helmets......again!!

Peteb

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I know this has been done to death,and I'm sorry but I'm at the end of my tether and thinking of giving up riding !! I currently wear a shuberth c3 pro and its absolutely deafening,I've had Shark I've had AGV, I wear ear plugs when riding but the noise is getting unbearable,I think I must have a funny shaped head, I ride a 1250 GSA, has anyone got any ideas ?? Regards Pete.
 
go get a helmet that fits you !

try all makes. when 1 works it will be obvious , i went Aria 35 years ago , having tried , Bell ,Griffin, Simpson ,AGV . put on an Aria ...never brought anything else . you have to find which brand fits your shape head.

got a screen ? take it off.
 
I know this has been done to death,and I'm sorry but I'm at the end of my tether and thinking of giving up riding !! I currently wear a shuberth c3 pro and its absolutely deafening,I've had Shark I've had AGV, I wear ear plugs when riding but the noise is getting unbearable,I think I must have a funny shaped head, I ride a 1250 GSA, has anyone got any ideas ?? Regards Pete.

Get some custom ear plugs, mine were too quiet I had to have them change the filters. I'm a Shoei fan, love the Neotec 2, but I ride an RT, so not much wind noise anyway. Or give up riding and sell me your bike dead cheap :)
 
I've tried:

Puig Touring, very good at keeping the noise off you, but too hot when the temperature gets a bit high

Givi Touring, as above.

Std GS and GSA, both too noisy

Puig racing, good for keeping cool, but way to noisy - for me.

I ride with a C3 Pro and ear plugs with anything other than the Puig Touring screen.
 
thanks for all your help I'll try some of your suggestions..... except the last one !!!!
 
Try several sets of earplugs (obviously not at the same time) Spark plugs work (-35SNR) for me. Not all earplugs are the same noise ratings
 
Try a Givi screen. DT5108 i think. it sorted out the wind noise for me. Its on the 3rd GS now.
 
You need to ascertain where the noise, more likely turbulence, is actually coming from. Mirrors, up-draft, screen setting or your helmet itself - skirt, vents or visor. Then ear plugs - get SNR35+ as suggested already & make sure you roll & fit them correctly - hair in the ear canal leads to them dislodging easily when you turn your head, say at a junction. Some riders find it best to moisten the ear canal before fitting.

TBH we have done this one to death on here. The fact is we are all different expectations, height, limb ratios - what works for one rider may not help others. Even our riding gear matters - leathers usually smooth out the airflow better. Why not take a short ride, with the screen set low & experiment until you find the sweet spot & then look for where the turbulent air/noise is coming from.

If it's just you lid, then gaffer tape over the vents progressively, & visor edges, until you find the culprit. Up-draft can be lessened with 'winglets', maybe adjusting the angle of the mirrors will help. Finally a different screen may prove to be the answer, but they can become a money pit so take care to check everything out logically first, before opening your wallet.

Have fun. We have all been there, but our solutions will always differ.
 
I think the right helmet for minimisation of wind noise is crucial. I have had a Shark for about 4 years and needed a replacement. I went specifically to a shop yesterday to buy a Schuberth C4 Pro plus the comms kit. Despite how much I tried to kid myself, neither the large or extra large fitted properly. My head just does not want to go in their helmets! Sadly, the exact same can be said of Shoei. The Neotec II is a super helmet but it simply does not fit my swede!!

I spent an hour trying all kinds of various lids on and eventually walked out with an HJC Rapha 90. A flip front that worked well but more to the point, fitted perfectly. I rode for 5 hours and 250-ish miles today and it was a massive improvement on the Shark. Am pleased with it and saved about £400. Just a shame that the integrated comms unit is not a viable option.

My advice would be keep trying various helmets and choose the best fit with a good, secure neck seal that blocks the majority of turbulent wind. This has worked for me. For what it is worth, I have a GS 1250 with the Wonderlich Touring screen. I still feel as though a defector would improve things as I am 6'1 and still get buffeted.
 
Helmets

I am about to buy a c3 pro and give it a go. As others have said I had my ear plugs made by a friend who makes hearing aid they have filters and are brilliant but something worth trying is various neck tubes when they in your coat and pulled up into your helmet they make a big difference, I used to find one of the thicker fleece ones worked best.

It’s worth a try.
 
Deafening on a GSA with C3 Pro and ear plugs? Unless you're over 6'1", assuming the bike is relatively new to you I can't understand what sort of noise level you're expecting? At 5'10" I've spent just under three years and 15000 miles on a GSA with a C3 Pro and it's definitely not noisy although I appreciate this is subjective. What bike did you have prior to the GSA? Maybe you're not getting your ear plugs seated in your ear properly. Although it feels as though I'm patronising you somewhat by explaining how to fit an ear plug, here goes because noisy and GSA just don't gel...

Best ones I've found are surprisingly the orange ones from the £1 shop as they compress easily but return to their full shape consistently. We're aiming for a good seating in the ear.

1. Compress the tip into a point by rolling it between your fingers.
2. Wet it. You can choose your own level of grossness for this but I will admit to going "full send" and stick them in my mouth.
3. Fitting the right plug, pull back on the top of your right ear with your left hand by reaching over your head. We're aiming to open up the ear canal here.
4. Slot in your slimey ear plug. It should go in without any force. If you are pushing on it, it's either not wet enough or you're pushing it in too far.
5. Repeat for the other side unless for some strange reason you only have a right ear. Unlikely given the problem.
6. Wait a few seconds to make sure it doesn't dislodge before putting your lid on.
7. Go for a ride..."Pardon?" Never mind!
 
Wetting your ear plugs in your mouth is probably the worst thing you can do. Spittle can easily transfer infection into the ear canals. You should use some kind of antiseptic cream that most shops that sell hearings aids stock. I still think something like ultimate ear custom plugs are the way forward. Mine are brilliant and comfortable for all day use
 
Wetting your ear plugs in your mouth is probably the worst thing you can do. Spittle can easily transfer infection into the ear canals.

I dont disagree but i have done it for about 30 years without issue.

odds on i will get an ear infection now
 
Had my first chance since lockdown eased to try my new Arai Tour X4 today. On the RT at 70mph I ride with the screen up enough to just about eliminate wind noise, but without ear plugs I usually hear a lot of road noise when wearing my Schuberth C4 Pro. Subjectively, it seemed to me that the Arai was about the same, which surprised me as I have heard it described as a "noisy" helmet. I stopped after about 40 miles and fitted a pair of Honeywell Laserlite foam ear plugs - so damn quiet that I had to turn the comms volume up to max to hear the satnav, and somewhat disconcerting not to hear all the odd noises the engine makes.... I have some custom fit guards with the small "bypass" tube so I'll try those next. So far pleased with the Arai, though I hate D ring closures after using ratchets for so long....
 
thanks for all your help I'll try some of your suggestions..... except the last one !!!!

Definitely custom made earplugs - world of difference both in terms of wind noise suppression and comfort.

PS you’re not a million miles away from Micky Wheeler (of this parish - Barnsley)
He does them, and usually a small discount for gsers.
 
Most decent helmets should be reasonably quiet if they fit you correctly and are wearing earplugs

However so many factors cause the noise

screens being the main one IMO. On my Pikes peak with the screen in its lowest setting my helmet ( Arai) is fairly quiet but if i raise the screen it gets very noisy. if i stand up and get into completely clean air at 80MPH it is virtually silent !

Different helmets interact differently on different bikes and again with different screens etc etc the combinations are many

Of course much of this would not cause a problem if it were possible to actually test ride with a potential purchase helmet but sadly this is never possible so punters have to shell out the cash and then discover they have a noisy helmet
 
thanks for your reply,I am over 6'1" well over in fact and i've done 11000 miles since getting the bike from new before the 1250 I had a 1200 gsa and before that a 1200 gs . please dont think you're patronising me as I did'nt take it as such,oh and yes I do know how to put earplugs in but thanks for the instructions as they may help others.I have since fitted one of the wind deflectors to the top of the screen and am currently experimenting with it,already there is a big improvment.Regards Pete.
 
Get some custom ear plugs, mine were too quiet I had to have them change the filters. I'm a Shoei fan, love the Neotec 2, but I ride an RT, so not much wind noise anyway. Or give up riding and sell me your bike dead cheap :)

I dream of buying a set of ear plugs that make riding a bike 'too quiet'. Pls do tell which earplugs you found too quiet (make / model and if custom where did you get fitted?). Thanks!
 


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