Second track day with my (new to me) Radical. Stock 1300 Hayabisa engine and stock Radical exhaust. Wow, this thing is loud.

I am wearing foam ear plugs and my ears are ringing after getting out of the car. I work with guns frequently so I know how to get the plugs in very deep and securely and also use a new pair for best seal each outing.

Any ideas (short of installing a quieter muffler) for better ear protection)? In the gun world I double up (foamier plus electronic muffs) but that's not doable in this situation.

 

Another "Gun World" option is custom molded ear plugs. Relatively cheap and the only hearing protection I use with shotguns.

 

Some of the nicer helmets have ear protection integrated, I have a few friends that swear by it. What are the foam ones you're using rated for sound reduction?

 

Yup !

 

Although I now wear custom molded plugs ( with audio), I have always found that the Howard LEIGHT Maxx (7902) are the best: https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail...plugs-Uncorded

Much better than foam. I have a box of foam ones sitting around and there is no comparison to these.


HINT 1: DO NOT get the corded ones. Too easy to snag in harness etc. ( I painfully know)
HINT 2: wet them to get a complete seal. May or may not be hygienic to some, but makes a huge difference.

My 997 GTBx (just sold) with straight pipes was insanely loud and those plugs worked great.

I got a box of 200 for $34 from industrial supplier ULINE.

( shhhh... works great if your wife snores too )

 

I wear plugs from Ear Peace with my Stilo with ear cups. They really cut the noise and I can still hear my radio. I even leave them in while waking around on a track weekend. You can still hold a conversation with them. After years of track weekends without them it is amazing the amount of noise pollution you can save yourself from with plugs.

 

I have been wearing earplugs for roughly five years while driving my (very loud) Cayman. I have tried many different varieties. I've learned that different plugs work better or worse on different people depending, in part, on the differences in peoples' ears, as well as differences in the plugs themselves. I suggest you try several different options until you find one that works well for you. Keep in mind that there is some technique involved in getting the foam plugs installed for maximum effectiveness. It's a skill that may take some time to perfect.

I was a fan of the Max Earplugs recommended by Dan212 above until I tried these (my new favorite)

 

I finally broke down and got custom-molded plugs - in my case, similar issue, P2 with GSXR1000 power, one Burns Stainless straight-through race bullet muffler. My ears would ring after only 10 min in the car, even with homemade custom solid earplugs. The pro-made ones, with molds made by the audiologist, solved the problem for good.

Now I have to figure out how to make a radio work in there... got the wired earplugs, have to see if I can find a radio loud and clear enough to understand at speed...

 

Thanks guys. I've ordered some of the EarPeace plugs to see how they do and will probably end up trying some new custom fitted plugs again. I tried some years ago and maybe the putty didn't set right, but I could never get them to block noise well.

I'm also going to bite the bullet and get a Stilo CF helmet with the ear cups. My neck will appreciate it, I'm sure.

 

Having both custom plugs and custom earbuds I have had goo in my ears a few times. It is very important that you keep your mouth open at least half way while they inject the silicone or, it is unlikely that you will get a good soundproof fit. They will be tight but, they will work. Most audiologists have a bite block to help but since they mostly make molds for hearing aids they can be clueless about making good fitting plugs. I have a Stilo with noise cups as well and it works great with the custom plugs/buds.