Have you been bothered with the wind noise?

[OldGeezerStillOnTwoWheels]

Hello there,
New to the forum. I am 62 and 5"11" (it will matter...). I have ridden pretty much everything since the age of 14, 49cc moped, 125cc, 1100 sport bike, 1700 cruiser etc...Not into speed and power the last few years. And I need a lighter bike. I bought a Royal Enfield 350 Classic in early 2023 and it is perfect for me. I am in Southern Arizona where half the year is over 100 degrees daily. I hate noise (loud engine, wind ....). I ride with an open helmet as using a full closed helmet is way too hot. On my RE 350, I installed a National Cycle windscreen with a top extension and it is perfect. Zero wind noise and I can hear 100% of the engine. So, I was a bit surprised with the CT125 as over 30mph the wind noise was out of control. I installed the little windshield most use on their CT125. It was as bad as not having anything. I added a top extension (+5" I think) and it is still very bad. I can tell with my hand I have zero wind up to 1" above that windshield setup and then full blast into my helmet. It might look overkill for such a small motorbike but I ordered the same National Cycle setup than on my RE 350. Maybe lots of you are younger and not bothered with wind noise. I just putter in a 60 miles radius, trying off road trails when possible. What are your own experiences and what have you done if you were bothered with the wind noise?
PS: I can't stand ear plugs. I always felt claustrophobic even if listening to music. To me, riding a motorbike, it is actually being closer to nature: the smells, the sounds etc...

 

[TurkeyTaster]

I didn't wear earbuds until this bike. I have the OEM windshield (useless) and a Spitfire that I mount to the bars during the cold seasons. It's only good for keeping the wind off my chest. This bike offers absolutely no wind protection at all. It's like you're in an office chair.

Consider earplugs. There are motorcycle-specific ones that filter wind noise. If I don't use them, my head is ringing all night.

 

[LoneGhostOne]

The wind noise above 40 has started to bug me a little, but I thought it was just my helmet being a more motorcross style. I don't have any more ear ringing than usual after riding, but I already have some ringing. I've got a pair of plugs I can try, but I'm worried they'll drown out my cardo or people when I'm trying to talk to others.

 

[squeaks]

I really understand this issue with me being 6'4" but one of the first things I did was the windshield, but like others noted that just kinda keeps some wind off my chest.
I bought a Schuberth modular helmet, it was advertised as one of the quietest helmets out there.
Indeed it is, and I'm not bothered by by the wind too much.
Add a neck sock and it's very quiet indeed even on the highway.
Something to consider.

 

[OldGeezerStillOnTwoWheels]

I didn't wear earbuds until this bike. I have the OEM windshield (useless) and a Spitfire that I mount to the bars during the cold seasons. It's only good for keeping the wind off my chest. This bike offers absolutely no wind protection at all. It's like you're in an office chair.

Consider earplugs. There are motorcycle-specific ones that filter wind noise. If I don't use them, my head is ringing all night.

Thanks for replying. I thought maybe it was me being a bit oversensitive. So weird that on such a small and slow motorbike the wind noise is such an issue.

 

[OldGeezerStillOnTwoWheels]

I really understand this issue with me being 6'4" but one of the first things I did was the windshield, but like others noted that just kinda keeps some wind off my chest.
I bought a Schuberth modular helmet, it was advertised as one of the quietest helmets out there.
Indeed it is, and I'm not bothered by by the wind too much.
Add a neck sock and it's very quiet indeed even on the highway.
Something to consider.

Thanks. I do have a top of the line Shoei modular and it does offer a good protection against the wind. But it is way too hot for the Arizona heat. Maybe Honda did it on purpose so even with such a slow motorbike, it feels like you're going 3X as fast!

 

[BaldRider]

I didn't have an issue without a windscreen or with the screen that came on my nav tower. The Puig add-on was unbearable. I always wear earplugs

 

[dmonkey]

I wear a helmet that's rated as being very loud, but if I'm riding more than just across town I pop in hearing protection. I also don't run a windscreen on most of my bikes though I have a very short one on my main touring bike right now, mostly to keep bugs off the back of the instrument panel. There are more options than just standard ear plugs, I wear ones that are "filters" similar to what people wear at concerts, they cut out most wind noise and valvetrain noise, but you'll still hear a car horn or a tire screech, just at a reduced decibel level. "NoNoise Motorsport Noise Filter Ear Protection". I have a pair stashed in just about every pocket of my motorcycle gear so I have backups when touring.

 

[TeddyG]

The wind noise drives me nuts! However; I wear a half helmet, so I guess I'm asking for it. I wear hearing aids (thank you Uncle Sam) except for when I'm on the bike, in which case I wear custom injection molded ear plugs. I'd read somewhere years ago that wind noise alone can be very tiresome when riding for longs periods of time.

 

[OldGeezerStillOnTwoWheels]

I wear a helmet that's rated as being very loud, but if I'm riding more than just across town I pop in hearing protection. I also don't run a windscreen on most of my bikes though I have a very short one on my main touring bike right now, mostly to keep bugs off the back of the instrument panel. There are more options than just standard ear plugs, I wear ones that are "filters" similar to what people wear at concerts, they cut out most wind noise and valvetrain noise, but you'll still hear a car horn or a tire screech, just at a reduced decibel level. "NoNoise Motorsport Noise Filter Ear Protection". I have a pair stashed in just about every pocket of my motorcycle gear so I have backups when touring.

Interesting. I will look into it. The thing for me, anything in my ears drives me nuts. For music and stuff, I use a pair of Shokz earphones that are outside my ears, provide all the music/sounds I need, without ever feeling cut-off the external world.

 

[dmonkey]

I can relate and will say that those cone shaped filters are *mostly* tolerable for me, while typical in-ear foam plugs and in-ear earphones tend to be physically uncomfortable for me to wear longer than 30 minutes or so. For those NoNoise in-ear filters I've been able to wear them around 12 hours without discomfort. I recently did a 17.5 hr day of riding on my Moto Guzzi V7 and once I was off the interstate and riding at lower speeds the last 30 minutes or so I pulled them out at a gas station for the final leg of the trip because they'd reached the point of driving me nuts.

 

[mememe]

I guess I am the opposite...I recently switched from a full face helmet to an MX helmet with goggles because I felt too insulated from the riding and bike!

 

[OldGeezerStillOnTwoWheels]

I just installed this National Cycle windshield. The very same setup on my last 4 motorbikes, including the Royal Enfield here on the photo. What got me into windshield was not wind noise or body air pressure, it was that I was diagnosed with extreme bee allergy. After over 30 years of riding in a T-Shirt (California, 80+ degree weather) and being stung several times a month, I once got stunk and almost died. It was so quick. I got stung, was extremely painful and had seconds to pull over before the low blood pressure dropped me like an anchor. Was transferred to the Emergencies. Got a huge needle of steroids in my ass. Was told I was now hyper allergic to bees. Next time might be deadly. It made me very nervous and since then, I install a windshield on each of my bike. I will report how this setup helps versus the wind noise on the Honda CT125. Yes, at first, it kind of fight with the image of a simple low weight machine. But one gets used to that setup. My eyes are above the windshield, and the lack of wind noise has always been worthwhile. Will report soon! This morning, at 6:00AM, it was already over 90 degree. Riding in Arizona has some real challenges!

 

[OldGeezerStillOnTwoWheels]

Well, it is 50% better but still an issue for me. I don't quite understand how my setup solved 100% the wind noise problem on my Royal Enfield 350. I can ride the RE for hours and never even think of the wind. So, I need to look into an open face helmet with better protection. Any suggestion for an open helmet with great sound protection?