noisey helmet...i said....NOISEY HELMET

[Dominic_the_TA]

Hi, i've not been biking long, but i brought the AGV S4 helmet as my first lid. Looks great, is very comfy, but, wind noise is doing my head in. At or around 70 - 80mph its deafening.

I can wear ear plugs - but is this normal?

Should i invest in a better lid?

Cheers

[Chad]

wind noise can be normal on this type of bike

a lot depends on how tall your are ,what type of screen your using

the noise is caused by the turbulence created buy your screen and where this hits the helmet.

you could try a smaller screen so the wind hits you lower. or a higher screen to lift the wind over your lid.

but this can cause its own problems by not getting enough airflow to the lid causing misting up.

lots to think about eh

what lid was you using before this one then ???

[Snaphappy]

I've got the same problem using a flip up lid that I don't want to change, I've already fitted the MRA vario screen and its still loud, I wear ear plugs for long journeys when I'm on my own but in a group I cant hear a thing, personally I dont think the cure is in swopping lids or screens, me I'm going for a set these and try to splice them in to the autocom unit, I always ride on my own so they should be able to bodge into the pillion plug then I have the choice
Etymotic ER-6i Earphones - Black

[Dominic_the_TA]

Thanks guys, this is my 1st lid, therefore i dont know any better.
I assumed the more expensive Shoei / Arai lids were better at noise reduction...but from looking from what Chad said, thats not the case, saving me £££££ too - cheers!

I'm 5'9" on a 2007 TA with the lower seat option. I dont fancy the wind hitting me any lower cos i get battered by turbulance as it is, maybe a taller screen would help, but then would this have adverse effects for the pillion (me and the wife off to Ireland in Sept for 2 weeks touring) i wanna be as comfy as possible.

The only other grip i have, i get pains accross my shoulders / back of the neck, is this suomething i'll get used to or can it be cured?

thanks for helping out a newbie !

[Chad]

Thanks guys, this is my 1st lid, therefore i dont know any better.
I assumed the more expensive Shoei / Arai lids were better at noise reduction...but from looking from what Chad said, thats not the case, saving me £££££ too - cheers!

I'm 5'9" on a 2007 TA with the lower seat option. I dont fancy the wind hitting me any lower cos i get battered by turbulance as it is, maybe a taller screen would help, but then would this have adverse effects for the pillion (me and the wife off to Ireland in Sept for 2 weeks touring) i wanna be as comfy as possible.

The only other grip i have, i get pains accross my shoulders / back of the neck, is this suomething i'll get used to or can it be cured?

thanks for helping out a newbie !

the pain in your shoulders could be caused by a couple of thing firstly you could be getting a fair bit of wind pressure on the lid if the screen is low,

but im betting its more of a case of you being a new rider and needing to relax a bit more.

when riding after a period of time check your grip on the bars, its a fair bet that to are putting a death grip on the bars without realising it,, try to ralax your grip and you will find the bike responds better to your input and will feel like its handling better.

sounds crazy but it works

[Dee Duble Yuh]

Shoulder and back pains are often muscular, so - as Chad says - release the death grip and relax the muscles. Also move around regularly to dissipate any build-up of lactose. Turning your head to look over the shoulders, looking down at the mirrors etc. all help.

The AGV S4 has a relatively smooth shape, which is good, but has mesh on the chin bar and vents by the ears, which is less good. Looks nice though! Your helmet ought to be a really tight fit. If it's slack the wind noise will be worse. Expensive helmets aren't necessarily quieter. Only Schuberth and BMW put real effort into reducing noise.

I'm guessing that your height and the low seat means the airflow is being directed right at your helmet. On a quiet stretch of fast road use the back of your (gloved) hand to "trace" the airflow from the screen. Another cheap experiment is to remove the screen completely. If this brings an improvement you know a cut-down screen is the way to go.

And yes, wearing ear plugs is normal - or should be! You'll soon get over the sensation of having something in your ears and soon you'll never ride without them.

[Dominic_the_TA]

Thats plenty of info to be going on with, cheers lads.

[Dee Duble Yuh]

It's nice to keep a high signal-to-noise ratio!

[Slimie]

Always wear earplugs. Always.

Speaking as a partially deaf 'un your hearing is very easily damaged by noise and cannot heal, once it's gone it's gone for ever so protect it while you can.

Please.

-Simon

[j]

The best helmet I've bought is a Schuberth C2 £350 is a very quiet but still wear plugs. And its best to get it fitted by a professional not a shop jockey.