Riders worry that earplugs will hide sirens, horns and traffic. Measured on motorcyclists, the opposite happened above 40 mph, and the reason sits in the cochlea rather than in the earplug.

Wind noise on a motorcycle can trigger permanent ringing, and most British riders never protect against it. Here is how to tell ordinary post-ride ringing from chronic tinnitus, and what to do about either.

A UK circuit’s 105 dB(A) noise test measures your exhaust from half a metre away, not what reaches your ear across six sessions. Here is what track-day riders and drivers should wear under a helmet.

Riders repeat the same five claims about earplugs, from the helmet being enough to plugs being illegal. Here is what the Highway Code, HSE and published research actually say.

Wind noise inside a helmet reaches 97 to 104 dB(A) at 70 mph, and it overtakes the engine from about 40 mph up. Here is the measured data, speed by speed, and what it does to your hearing.

A motorcycle helmet takes roughly 5 to 10 dB off the level at your ear and gives almost no attenuation below 250 Hz, which is exactly where wind noise concentrates. Here is what the measurements show, why the SHARP rating says nothing about noise, and what protects a rider’s hearing.

Wind noise, not the engine, is what damages a rider’s hearing. Measurements under standard helmets recorded 97 to 104 dB(A) at 70 mph. We compare filtered silicone, foam, custom moulds and noise-cancelling earbuds on certified SNR, helmet fit, reuse and price.