Joined
·
975 Posts
As an inexperienced rider, I've been debating an issue for quite some time and would like some input from more experienced riders...
I bought a BV350 scooter thirteen months ago and began a highway commute. I've really had nothing else for comparison, because it was my first real ride that was capable of highway speeds, but even so, I soon noticed a couple of things: one positive and one negative:
First; the positive: I was able to ride in reasonable comfort in many more situations and conditions than I had expected prior to beginning this endeavor based on the research that I had done prior to becoming a rider. I could ride in drizzling rain--no problem at all; and I could ride in very hot, and I could stand the cold weather down to the upper 20s though it was pretty rough on my hands and fingers last winter. I did not, however, try any of the hand-warming solutions other than finding the best, non-heated, winter gloves I could find, so I think I could get heated grips and/or heated gloves and ride down to the upper 20s in reasonable comfort. I also rode in windy conditions, which barely affected handling though it did increase the noise level, which brings me to the negative...
Of course I have no other ride for comparison and have very few experiences with riding gear, but I soon learned after beginning my commute that with the stock screen and my $78 Vega helmet with no hearing protection that the noise level made the ride uncomfortable during the part of my commute which included eight miles at 65 mph, in a westerly direction during the afternoon. During this stretch, the noise level and the aggravation from the gustyness of this section of the ride makes it somewhat unpleasant. I had a second option to this part of the route of taking an older, one-lane highway that I called the low road. Taking the low road solved the noise problem, but then that put me in a more urban traffic situation for an extra mile or so, and it increased the travel time by about five minutes and increased the mileage each day by about 1/2 mile one way.
The solution: I bought, cut down, and installed a bigger, winter screen. This solved the noise problem and had the added benefit of then being able to better hear the engine, but I noticed two negatives of the bigger screen: (1)During rain or fog, the screen kept the wind from doing its job of keeping my face shield clear. In order to clear my face shield with the big screen, I had to sit up on the edge of the pillion seat and hold my head downward. Before the screen, I could simply tilt my head down, and the wind would do a fabulous job of keeping everything clear where I could see in almost all situations; (2) It seemed to hurt the performance of the scooter somewhat and fuel economy by about 2 mpg.
So after my long explanation of my dilemma, here is my question and something I've been studying on. If I could find and buy a better quality helmet that is much quieter than my Vega, could this take the place of a bigger wind screen in so far as quietening down the wind, and also allow for the wind to do its job on the face shield?
What I've ran in to trying to find a solution are these:
There seems to be no consensus on how quiet any helmet is. One consumer will review it and state it is the loudest helmet they've ever owned and a second consumer will state it is the quietest. I assume this has to do with how each helmet fits each rider around the face and also based on each rider's prior experiences with wind noise. This situation doesn't make it easy for me. I would hate to spend $300 + on a better quality helmet only to find that it is just as loud on my head as my cheap Vega.
It seems like that, in a lot of cases, a more expensive helmet is more about fancy features than it is more protection and/or providing a quieter ride. I don't need features; just a comfortable fit and ride and good protection.
I simply cannot wear ear plugs. I have problems with my eustachian tubes that create problems in my middle ears when I do not take steps to prevent problems. The problem is most pronounced in my right ear where I've had three surgeries and have lost over half my hearing, but also, my left eustachian tube doesn't work perfectly. Wearing ear plugs, along with other activities, i.e. letting my ear canals get wet, aggravates the problem and would probably lead to further middle ear surgeries.
My latest research and budget has lead me to the possibility of purchasing a Shoei Quest that retails for around $330 and maybe try out just using this better-quality helmet and a stock windshield for year-around, all-weather riding.
Everyone is welcome to share his or her thoughts and experiences with me including some other possible solutions besides ear plugs that I could try for hearing protection.
I bought a BV350 scooter thirteen months ago and began a highway commute. I've really had nothing else for comparison, because it was my first real ride that was capable of highway speeds, but even so, I soon noticed a couple of things: one positive and one negative:
First; the positive: I was able to ride in reasonable comfort in many more situations and conditions than I had expected prior to beginning this endeavor based on the research that I had done prior to becoming a rider. I could ride in drizzling rain--no problem at all; and I could ride in very hot, and I could stand the cold weather down to the upper 20s though it was pretty rough on my hands and fingers last winter. I did not, however, try any of the hand-warming solutions other than finding the best, non-heated, winter gloves I could find, so I think I could get heated grips and/or heated gloves and ride down to the upper 20s in reasonable comfort. I also rode in windy conditions, which barely affected handling though it did increase the noise level, which brings me to the negative...
Of course I have no other ride for comparison and have very few experiences with riding gear, but I soon learned after beginning my commute that with the stock screen and my $78 Vega helmet with no hearing protection that the noise level made the ride uncomfortable during the part of my commute which included eight miles at 65 mph, in a westerly direction during the afternoon. During this stretch, the noise level and the aggravation from the gustyness of this section of the ride makes it somewhat unpleasant. I had a second option to this part of the route of taking an older, one-lane highway that I called the low road. Taking the low road solved the noise problem, but then that put me in a more urban traffic situation for an extra mile or so, and it increased the travel time by about five minutes and increased the mileage each day by about 1/2 mile one way.
The solution: I bought, cut down, and installed a bigger, winter screen. This solved the noise problem and had the added benefit of then being able to better hear the engine, but I noticed two negatives of the bigger screen: (1)During rain or fog, the screen kept the wind from doing its job of keeping my face shield clear. In order to clear my face shield with the big screen, I had to sit up on the edge of the pillion seat and hold my head downward. Before the screen, I could simply tilt my head down, and the wind would do a fabulous job of keeping everything clear where I could see in almost all situations; (2) It seemed to hurt the performance of the scooter somewhat and fuel economy by about 2 mpg.
So after my long explanation of my dilemma, here is my question and something I've been studying on. If I could find and buy a better quality helmet that is much quieter than my Vega, could this take the place of a bigger wind screen in so far as quietening down the wind, and also allow for the wind to do its job on the face shield?
What I've ran in to trying to find a solution are these:
There seems to be no consensus on how quiet any helmet is. One consumer will review it and state it is the loudest helmet they've ever owned and a second consumer will state it is the quietest. I assume this has to do with how each helmet fits each rider around the face and also based on each rider's prior experiences with wind noise. This situation doesn't make it easy for me. I would hate to spend $300 + on a better quality helmet only to find that it is just as loud on my head as my cheap Vega.
It seems like that, in a lot of cases, a more expensive helmet is more about fancy features than it is more protection and/or providing a quieter ride. I don't need features; just a comfortable fit and ride and good protection.
I simply cannot wear ear plugs. I have problems with my eustachian tubes that create problems in my middle ears when I do not take steps to prevent problems. The problem is most pronounced in my right ear where I've had three surgeries and have lost over half my hearing, but also, my left eustachian tube doesn't work perfectly. Wearing ear plugs, along with other activities, i.e. letting my ear canals get wet, aggravates the problem and would probably lead to further middle ear surgeries.
My latest research and budget has lead me to the possibility of purchasing a Shoei Quest that retails for around $330 and maybe try out just using this better-quality helmet and a stock windshield for year-around, all-weather riding.
Everyone is welcome to share his or her thoughts and experiences with me including some other possible solutions besides ear plugs that I could try for hearing protection.
