GB500guy
Active member
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2015
- Location
- Vacaville
- Moto(s)
- 1975 Honda CB125S
1989 Honda GB500
1989 Honda NX250
1989 Honda CB-1
1997 Honda CB50V
- Name
- Bill
I've been bothered by helmet wind noise since the 1960's. Being younger then I never worried much about it but now at age 66 I need my peace and quiet when riding. A year ago I tried a Windjammer wind blocker http://www.amazon.com/WINDJAMMER-REDUCES-Helmets-original-copied/dp/B003FHLNVK. It seemed to help quite a bit with my Bell Vortex, but my initial enthusiasm has faded. Depending upon riding position and headwinds/crosswinds, I have still been bothered by wind noise at the bottom of the helmet unless wearing ear plugs. I hate wearing ear plugs, so I recently bought a Shoei RF-1200, supposedly one of the quieter helmets out there. Turns out that for my GB500 with its clip on bars and forward riding position it was horribly noisy.
I tried adding extra foam around the neck among other things, but the only thing that would cut the noise was if I shrugged my shoulders up so my jacket contacted the bottom of the helmet. So, I decided to try foam shoulder pads under the jacket. I had some medium density foam that took up the space between shoulders and helmet so I carved a couple of pads and stuck them inside the jacket with double stick tape to test. The result was amazing! The difference was like driving a car with the windows down versus up - it really was that dramatic. I'd guess the reduction is 90 - 95%. Even at 90 mph (just testing, not my usual speed) the wind noise is very tolerable and I never feel the need to wear ear plugs. Now I can hear the engine and surrounding traffic, while experiencing just a mild whooshing sound instead of an obnoxious roar.
Helmet wind noise really varies with rider position, windshield or fairing design if any, and helmet design, so of course your mileage may vary. But for anyone bothered by wind noise, if you find that shrugging your shoulders up reduces it, I suggest taping a couple of foam pads into your jacket as a test, it might just work for you too. After several days of riding to prove the concept, I did the final pad installation as below.
Here is one of the foam pads, carved to shape with a sharp knife:
I sacrificed a pair of socks to make cloth pouches for the pads, cutting them off 2" longer than the foam. I then applied iron-on Velcro strips to the jacket and the sock pouches. Since the Velcro does not stretch, I used a "U" shaped wire to hold the sock slightly stretched while ironing on the velcro:
Here is the pouch with the foam inserted and the cut end of the sock stuffed inside. This leaves a slot where an extra layer of foam could be slipped in if I wanted to make it thicker:
And here are the pads stuck onto the jacket:
And me wearing the jacket. No real downside as it looks normal and maybe even makes me look like one of those body builders with the bulging muscles and no neck!
I gotta tell you that riding is soooo much more pleasant without the sound of a typhoon in my ears!
-Bill
I tried adding extra foam around the neck among other things, but the only thing that would cut the noise was if I shrugged my shoulders up so my jacket contacted the bottom of the helmet. So, I decided to try foam shoulder pads under the jacket. I had some medium density foam that took up the space between shoulders and helmet so I carved a couple of pads and stuck them inside the jacket with double stick tape to test. The result was amazing! The difference was like driving a car with the windows down versus up - it really was that dramatic. I'd guess the reduction is 90 - 95%. Even at 90 mph (just testing, not my usual speed) the wind noise is very tolerable and I never feel the need to wear ear plugs. Now I can hear the engine and surrounding traffic, while experiencing just a mild whooshing sound instead of an obnoxious roar.
Helmet wind noise really varies with rider position, windshield or fairing design if any, and helmet design, so of course your mileage may vary. But for anyone bothered by wind noise, if you find that shrugging your shoulders up reduces it, I suggest taping a couple of foam pads into your jacket as a test, it might just work for you too. After several days of riding to prove the concept, I did the final pad installation as below.
Here is one of the foam pads, carved to shape with a sharp knife:
I sacrificed a pair of socks to make cloth pouches for the pads, cutting them off 2" longer than the foam. I then applied iron-on Velcro strips to the jacket and the sock pouches. Since the Velcro does not stretch, I used a "U" shaped wire to hold the sock slightly stretched while ironing on the velcro:
Here is the pouch with the foam inserted and the cut end of the sock stuffed inside. This leaves a slot where an extra layer of foam could be slipped in if I wanted to make it thicker:
And here are the pads stuck onto the jacket:
And me wearing the jacket. No real downside as it looks normal and maybe even makes me look like one of those body builders with the bulging muscles and no neck!
I gotta tell you that riding is soooo much more pleasant without the sound of a typhoon in my ears!
-Bill
