ULTIMATE HEARING PROTECTION

At some point we’ve all stepped off a scooter and struggled to hear clearly, yet the prospect of permanently damaging our hearing is something very few of us stop to consider. Tests conducted by the University of Portsmouth revealed that at speeds over 40mph the noise generated by air flowing over a rider’s helmet exceeds that generated by the engine and riders are routinely exposed to noise levels of over 90dB. Of course, those figures are based on production machines and don’t even begin to take into account the effects of riding with a baffle-less Fresco! Putting all of that into perspective, at 80dB an employer must provide hearing protection and at 85dB protection must be worn.

Fortunately, the solution to avoiding permanent hearing loss is straightforward, inexpensive and painless. At their base in Orpington, UltimateEar has been producing hearing protection for motorcyclists since 2001. Manufactured in anti-microbial medical grade silicone, their products are safe to wear for long periods, extremely easy to keep clean and will last until the growth of the user’s ears affect their ability to use the ear plugs, usually around four to five years. Unlike off-the-shelf products, UltimateEar’s plugs are custom made and although that does mean visiting one of their nationwide fitting centres for ear impressions to be taken, UltimateEar claim that these are “the most effective and comfortable custom-made hearing protection available”.

Available in a variety of specs up to their flagship Bluetooth compatible units, Stan’s been fitted with a set of the basic plugs and will report on their effectiveness later in the season.

RRP: From £65 www.ultimateear.com