Motorcycle earplugs, etc.

[KrantzDied]

I was offered by a friend to open a custom earplugs shop in Thailand since I've been planning to move there since last year. Do you guys think there would be a market for it there since there are many motorcycle riders in the country? I guess I need to do more research about the area I'm planning to live in just so I can decide.

Here's the website of the shop. It's called Big Ear and they actually have great products.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCE5L_Go7nU

[seedy]

If they fit properly.

Had a set - well, 2 sets, one with valve and one solid.

Did not block out anywhere near enuf noise

Total waste of $$$. Went back to disposables

[Kwasaki]

My helmet is effective enough for me.

[papa al]

.

Edited October 27, 2021 by papa al

[KhunLA]

No market for it, just sell on FB, Instagram, LAZ and or Shopee.  Only really need if wearing 'half' helmet.

 

Forgot all about those foam ones, (made available at work / airlines) and the only ones I'd use or recommend.  Any others / harder (soft rubber) and you may be pushing dirt and wax into the ear canal / drum if not up on your 'ear maintenance' ????

[Kwasaki]

16 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

No market for it, just sell on FB, Instagram, LAZ and or Shopee.  Only really need if wearing 'half' helmet.

 

Forgot all about those foam ones, (made available at work / airlines) and the only ones I'd use or recommend.  Any others / harder (soft rubber) and you may be pushing dirt and wax into the ear canal / drum if not up on your 'ear maintenance' ????

Agree a good helmet is enough to protect the ears from wind noises most people in Thailand are not riding MotoGP bikes. ????

[Agusts]

There is a website with lots of YouTube videos reviewing helmets, can't remember the name, but they test helmets in real conditions, not just show it on a table and talk about it...

 

They measure temperature inside/outside and noise inside going at 100kph or more and other tests...

 

I was quite surprised to see many well-known helmets are not as good with noise, and have 100+ decibel wind noise inside at 110-120kph - apparently anything over 100db is not good.... They say this is equivalent to being next to proper big chainsaw working at full speed, although I don't hear as much inside my helmet, but that could be deceiving I guess....!

 

This is what made me think about putting earplugs on long/high speed trips...., when/if I remember...????

 

As for your custom ear plug business, you only have farangs maybe interested, Thais have other things to worry about than earplugs..., you can't pay them to put earplugs while riding, what about their phone and music and exhaust noise...????

 

 

[Kwasaki]

36 minutes ago, Agusts said:

I was quite surprised to see many well-known helmets are not as good with noise,

What type of helmet they can't be a full face helmet.

[seedy]

8 hours ago, Agusts said:

I was quite surprised to see many well-known helmets are not as good with noise, and have 100+ decibel wind noise inside at 110-120kph -

I bought the helmet - Modular -  with the best ventilation I could find.

Which goes hand in hand with being noisy

Hence the need for ear plugs

[seedy]

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228481761_Motorcycle_Helmet_Noise_and_Active_Noise_Reduction

[Thaigang]

10 hours ago, Agusts said:

There is a website with lots of YouTube videos reviewing helmets, can't remember the name, but they test helmets in real conditions, not just show it on a table and talk about it...

 

They measure temperature inside/outside and noise inside going at 100kph or more and other tests...

 

 

Here ya go...

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCZuoSlE36vyheCxIrY6nPRQ

[pseudorabies]

The difference in wind noise levels when wearing ear plugs vs not wearing have been enormous for every full face helmet I've had.  I feel like I can hear more with earplugs in when I'm riding above 75kph than I can without.

 

I'm thinking that even in areas like BK, Pattaya and Phuket you would reach market saturation fairly quickly.  Maybe form referral partnerships with some of the more successful motorcycle accessory retailers in the area? Or maybe sell accessories, especially those that are already hard to find, yourself? Ventilated boots for women come to mind which are about as rare as a unicorn being ridden by a virgin in Pattaya.

[VocalNeal]

These are 20-ish baht at Global. Pull the cord out and...

 

Not sure if my valve clearances need to be checked! 

Edited October 29, 2021 by VocalNeal

[Kwasaki]

34 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Pull the cord out and...

..........you have cleaned your ears. ????

[VocalNeal]

15 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

..........you have cleaned your ears. ????

say what..? A quarter past two?

[kelboy]

I use my inear headphones and ABBA. 

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, kelboy said:

I use my inear headphones and ABBA. 

Your suppose listen to GPS instead of getting lost. ????

[kelboy]

Should be OK next trip to Nan won't need GPS,is your bike ready? 

[Kwasaki]

45 minutes ago, kelboy said:

Should be OK next trip to Nan won't need GPS,is your bike ready? 

I'll find out today on a rideout to a Pit-stop for a beer at the coffee shop. 

No ear plugs required exhaust is only 86 decibels.

[piston broke]

 

i get it ......

 

You buy a bike, bung on a loud exhaust, then buy ear plugs so you can't hear the noise it makes ?

 

What about all the other fluckers affected with the noise when you ride past ?

 

Something has to be done about these illegal zorsts ....

[roo860]

On 10/29/2021 at 10:40 AM, VocalNeal said:

These are 20-ish baht at Global. Pull the cord out and...

 

Not sure if my valve clearances need to be checked! 

Have you tried the foam expandable ones, I use them when working in the UK, and also at my local shooting club, they are also alot more comfortable when wearing a full face helmet.

[seedy]

7 minutes ago, piston broke said:

i get it ......

You buy a bike, bung on a loud exhaust, then buy ear plugs so you can't hear the noise it makes ?

No you do not ...

If you ride - you would know that the wind noise is the deciding factor.

In cold climates all the open areas are covered up to help retain heat

Here you want as much ventilation as possible - hence the wind noise and the need for ear plugs

Get out and ride sometime

[Dante99]

Just what we need, custom earplug shops, start a chain, put one next to every 7-11 become a billionaire.  CP will be entering the market soon so act fast and get there first.

 

 

[Gsxrnz]

I once got fined $1000 and lost my bike license for three months because of over-effective earplugs.  I used to use throwaway spongies but bought some new hi-tech plasticine type ones online that you stuffed in your ear and they expanded and conformed to your ear canal.

 

That was all good - and before my first ride I checked that my radar detector (Valentine) could be heard satisfactorily through the in-helmet phones, which it could. 

 

Obviously they must have expanded and become more effective because 15 minutes later I was having a discussion with a uniformed representative of Her Majesties NZ Police Force about the wisdom, or lack thereof, of fanging through the West Coast's Haast Pass twisties at what he described as "suicidal speed".

 

The plugs rendered the Valentine inaudible and as I saw his red and blues in the distance (too late) I glanced down and saw all the lights on the detector flashing at me but no noise.  

 

Needless to say, I ditched the hi-tech earplugs after my three month sabbatical.

[VocalNeal]

51 minutes ago, roo860 said:

Have you tried the foam expandable ones, I use them when working in the UK, and also at my local shooting club, they are also alot more comfortable when wearing a full face helmet.

No I've never tried them! That's why I use the semi-rigid ones. The foam ones are a cheap solution that is why they are provided free in the work place.

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, piston broke said:

 

i get it ......

 

You buy a bike, bung on a loud exhaust, then buy ear plugs so you can't hear the noise it makes ?

 

What about all the other fluckers affected with the noise when you ride past ?

 

Something has to be done about these illegal zorsts ....

There's some noisy small bike ones around our way but there only kids and to few to be bothered about. 

[roo860]

2 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

No I've never tried them! That's why I use the semi-rigid ones. The foam ones are a cheap solution that is why they are provided free in the work place.

We use the 3M brand, also the shooting club sell them, very effective even when shooting .357 magnum rounds.

[VocalNeal]

Ours were classified as re-usable, usually tied to hard hat so we didn't forget them. On a motorbike the cord does transmit a bit of sound which is why I remove the cord. 

Saving the planet one pair of earplugs at a time!????

 

When I worked in an environment with continuous noise we just shouted.???? 

Edited November 6, 2021 by VocalNeal

[piston broke]

On 11/6/2021 at 8:48 AM, seedy said:

No you do not ...

If you ride - you would know that the wind noise is the deciding factor.

In cold climates all the open areas are covered up to help retain heat

Here you want as much ventilation as possible - hence the wind noise and the need for ear plugs

Get out and ride sometime

In my experience you only get wind noise from cheap helmets.

 

Buy a decent one and voila ! - No wind noise - Think of the money you'll save on ear plugs too - Win Win i say ....

[Rhys]

Need the other sense for alert response.