I have been communting every day for about a month, and just started wearing ear plugs.  Curious what others do.

Would love to know what exhaust you are running too.

I cherish my hearing and wear earplugs all the time. I'm running Leo Vince's with no decibel killers.

I wear earplugs for any ride of significant distance.  I don't wear them for my daily in-city commute because it's only a few miles and I don't get up to any significant speed.  And I usually don't wear them around for short in-city jaunts.  I wear them every time I get on the freeway, head to the twisties, go to the track, or anytime I'm going to spend any time on the bike. 

I have custom exhausts.  They're louder than many aftermarket exhausts.  The damage earplugs prevent is not damage from loud exhausts as much as from wind.  You could have a stock bike and you'd damage your hearing with extended riding at freeway speeds.

Only if I'll be on the freeway, which I avoid anyway (stock exhaust).

Who was the fellow who gave me a pair at DIMBY? I still got 'em! [moto]

I wear mine anytime I'm going to be going above city street speed (30 mph).

I have a Remus on the ST4 and a Termi on the 749. 

[moto]

Just like Spidey, I wear earplugs whenever I plan on freeway riding. Having earplugs in don't drown out everything around me, but do help save some hearing.

I have chopped and cored stock exhaust.

I wear 'em any time I'm going to be going above 45 mph or so, or any ride longer than maybe 20 minutes. I run Termi slip-ons on both bikes.
I find the plugs protect my hearing, but they reduce the overall sense of speed, making me calmer, less fatigued over time, and a better rider due to better concentration. That's especially true in the twisties or on the track.

Like most...

I wear mine for the wind, not the bike. Although the exhaust doesn't help matters... Even for quick jaunts, I put mine in. It only takes a second and it will keep my ears happy!

Only on the highway / freeway or if I'm really trying to BURN up a canyon ...

I like the DP megaphones

~DaVe

P.S. What ?

Except for the rare short jaunt to the store, or a close restaurant, I wear ear plugs all the time. I have mild tinnitus (sp?) in my left ear from years of drumming and if I ride any real distance that ear will ring worse than normal. It sucks and I don't want it to get any worse.

This applies to both bikes...the Monstrada with a custom exhaust (loud), and the GS with stock exhaust (super quiet). The loud exhaust makes it worse, but the wind is the primary cause.

I had a custom pair of plugs made at the moto show 2 1/2 years...best thing ever. 

wind + open clutch + cored exhaust = bigearinc.com . . . one of the best investments I've ever made.

If the poll allowed I would have checked both "always" and "What did you say?".  Always because I cherish what little hearing I have left.  Folks, hearing loss is gradual and will catch up with you.

i rode for about 2,000 miles on open udder then i started wearing earplugs every single time. those 2,000 miles damaged my hearing pretty significantly. though i can still hear a pin drop, i also hear a pinnnggggggggggggggg 24/7.

so even if its around the block, ear plugs in. i keep a pair in all my jackets, and on my bike, and if need be, ill shove two cigarette butts in my ear. open udder is no joke. its mothermake the beast with two backsing loud.

I wear them always since the last 5 years anyway. Before when I used to ride Harleys I didn't wear them or safety gear but I did wear a Helmet . Getting smarter.

Even so, when I'm relaxing in a nice quiet place it sounds like I'm in a distant field on a hot Summer's Eve with a million Insects.

I don't imagine all the Rock Concerts of the 60s and 70s did my hearing any favors.

I also played in a Rock band for 3 years and my Brother has been a Rock Drummer and Guitarist since he was 14 ...he'll be 57 in July.

Anybody like Chickenfoot ?

Sammy Hagar, Mark Anthony, Joe Satriani. and Chad Smith from the Chili Peppers.

Some would call them the next " Super Group ."   

Oh yeah, all 3 of my bikes have Sport Performance Exhausts. Two have Full Termignoni, one has a Remus.       Dolph

I don't wear them.

Like Dolph my background with music did me no favors.

Add the fact that I've worked in really noisy places all my life...

it's a bit late for hearing 'protection'.