IKBA.co.uk Messages

For years this has bothered me and has led to quite a few bikes being sold, especially BMW RTs which always funnel air into my face whatever screen height I've got. I've used all earplugs from yellow foam to custom made to the current Alpine Moto-safe race ones which are the best yet and I have had a vast array of screen types, fittings and experiments over the years. A K1100LT with a tall screen is fantastic, Guzzi Stelvio with the Palmer screen very good, Pan 1300 with screen in the high position was great, a V Strom with a Madstad not bad and with a Givi Airflow pretty good. Most other screens are unbearable despite endless tweaking! Bikes get bought, loved, ridden and then sold on when I run out of ideas to improve the noise situation.

I wear an HJC I90 which has a tested rating of 102dB. I tried out a £450 RPHA 91 HJC helmet with a rating of 95dB. In my practical test this was louder at low speed with whistling over the visor and the same at 50+mph. So much for the extra expense and so much for the 'scientific' testing.

Next, I'll try a £500 Schuberth C5 which I've always understood to be the gold standard. We'll see...

In the meantime, I've filled the speaker and strap cavities in my I90 with foam cut from new dish scourers and I intend to fit a velcroed on foam mat between the chin strap and built in chin skirt - experiments with a gloved hand at speed suggest this area is the key source of noise at 50+ mph so I'm looking forward to testing it. If that makes the significant difference that my gloved fingers did I'll come up with a more elegant version for proper use.

My recently acquired R80, which I'd dearly like to keep, has the S fairing and a flip screen. Despite fitting the lower, standard, screen, the wind noise is bad. Enough, despite earplugs, to give the rock concert effect for a couple of days after a 150 mile ride. I don't think this is the fairing but just being in the wind at speed.

I'm hoping the Heath Robinson measures will make a difference. Tbh I don't hold out much hope for the Schuberth after the RPHA experience but it's great to discover that top of the range helmets might not be all they are cut out to be in the noise area. I can spend the cash on a custom seat for the V Strom instead to eliminate its one area of rubbishness.

On my V Strom with a Givi airflow screen things are quite bearable. On the MZ too because it rarely gets above 50mph for long. I do wonder if my days of riding faster naked bikes are over, perhaps I've become more sensitive to the wind issue. I don't think it's the S fairing screen so much as being in clean air at speed.

I'd be very interested to hear any other solutions. I suspect being 6'4" probably isn't helpful on a bike.

I have 2 Schuberth helmets. The C3 was fairly good but that anti mist screen clipped onto the inside of the hard screen used to fly up over the helmet at times so i removed it and filled the 2 holes. My other Schuberth is an open one.
The screen on my R111 was anaftermarket screen i could adjust many ways so i found a position for it that allowed now wind hitting my hat at 80 mph so i needed no visor down at all.
The Thunderbird standard screen directed the wind straight at my face so i modified the brackets as soon as i got it but its smaller so cannot ride with no visor.
Schuberths were no quieter than my HJC helmets i also use but the Schuberth has a very strong shell and thats why the high cost.
I have Shark brand flip up helmets and they are quieter in the £200 and a bit range.
Next hat will be an open HJC with a deep visor down below my chin. I get better side vision from those as my neck is not so mobile now for junctions.
Its a pity these high end helmets often have speakers fitted as i dont use any sound when on a bike. Schuberth has a load of sockets in the rear so you can plug in a pillion or phone. My HJC one also has speakers that remain unused.
HJC is generally a lot less money and i find equal quality to Schuberth. I certainly would not buy any low cost hat though and go for carbon and fibreglass mix if i can

Try one of the Shark hats Simon. The full face flip helmet is very well finished. Its a pity they dont make an open type with long visor.
I will possibly buy a new HJC at the Birmingham show this year. Normal man i buy from died so closed down now

Cheers Geoff, I'll put one on the list.

It's pretty obvious that the 'scientific' testing is pointless - it must be down to an individual fit/bike/stance/screen etc combo.

I love BMW air cooled bikes but I love my hearing more. I can't face the reliability/complexity of an old K1100LT anymore (the wiring on them is enough to give you a nightmare) although they are the best big tourer I've ever owned and very cheap now.

The V Strom with the Givi screen is quite ok but I would love to keep another Airhead but not if I can only do 40mph!

I still have excellent hearing despite not wearing ear plugs and i used a lot of noisy power tools for many years. I lost hearing very high pitched noise but i can hear a TV on quite low volumes.
All my helmets i have now have worn linings. They look in very good condition but some of the padding material is breaking up due to age. I think my newest one might be 8 year old now so past its best

Your solution maybe a Sena "active noise cancelling" helmet. Sena are better known for their motorcycle intercom systems but have now started making helmets with noise cancellation built in.

I have no idea if these work, and not come across any reviews or comparisons to other helmets.

I found that a scarf wrapped around the gap at the bottom of the helmet works well. In comparison, after an Ariel Red Hunter and BSA Golden Flash; the Ariel sounded like a bucket of ball bearings rolling down an iron roof, while the Golden Flash sounded like an electric motor.
Another inherent problem with the Ariel was that it was always breaking shock springs on the engine and rear suspension springs.

Have you considered active noise cancelling ear buds? just a thought.

For quite a few years now I have been using Auritech ear plugs, they shut out a lot of noise.

To be honest I think I left it too late, after years of riding with no ear plugs my hearing is not as good as it should be.

Speak up lad, i cant hear you😂
Leon, the ariel was putting out too much power and the rear wheel must have dipped hard on the start line. It would have needed a long frame on the rear to prevent the wheelies common on these high power machines😁

Oh, YES! I see it all now. Thanks,geoff.

I've tried different helmets & find the ones I bought in Aldi to be as good as any & better than some for noise. I wear the orange foam plugs when I can get them in, but find the best effect comes from wearing a thin neck tube up over my head & from the neck over my chin, but not my mouth. That has the advantage of keeping my loppy lugs in place & stops the ear plugs dropping out.
Interestingly, I have also found that the helmets with the best/most vents are quietest.

the aldi/lidl lids were good value , they had german cirtification , what I liked most was thr eye hole cuttout was large , and you could see more sideways