plugs should run around $150 - $250 CDN and fit flat inside the outer ear structure, not touching a helmet and has no "shell".

Pricing depends on whether you want the plugs to include "filters" that do allow some sounds through, or have them compatible with using an audio device.
 
JimTid said:
schuberth makes a quite helmet. Lots of interior foam the muffles noise. I find it hot and uncomfortable, but quite.
Click to expand...
The C3 by Schuberth is, i think, obsolete. The replacement, C3 Pro or something is said (by one of their salesmen) to flow 40% more ventilating air. However, even if if flowed twice the air, in my opinion, 2 X 0 still = 0. That said, their helmets are guaranteed to be quieter than others (yes...but try to verify it....). I was told that helmets that have a piece of cloth/leather under the chin tend to be quieter than those without this 'flap'.

Custom ear plugs often can be purchased at major rallies (like BMW or Aspencade...Sturgis-you have to be kidding) and motorcycle shows (I'm thinking of the Progressive shows in the USA). If you have a friend who is an audiologist, you might be able to get them done more cheaply.

Someone made a waxed cotton ear plug that is moldable to one's ear canal. You could tear off some of it to make it smaller. Don't remember the brand. Maybe a google search?
 
No one mentioned windshield yet ?
Some folks sometimes say that they have less turbulence and less noise with an after market windshield, taller or shorter than the stock one.
I guess it depens of how tall we are.
Air pressure relief vent on the windshield seems to help too.

Anyway... just an idea to explore.
 
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