Wind noise is the biggest cause of hearing loss among riders, so some sort of earplug hearing protection is vital.
However, if you still want to hear the music from the speakers in your helmet or your bike’s audio system, then you should try a set of filtered earplugs such as the Alpine MotoSafe earplugs which cost $42 for the set. Click here for sales. They cost $52.50 shipped to anywhere in Australia.
I’ve tested these earplugs while riding on a Harley Road Glide and Victory Magnum, both with loud and clear audio systems. The earplugs work by filtering out a lot of the wind, background noise and annoying buffeting, yet still allow you to hear the audio quite clearly.
While personally moulded earplugs and some universal earplugs will block almost all noise, the Alpine MotoSafe earplugs let you communicate with your pillion or another rider. Importantly, you can also hear sounds such as a car horn or emergency vehicle sirens.
The Alpine MotoSafe earplugs are made of very soft and non-allergenic material which makes them comfortable for prolonged use. That means they can double as good earplugs for sleeping in a noisy hotel or on an overnight plane flight.
These earplugs come in a handy soft pack with a lanyard so you can store them around your neck while riding so you don’t lose them. And in case you do lose an earplug, they come in a pack of three so you always have a spare.
They have two different interchangeable wind noise filters in yellow and green which filter more or less noise, depending on your situation.
You will probably use the green filter most of the time, but if the background noise is really loud or your bike has a lot of buffeting or “exhaust drone”, swap for the yellow filters.
There is a convenient plastic applicator in the pack which makes putting them in a simple process. They are also very easy to pull out quickly by the filter tip.
