How to Make a Motorcycle Helmet Quieter

Are you tired of the noisiness while riding your bike? Cannot figure out whether to buy a new helmet or fix the current one? We understand how difficult it can be when you can’t figure out how to get a quiet helmet. It’s frustrating when you want to enjoy a long ride, but the noise comes in the way.

To make it easier for you, we have listed tips on how to make a motorcycle helmet quieter so that you can enjoy a quiet but fun ride.

Why a Quiet Helmet is Important

A quiet helmet will help you achieve a better riding experience even in the most unideal riding situations. But you must know about the benefits of a quiet motorcycle helmet.

The noise inside a helmet is not only uncomfortable but also distracting. High noise levels can cause severe damage to your ear canals. A quiet motorcycle helmet helps to avoid this damage and protects your face and neck.

Hence you should know how to soundproof a motorcycle helmet.

What Causes Noise in A Helmet

The vibrations created from the wind and the loud engine noise are usually the causes of noise production. But there are a few other factors that can add to this situation.

  • Helmets and Visors that don’t fit properly.
  • Windshields of the wrong size.
  • The rider’s position and posture on the bike.
  • Keeping open space at the bottom of the helmet.

Tips to Make a Motorcycle Quieter

From adjusting your motorcycle and helmets to equipping extra accessories, there several ways to make a motorcycle helmet quiet. To make your bike ride a lot more peaceful and noiseless, here are some tips to make a quiet motorcycle helmet.

  • Get a Well-fitted Helmet.
  • Have a Well-fitted Visor.
  • Add a Helmet Support Collar
  • Use a Wind Blocker
  • Use Ear Plugs.
  • Use Earmuffs.
  • Use Noise Cancelling Headphones.
  • Using a Balaclava.
  • Add a Windshield Spoiler.
  • Line the Helmet with Fabric.
  • Change Your Riding Position.

Before we talk about this in detail, keep in mind that your goal is to achieve a quiet motorcycle helmet. All of these tips may not apply to you or your situation. But we will help you find the solution that works best for you.

Get a Well-Fitted Helmet

A well-fitted helmet will stop the air leak as well as provide you proper protection. A loose helmet or one that does not fit properly leaves space for air to leak in while you ride and cause the noise. So, make sure you buy a helmet that fits properly to your head to avoid leakage and noise production.

Nowadays, you can take measurements before you purchase a helmet so that it fits properly.

Make sure your helmet is compact enough and leaves no space for movement. Here are some tips to follow while getting a well-fitted helmet.

  • Determine your helmet size with the help of measurement tapes.
  • Check if it fits properly without any discomfort. You can wear the helmet for around 25-30 minutes to check for any discomfort.
  • If you wear glasses, make sure you check the fit while wearing glasses.
  • You should be able to feel the cheek pads against your cheeks if the helmet fits properly.
  • And while you move around the chin bar, your cheeks should be able to move.

You may follow this article: How to Make a Motorcycle Helmet Fit Better.

Have a Well-Fitted Visor

Having a properly fitted visor is as important as having a well-fit helmet. It prevents the air from getting in and reduces noise production.

Whether you are just replacing your old and torn visor or just simply getting it with the new helmet, make sure the visor has a perfect fit. From constant use, the visor can start having issues with the mechanism, and attachments may become loose. 

So, if you are going to replace it, make sure the new one fits perfectly. And always ride with your visor closed.

Add a Helmet Support Collar

A helmet support collar is a support for the neck to avoid whiplashes. A support collar will be needed if your helmet does not have enough padding in the neck area. 

In that case, adding a support collar or extra padding can seal off the helmet from the bottom. So, it leaves no extra space for the air to enter the bottom and minimizes the noise production.

Use a Wind Blocker

Accessories like wind blockers can be used very conveniently. Windblockers are padded helmet supports that sit around your neck. That helps to block the airflow at the helmet’s bottom.

While it blocks the airflow, it also provides warmth around your neck in cold weather. You can take it off at your convenience, and it is washable.

Use Ear Plugs

Ear Plugs are essential for those who ride at a very high speed. Because the noise caused at such high speed can cause severe damages to our ears. The earplugs will help protect the rider’s ears from the excessive noise produced during riding.

Earplugs designed specifically for motorcycle riding provide you the comfort by blocking the noises while giving you the safety of being able to listen to your surroundings.

If you are wondering whether this will be effective, here is a video you can watch to understand how it all works –

Use Earmuffs

Earmuffs are one-of-a-kind accessories to make the motorcycle helmet quiet. There is a small air bladder inside the earmuffs that creates a seal around the ears.

Earmuffs are said to reduce the noise by 50%. Earmuffs not only reduce the noise levels but also protect hearing. 

These noise-canceling earmuffs have built-in speakers with a connection to your phone. 

The best part is you can make modifications according to your preference. Companies like quietridehelmets.com provide the option of buying earmuffs separately.

Use Noise Cancelling Headphones

To make your helmet quieter, using noise-canceling headphones can be a very effective and worthy alternative. These types of headphones provide the best solution for noise management by canceling out unnecessary noises. 

They also detect the changes in your surroundings to adjust your music level. So, it will come in very handy while riding the motorcycle.

Use a Balaclava

Balaclava is a very common biking accessory. It helps to minimize the noise level and provides comfort in cold weather.

Balaclava helps to minimize any free space by providing some extra padding to your head. This reduces the airflow, and so it reduces the noise level to some extent. 

If you are not comfortable with a balaclava, you can always opt for a scarf. You can wear the scarf in a manner that covers your necks to stop the air from getting inside from the bottom of the helmet.

Add a Windshield Spoiler

A windshield spoiler is your best shot at reducing noise levels when you ride your motorcycle at a very fast speed. It resists the wind as you ride. 

So, a proper windshield will resist the air effectively and direct it over your head. It determines whether the air stream will be directed above your head to lessen the noise or hit you, creating more noise. 

Take five minutes of your time and install a windshield spoiler because that is how long it takes to install one.

Line the Helmet with Fabric

You can use fabrics like fleece to line your helmet in case there is air leaking inside. This will also help to get the helmet to fit tightly. So, it will reduce noise production.

You can line some fleece on the cheek pads to make it snugger and avoid any air leakage.

Change Your Riding Position

If the accessories and adjustments do not bring a major change to your noise issues, you should consider changing your riding position. You may not know this, but the riding position has a great influence on directing the air stream that hits your helmet. 

So, try to make a change in your riding position so that you can reduce the noise level. For a change, what you can do is sit on the part of the bike that is cushioned.

Why? Because the cushioned part absorbs most of the vibrations of the engine and stops it from reaching your ears.

Some Frequently Asked Questions:

Now that you know about the tips and tricks to make your motorcycle helmet quieter, we should answer some of the most frequently asked questions to steer clear of any confusion you may have.

Conclusion

Buying a new noise-canceling motorcycle helmet may be an expense you do not want to make now. And this is where the mentioned tips come in handy. Making modifications or just buying a new accessory could be the solution you are looking for.

Hence you know how to make a motorcycle helmet quieter while maintaining comfort. Happy Riding!

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