Windburn Bill

I recently sent this PM to another member. After thinking about it for a while I decided I would post it for all to read.
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Hi...I read your thread about hacking your mufflers off and just wanted to offer some advice from personal experience. When I first got my Volusia I wacked the ends off the mufflers and gutted them.
Not long after I went for a 200 mile ride. About the last 50 I started getting a miserable headache and by the time I got home there was a constant ringing in my left ear. It's now 5 years later and the ringing is still there. I permanently damaged my hearing and now have a condition called tinnitus...a ringing sound in the ear. It NEVER goes away and I can't sleep unless I have a fan running in the room to cover the sound.
It's annoying as ****, there is no cure...and I'm stuck with it for the rest of my life. I can't tell you how much I regret that ride and wish I could take it back.
Do yourself a huge favour. If your going to run open pipes ALWAYS wear ear plugs. Better yet, save up until you can buy an after market system engineered with baffles in them.

Just thought I'd give you a heads up.

W.B.

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'05 Vulcan 1600 Classic
'03 Volusia ( '07 to '10)

BIGBIRD123

what?



































j/k..Bill

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ATGATT
2005 C50 Boulevard w/Dual Harley Chopper Headlight Mod w/modulator, LED Indicators, Modulated 1966 Kharman Ghia
Taillight Mod , Mustang Fender Bib, 6" Risers, Kury grips, John's 2.5" lowering bones, Custom Modded Exhaust and Final Drive Mod w/a BB U-joint

BIGBIRD123

Bill, I have the same thing from an explosion at work. I lost 25% of my hearing of which is the natural talking voice sounds, so I actually have to see you talking to me to hear you. I don't "officially" read lips but I see them to hear you talk...it too is annoying, so I know what you mean and I admire you for your warning. It is irreparable damage...

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ATGATT
2005 C50 Boulevard w/Dual Harley Chopper Headlight Mod w/modulator, LED Indicators, Modulated 1966 Kharman Ghia
Taillight Mod , Mustang Fender Bib, 6" Risers, Kury grips, John's 2.5" lowering bones, Custom Modded Exhaust and Final Drive Mod w/a BB U-joint

Misfit74

Thank you for sharing and can sympathize with you both. Years of playing in bands, concerts, and car stereo competitions have left me hearing impaired. Hearing aides are expensive and staring at people's lips, asking them to repeat themselves multiple times, or running everyone out of the living room so you can watch/hear a movie is not only embarrassing but also frustrating.

It just isn't worth it for the cool or wow factor. My only regret in life is not wearing plugs during those times but like most young men I felt like I was invincible and that it would never happen to me. Boy was I wrong.

Again thanks for posting.


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Steve Gray

I'm in the same boat. Years of drumming in rock bands and marching band, and riding motorcycles with the wind noise, and working for 8 years on large pneumatics have left me with a high-frequency roll off. It's not too severe, but I can definitely tell that things aren't as crisp as they used to be. It makes the sibilants in speech less distinguishable, and so you're always asking people to repeat themselves (well, depending on who they are. Some people it's a blessing). I have tinnitus, and it's difficult to sleep in a quiet room. The biggest regret I have is that I love music and audio gear, and I'm not able to get that top end information any more. The quality of the midrange has become very important, lol. Bill offers wise advice, and we would all be wise to heed his warning. It can only get worse.

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2009 battered and broken Speed Triple
2007 Wee Strom
'73 CB350 cafe project

barrynfla

Good post, Bill. Besides the hearing issue running straight pipes will cause you to LOSE power. Bikes need some backpressure. Sort of a lose-lose situation.

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VR #69

jayelwin

Great letter. I think iPods are also going to create a new generation of hard of hearing people in the next few decades.

I could never understand the attraction to loud pipes. Driving down a country road watching the world go by why would you want all that noise? It never made sense to me. I like my stock pipes. Throaty growl when you're winding it up but quiet when you're steady cruising.


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Duffy

A bit of an addition here........I spent 24 years in the Navy around jet aircraft and always wore "ears", a sound/safety helmet or ear plugs. I still suffered some hearing loss and as Bill mentioned the ringing is constant. Usually I can ignore it but sometimes it really gets "loud". I sure do love the sound of the V&H Long Shots but use a bit of caution. Long rides get ear plugs.

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Wood Welder

Tradesmen all have their high pitch diminished or gone. I always wear custom fit earplugs when I ride. Now's the time to start wearing them, its never too late.

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sundancer87

20 years of hearing sirens inside of ambulances and fire trucks have left me with a slight ringing in my head also. What I have noticed is the ringing is worse at sea level as opposed to an altitude of say, four thousand feet.

Thankfully the background noise doesn't keep me awake though.

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