Hearing loss through riding - are you bothered by it?

[lra1000]

Hello everyone,

My name is Louie and I am a student of Product Design, from Brighton. Being a keen biker, I chose to focus my final year project on a bike-related topic. Essentially I am investigating progressive hearing loss through riding a bike.

I would love to hear your opinions and views on the topic. Both the attitude of young riders to this problem, and hardened riders who may suffer from it.

Please drop a comment below, or take just 2 minutes to complete an online questionnaire I have created. https://bit.ly/1xvfvic

Much appreciated, thanks for your time!

Lou

[weasley]

Wow, starting early this year.
____________________
Yamaha XJ600 | Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat | KTM 990 SMT | BMW F900XR TE

[map]

[lra1000]

[Rogerborg]

Well... OK then. Survey surveyed.

It's the usual poorly thought out tosh that we've come to expect. You had a moped at 16 but your survey starts at 20. What's my GS? Naked? Commuter? Off road? What's "occupational" use? Is that commuting? I guess so, since you haven't given any option for that. Or did you mean couriering?


Let's be honest though. The result you want is "such concerned!" to justify your project to yourself (and your notional customer).

So just invent the "research". It's what the professionals do. Nobody makes a living from telling customers that they've got a bad concept.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[CG Sam]

That Mito is rather lovely looking.
____________________
CG125, SV650S, CBR600F, GSXR600 SRAD

[Clutchy]

Well if I got anything out of this thread it was a nice picture of a mito.



Never cared about my hearing until I saw quite a few threads from older bikers popping up about tinnitus.


Now I always ride with in-ear earphones, as you can hardly hear anything around you with them on, they work like earbuds with the option of listening to music.
____________________
Malaguti F12 Phantom-Dead, Suzuki AY50- Dead, NRG power DD LQ, CBR125.
*33 BHP restriction up on 10/12/14* Current bikes/car: SV 650 S/ MKIV GOLF
Guide to pass your test with no lessons!

[deadwolf]

Frankly, I'm betting on the fact that cheap cyborg replacement parts will be readily available by the time my ears are knackered enough from all the wind blast. In the meantime, a good helmet and maybe ear plugs in a pinch. Might try earbuds soon.
____________________
Motorsapien Art

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Pardon?
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[swampy]

Passed not past.

That should get you as many marks in your dissertation as me filling in your survey...
____________________
"I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me." Hunter S Thompson
"Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death..." Hunter S Thompson

[map]

[CG Sam]

[Commuter_Tim]

Classic BCF thread Deviation, love it
____________________
The above post is most likely nonsensical.

I ride a Bandit 600... badly.

[map]

[CG Sam]

Ah I get you now, hadn't thought about restricting his mums bike just for the odd ride.
____________________
CG125, SV650S, CBR600F, GSXR600 SRAD

[Tungtvann]

Going to raves is probably worse for my hearing.

[chris-red]

Look mate, about this time of year we get a dozen people sign up just to plug their bike related uni project and they want us to fill in their survey for some bullshit idea, nothing has ever come of any of them. They are shit and annoying and collectively we don't care.
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[lra1000]

No, for the country estate I use the GS, because I can store all my caviar and champagne in the top box. Luckily, since its 250 acres of private land there's no need for a helmet - I like this because my quiff remains in place.

For two years I was on a 33BHP restriction, so I fitted a restrictor to the MT and after the Pegaso. The Buell I rode after 2 years.

You boys like picking holes don't you.

[map]

[rideslikean00...]

Um... quiff? Wut.

My ears are shot enough from years of loud music (seeing, playing, listening on earphones) to be too bothered about a bit of wind noise. There are lids you can get to lessen the dB levels of external noise anyway, do some homework on that.
____________________
.
Previous/Current Bikes
2013 Yamaha YBR-125ED -> 1997 Yamaha YZF-1000R Thunderace -> 2009 Yamaha XJ-6 Diversion -> 2007 Yamaha FZ6 Fazer S2

[BigShow]

[WD Forte]

Yep I wanted to add a
Whuut?
too, but you young whippersnappers are too damn fast.

Louie
A years project ? seriously?
I know a few old bikers who's hearing is dodgy, but who's to say
this isn't due to age, wear and tear, years in heavy/noisy industry,
the aforementioned loud music, inherited conditions
or a mixture of the lot?

We already know the adverse effects of excess noise on the eardrums dont we?
singling out motocycles seems like make work to me.
____________________
bikers smell of wee

[Baffler186]

Done. However, I don't know what the purpose of this research is. You need to establish a base line; for example I had tinnitus from a young age due to being in a band and standing close to loud amps. You need a rating scale to see if peoples' (already bad) hearing has deteriorated further since riding.

And also, hearing loss is not the only factor. You can have ringing in your ears without suffering hearing loss. Another factor is temporary hearing loss i.e. you could suffer this for an hour post-ride but it can then return to normal.

I'm not picking holes for the sake of it, but what will the answers of that questionnaire tell you?
____________________
Current: 2009 SV650 S, 1990 Kawasaki GT550
Previous: 2009 CBF125, 1998 GSF600, 2004 FZ6 Fazer, 1978 CB400a Hondamatic

[lihp]

[CG Sam]