Skeleton
New Member
For years I have been in endless pursuit of ways to attenuating the aggrevating noise of my various motorcycles. I always kept the muffler stock. I have tried tall after-market wind screens. I have invested in $500 to $800 on helmets each. I have a pair of custom molded silicone earplugs. I have even used a foam collar (see thread elsewhere). All those approaches contribute to some degree of noise attenuation, but I have never been satisfied. Until now.
Last week I purchased Bose QC20 noise cancelling earphones. They allow me to listen to music or nothing, while cancelling ambient noise of the engine and air turbulence. Wow!!! Do they ever work well. Riding above 60 kph (where the noise becomes significant) is alas a pleasure. I have mentally relaxed as thee 'torture' of previous noise is finally gone.
I can now leave the volume level on my smartphone music player at modest levels (same as what I use in my living room). Then ride off at highway speeds, even drop the gears and rev the engine to the red-line, and still only hear the ambient sounds around me at a gentle level.
It does block out most (90%) of the ambient sounds. This could include sports car riding up along side of the rider or an emergency vehicle with its sirens. Yesterday while riding, I heard the siren of an ambulence one block away (500 m); it was perceptable enough to catch my attention and motivate me to look around for its origin.
With these earphones, the rider must be vigilant to keep its eyes looking in all directions (mirrors) constantly. However, I have ridden that way for all my years. From previously riding sport bikes (which scream with high rev'ing engines), I was never able to use my hearing to be warned of surrounding activity. I always stayed visually alert to my surroundings.
Last week I purchased Bose QC20 noise cancelling earphones. They allow me to listen to music or nothing, while cancelling ambient noise of the engine and air turbulence. Wow!!! Do they ever work well. Riding above 60 kph (where the noise becomes significant) is alas a pleasure. I have mentally relaxed as thee 'torture' of previous noise is finally gone.
I can now leave the volume level on my smartphone music player at modest levels (same as what I use in my living room). Then ride off at highway speeds, even drop the gears and rev the engine to the red-line, and still only hear the ambient sounds around me at a gentle level.
It does block out most (90%) of the ambient sounds. This could include sports car riding up along side of the rider or an emergency vehicle with its sirens. Yesterday while riding, I heard the siren of an ambulence one block away (500 m); it was perceptable enough to catch my attention and motivate me to look around for its origin.
With these earphones, the rider must be vigilant to keep its eyes looking in all directions (mirrors) constantly. However, I have ridden that way for all my years. From previously riding sport bikes (which scream with high rev'ing engines), I was never able to use my hearing to be warned of surrounding activity. I always stayed visually alert to my surroundings.
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