Motorcycles Loud Exhaust

[Romain B.]

Hi, i just can't understand why they are so loud (motorcycles exhausts).

Yesterday I was doing some running in a park where the path is nearby the sidewalk and the road. I was maybe at 50 feet from this motorbike who decide just at the moment where we crossed each other to accelerate like hell his engine, I made an instant jump.

It was really loud and now I'm so lost about this noise, does it was a damaging noise? Or just an annoying noise without any hearing damage?

I just can't do anymore the rational distinction between the two kind of noise. When this happened it didn't hurt the ears but left me with panic and big anxiety because I don't know how to consider this kind of noise. It was maybe 125/130 dB at the exhaust and I maybe got 100 / 105 dB where I was, during 3/4 seconds. It wasn't a stock exhaust for sure.

Is there a risk of an acoustic trauma?

 

[Julien87]

"It was maybe 125/130 db"

I would say it was certainly 105 - 110. Which is already way above the regulation. 120 is the pain threshold so even the stupidest bikers would avoid revving up their engine if it was 120 dB.

Certainly not damaging at 50 ft.

Are you French by the way?

 

[Romain B.]

@Julien87 A big Thanks for the rational side !! the limit between unpleasant sounds and harmfull noises is so thin that i can't do anymore the difference between them.

 

[Julien87]

I am glad if it helps
I just added a question to my message just when you wrote this one, are you French? You have a French first name but you used an imperial unit so I am wondering

 

[Romain B.]

@Julien87 Yes i'm french too, i wanted to share it but i thought it won't be useful for the community
I'm from Bordeaux ! And you which city ?

Still focused on that exhaust sound anyway. 50 ft (15 mètres) are you sure there is no way to get ear damage with that kind of distance ? It was so loud and impulsive. Another guy was running in that pathway at the same time, i didn't saw him make a blink when that huge noise came out..

 

[Julien87]

Alright I am from Boulogne-sur-Mer, just next to the Channel.

I cannot be sure about anything, the ear is very complex. I can just tell you I really think it did not damage permanently your ear if it was very brief and 15 meters from you.

I understand your worry though, I experienced a similar situation last month. Just when I approached a parking area, the group of bikers who were there found it funny to all rev up their engine at the same time. I guess they were happy that people look at them... Effing idiots. I quickly plugged my ears and walked away. It worried me for one day or two.. but it did not affect my T in the end, and when I put things in perspective, it was a minor accident considering the other things that happened to my ears that week.

 

[Romain B.]

Ok many thanks ! it help to take some distance from it. But i always tell myself "why you didn't plug your ears"... i knew that some bad motorcycles were coming but they weren't rev up their engines, so i thought i could be good waitting for them to pass, but it wasn't the case. I just have to accept that i won't be able to protect my ears anytime from this noisy world. It's a fact. It's impossible ! But it's really hard to accept it.. to let it go !

I'm sure in two days or so i would heard another bothering noise that would bury this one !

Anyway thanks for your time and your answers ! French connexion

 

[Elfin]

I'm sure in two days or so i would heard another bothering noise that would bury this one !

such is the struggle, brother!

 

[robHing]

Jogging near by street should be very careful.
I would try some different route or wear ear muff to avoid second occurance.

 

[Romain B.]

@robHing You make me very scared ! i have the feeling that i did a big mistake ! Jogging in a Park ... i was at 50 feet from the road.. what else could i do ? I was doing a jog like a normal human being ! Damn, no way to run with ear muff in a park even if it's still near the road.

 

[New Guy]

I went jogging yesterday and wore ear plugs so I didn't have to worry about sudden noises or carrying ear muffs in case of emergency. Unfortunately that leaves us vulnerable to getting hit by a car we don't hear. It's very tricky with t for sure.

 

[robHing]

@Romain B.
I understand your frustration !
I myself had be hit by the loud noise several times.
But, we are the T people and we need to protect our ears carefully.
That is very important.

Because, when accident happens, only we suffer the consequence 24/7.

 

[Romain B.]

@robHing I'm completly agree ! That's the reason why i'm so concerned ! But do you think that an exhaust system of a motorcycles who rev up loudly his engine at 50 feet from where you are with the exhaust not in your direction and for 4 seconds max could cause you to get a new T ?

 

[Tinker Bell]

@robHing I'm completly agree ! That's the reason why i'm so concerned ! But do you think that an exhaust system of a motorcycles who rev up loudly his engine at 50 feet from where you are with the exhaust not in your direction and for 4 seconds max could cause you to get a new T ?

No, but anxiety will exacerbate tinnitus.

I did not realize you were French, thought you were from U.S. since you have an illustration of a Native American.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Is there a risk of an acoustic trauma?

If you have not been experiencing a full ear sensation, you are most likely fine.

 

[dpdx]

motorcyclists are as*holes. I also noticed they accelerate their bike when they see people.

 

[Romain B.]

Thanks you @Tinker Bell ! I really do not thank you because you told me what i wanted to hear but because i wanted the rationality side that i miss so much since T. When i hear a loud noise, i start the game "If this loud noise was so much powerfull that it would give me a new T ? Did i just had a new acoustic trauma ? What if it was a killer noise for my ears ? A new setback ? etc.... etc.... Until i end up exhausted about all this reflexion or another "killer" noise bury the old one under a new layer of stress and a new "what if"... If someone could tell me "My friend in this world you can go throught safely, you won't have a new setback if you stay away from : Gunshots / Concerts / Nightclubs / Firecracker / Balloon pop / Loud tools / don't ride a motorcycle / avoid headphones that caused you your initial T. I would feel really better living on earth. Just this kind of sudden noise freak me out so much and don't where to put it, bad or unpleasant ! So i just start to calculate the distance, the frequency, the sudden or progressive noise feature etc.. Hell. I just want be rational when i hear something like this ! "Yes Romain, it was loud, unpleasant but unlikely to do any damage to your pretty ears, because it didn't last enough time, it wasn't a bomb and you have the stapedius reflex who can help a little bit"

 

[Romain B.]

@Bill Bauer

Yes it is in fact all i want to know ! How to know when you had an acoustic trauma apart from the traditional T symptom ? Ears fullness ? Pain when the noise pop ? Is that all ?

 

[RingerBell]

It was maybe 125/130 dB at the exhaust and I maybe got 100 / 105 dB where I was, during 3/4 seconds. It wasn't a stock exhaust for sure.

The theoretical sound pressure level 15m away is approximately 20dB less than it would be 1m away from the motorcycle (in a open space above hard ground). Just for comparison, chainsaws usually create sound pressure level that is around 105-110dB(A) at the level of user (ears), when they are operated normally. (They have usually sound power level around 115-120dB(A))

 

[Romain B.]

@RingerBell

So for you is there any risk ?

 

[Bill Bauer]

@Bill Bauer

Yes it is in fact all i want to know ! How to know when you had an acoustic trauma apart from the traditional T symptom ? Ears fullness ? Pain when the noise pop ? Is that all ?

In my case (and in the case of many others whose stories I read on this forum), the main symptom of an acoustic trauma is ear fullness. I guess a spike in one's tinnitus would be another symptom. It might take several days for T to appear, however, ear fullness appears right away, and if it is not present, I don't think you need to worry about this. Of course you should try to avoid more exposure to noises (possibly wear earplugs in places where there is a good chance motorcyclists will be gunning their engines nearby). Eventually, one's ears might not be able to handle the noise. But for now it sounds like you are going to be ok.

 

[RingerBell]

@RingerBell

So for you is there any risk ?

I think good advices have already been proposed in this thread. I was just trying to say that from 15m away the sound pressure level is (in theory) already much lower. The attenuation that comes with this distance vs bike passing from 1m is already more in the range below 1khz than what non-custom musician plugs would offer.