How to make an Arai helmet quieter

Fred H. · Oct 10, 2004

I know this works on an Arai Signet, and I suspect it also will apply to some of the other models.

Take a look at how the vents work. There is a 1/4 inch (or so) hole drilled all the way through the helmet under each vent. There are 4 total vents in the Signet. Take a soft foam earplug and squish it and insert it into each hole from the inside of the helmet and let it expand. Now go for a ride and see how much less wind noise you have.

In the summer you will of course need to remove them in hotter weather for proper venting, but in cool temps, there really is no need for the vents and they usually are shut off from the outside anyway.

cycledude · Oct 11, 2004

interesting, i will give it a try with duct tape over the outside

Fred H. · Oct 11, 2004

I doubt duct tape is going to seal out the sound very well. The ear plug trick works because it completly seals and fills the hole from the inside. It is easy to pull them out anytime you want as well, so you don't have to make any permenant alterations to the helmet. And as a side benifet, it is a nice storage place to keep an extra set of foam ear plugs in if you need them on a ride sometime.

oldturtle · Oct 11, 2004

I have become adicted to wearing ear plugs in my ears. The noise is almost totally eliminated. The lack of noise significantly reduces fatigue on rides of any length especially the looonnnggg rides. People tend to think ear plugs are only good on sport bikes or naked bikes but not true. They help so much on the wing. Another benefit is that you can run with the fairing below your eyes where it belongs and still see over bugs and rain. If you have tried ear plugs and find them uncomfortable then try some others until you find a style you like. The ride is so smooth and quiet that I have gone so far as to tape a "SHIFT" lable on bottom of each mirror to remind me to shift into 5th.

Landtuna · Oct 11, 2004

Be careful Oldturtle......killing the sound by wearing earplugs means you have greatly reduced one of the most important senses riders need. You need to compensate for the loss of ambient road noise (the car in your blind spot for instance) by using your mirrors or peripheral vision more often.

I used them too but am always listening intently for motorcycle sounds.....like the tires on pavement or unusual motor sounds. It has saved my butt a number of times in the 48 years I have been riding.

Brian · Oct 11, 2004

Dear Fred:

I am surprised that your technique had such an effect. Most would contend, as one reply to your suggestion thought, the noise would be more readily reduced by blocking and/or smoothing out the surface of the top vents.

I will bring your suggestion up with the R&D staff next week (will be visiting the factory) and see what we might learn and put into practical application.

Best regards,
Brian / Arai

/////

Fred H. said:
I know this works on an Arai Signet, and I suspect it also will apply to some of the other models.

Take a look at how the vents work. There is a 1/4 inch (or so) hole drilled all the way through the helmet under each vent. There are 4 total vents in the Signet. Take a soft foam earplug and squish it and insert it into each hole from the inside of the helmet and let it expand. Now go for a ride and see how much less wind noise you have.

In the summer you will of course need to remove them in hotter weather for proper venting, but in cool temps, there really is no need for the vents and they usually are shut off from the outside anyway.

azjerry · Oct 11, 2004

Be careful Landtuna, by not wearing earplugs while riding you may eventually have to compensate in all aspects of your life due to the permanent hearing loss from years of riding.

Jerry

Stu_O · Oct 11, 2004

Brian said:
Dear Fred:

I am surprised that your technique had such an effect. Most would contend, as one reply to your suggestion thought, the noise would be more readily reduced by blocking and/or smoothing out the surface of the top vents.

I will bring your suggestion up with the R&D staff next week (will be visiting the factory) and see what we might learn and put into practical application.

Best regards,
Brian / Arai

Brian,
When riding behind almost any type of windscreen, the buffetting on the helmet due to the screen creates some wind noise, and the vents amplify it tremendously. The windscreen also renders the vents inoperative, so we have the worst of both worlds. I own an Arai Signet made in 08/02; yes, it's too old to use, but it's the quietest helmet I've ever worn. My three newer Arai helmets equipped with vents are far less pleasant to ride in due to vent wind noise. I realize that vents are the current craze, but I'd buy a ventless helmet in a heartbeat if you made that available as an option.

Stu O

OlsonBW · Oct 11, 2004

Noise from bottom of helmet

It's has always been my (wrong?) impression that most of the noise comes through the bottom sides of helmets. I've wondered why there isn't some soft foam that snugs up more against our neck/jaw to reduce this opening.

Geeeze · Oct 11, 2004

LandTuna,

Consider that really expensive cars block noise to the point where drivers can't even hear police sirens directly behind them. I don't see them littering the highways. Also take a look at all the young yahoos with stereos turned up so loud you can't hear yourself think if you're within 3 cars of them at a light. They're not getting outside clues via sound. You likely will see them littering the highways but that's generally due to the distraction level as they chat on their cell phones, search for the CD with a particular MP3 on it, change stations to find the best music until they can find the CD, and type notes on their PDAs as they go down the road. :shock:

The more important factor is hearing loss. I rode for about 6 hours yesterday in a half hat with no ear protection. Today the whole world seems more muted. I think my next trick (since I obviously don't care about the protection offered by the helmet) will be to modify a set of helmets to accept some complete noice cancelling headsets.

cycledude · Oct 12, 2004

Stu_O said:
Brian said:

Dear Fred:

I am surprised that your technique had such an effect. Most would contend, as one reply to your suggestion thought, the noise would be more readily reduced by blocking and/or smoothing out the surface of the top vents.

I will bring your suggestion up with the R&D staff next week (will be visiting the factory) and see what we might learn and put into practical application.

Best regards,
Brian / Arai

Click to expand...

Brian,
When riding behind almost any type of windscreen, the buffetting on the helmet due to the screen creates some wind noise, and the vents amplify it tremendously. The windscreen also renders the vents inoperative, so we have the worst of both worlds. I own an Arai Signet made in 08/02; yes, it's too old to use, but it's the quietest helmet I've ever worn. My three newer Arai helmets equipped with vents are far less pleasant to ride in due to vent wind noise. I realize that vents are the current craze, but I'd buy a ventless helmet in a heartbeat if you made that available as an option.

Stu O

Stu must have made a mistake on the date of his helmets manufacture? surely a 2-3 year old Arai helmet isn't to old to use?
I wouldn't buy a helmet if the vents didn't work, i had helmets where the vents didn't work in the past and after owning one where the vents actually work i won't make that mistake again. the vents on my signet GT are noisey and i complained about it months ago to Brian from Arai. The vents on the Signet are also lousey because they are difficult to operate with gloves on and most motorcyclists wear gloves so how they came up with these new improved vents makes me wonder. the vent on my old 1992 Arai quantum R is very easy to operate with gloves on and makes WAY less noise.

Jerry J · Oct 12, 2004

Well then I guess that if I had a Arai helmet I would stuff ear plugs in the air vents and then put duck tape over them, if anyone does this you might want to spray a little paint over the duck tape to make it look better-- anyway my JC Whitney helmet doesn't have vents so I guess I don't have to worry about it.

CBX · Oct 12, 2004

cycledude said:
Stu_O said:

Brian said:

Dear Fred:

I am surprised that your technique had such an effect. Most would contend, as one reply to your suggestion thought, the noise would be more readily reduced by blocking and/or smoothing out the surface of the top vents.

I will bring your suggestion up with the R&D staff next week (will be visiting the factory) and see what we might learn and put into practical application.

Best regards,
Brian / Arai

Click to expand...

Brian,
When riding behind almost any type of windscreen, the buffetting on the helmet due to the screen creates some wind noise, and the vents amplify it tremendously. The windscreen also renders the vents inoperative, so we have the worst of both worlds. I own an Arai Signet made in 08/02; yes, it's too old to use, but it's the quietest helmet I've ever worn. My three newer Arai helmets equipped with vents are far less pleasant to ride in due to vent wind noise. I realize that vents are the current craze, but I'd buy a ventless helmet in a heartbeat if you made that available as an option.

Stu O

Click to expand...

Stu must have made a mistake on the date of his helmets manufacture? surely a 2-3 year old Arai helmet isn't to old to use?
I wouldn't buy a helmet if the vents didn't work, i had helmets where the vents didn't work in the past and after owning one where the vents actually work i won't make that mistake again. the vents on my signet GT are noisey and i complained about it months ago to Brian from Arai. The vents on the Signet are also lousey because they are difficult to operate with gloves on and most motorcyclists wear gloves so how they came up with these new improved vents makes me wonder. the vent on my old 1992 Arai quantum R is very easy to operate with gloves on and makes WAY less noise.

Snell and Arai agree one should replace a helmet after 5 years from manuafactured date. That implies, unless the helmet is damaged, it should be good to go until 08/07.

Stu_O · Oct 12, 2004

cycledude said:
Stu must have made a mistake on the date of his helmets manufacture? surely a 2-3 year old Arai helmet isn't to old to use?

Yes, I made typing boo-boo. It was made 08/92, and it has only a chin vent.

Regarding the vents not working, they work fine...on a naked bike, though they sound like a hurricane blowing through a keyhole. But behind that barn-door shield of the Wing, there's far more noise than actual venting. Perhaps if I were 6 inches taller or the shield was 6" lower...

Stu

Sam Jones · Oct 12, 2004

Stu O said:

"I'd buy a ventless helmet in a heartbeat if you made that available as an option."

Stu, We have Arai helmets (Renegade) on which I've just removed the Vent mechanism (It was stuck on with stickey tape). I then plugged the hole with one of the plasic Push Rivits that have a smooth rounded button top. These are the kind used on the GL1800 for some applications other than the golve pockets.

This might work for your situation as well.

Brian · Oct 12, 2004

Dear Fred:

It may help if you turn the front top vents around to act as exhaust vents. As the windscreen pushes the air over your head, intake vents won't work, but exhaust vents may benefit from the low pressure created up there.

Also, I would think the old Signet model you refered to is a '92, not '02.

Best regards,
Brian / Arai

/////

Stu_O said:
Brian said:

Dear Fred:

I am surprised that your technique had such an effect. Most would contend, as one reply to your suggestion thought, the noise would be more readily reduced by blocking and/or smoothing out the surface of the top vents.

I will bring your suggestion up with the R&D staff next week (will be visiting the factory) and see what we might learn and put into practical application.

Best regards,
Brian / Arai

Click to expand...

Brian,
When riding behind almost any type of windscreen, the buffetting on the helmet due to the screen creates some wind noise, and the vents amplify it tremendously. The windscreen also renders the vents inoperative, so we have the worst of both worlds. I own an Arai Signet made in 08/02; yes, it's too old to use, but it's the quietest helmet I've ever worn. My three newer Arai helmets equipped with vents are far less pleasant to ride in due to vent wind noise. I realize that vents are the current craze, but I'd buy a ventless helmet in a heartbeat if you made that available as an option.

Stu O

Brian · Oct 12, 2004

Re: Noise from bottom of helmet

Dear OlsonBW:

Your impression is correct. Most wind noise is generated by the wind turbulence between the bottom of the helmet and shoulders. However, behind a large fairing/windscreen changes the airflow, creating many different airflows around the helmet, so noise comes from multiple places.

With regard to closing the gap between the helmet and shoulders, I'm sure it's been considered, but the chance that such a design might hinder the movement of the head may deter such a design from ever making it to market. I have personally experimented with such a design of my own making and found it to be very effective in various chapes/sizes, but in it's most effective form found that it looked goofy (probably the main reason it would never sell) and did experience some restriected motion.
* Do not attempt this at home, I am a trained professional on a closed course, with appropriate medical personel standing by.

Best regards,
Brian / Arai

/////

OlsonBW said:
It's has always been my (wrong?) impression that most of the noise comes through the bottom sides of helmets. I've wondered why there isn't some soft foam that snugs up more against our neck/jaw to reduce this opening.

Brian · Oct 12, 2004

From what I've been told, earplug material does a great job at blocking drastic sounds, while allowing normal sounds to make it through.

From personal experience, I was a bit concerned when I first rode with earplugs, feeling like I was in a closed room, but soon adapted and found that I could hear the car riding in my blind spot and although probably later than some, was able to hear a police siren in plenty of time to locate it in my mirrors and move out of the way.

So, with enough time to adjust, the benefits of earplugs far outweigh the downside.

Even in what you might consider a quite helmet, earplugs help prevent long term hearing damage, as even moderate or noise that is not annoying, can cause hearing loss over extended periods of time.

Just my 2-cents.

Brian / Arai

/////

Geeeze said:
LandTuna,

Consider that really expensive cars block noise to the point where drivers can't even hear police sirens directly behind them. I don't see them littering the highways. Also take a look at all the young yahoos with stereos turned up so loud you can't hear yourself think if you're within 3 cars of them at a light. They're not getting outside clues via sound. You likely will see them littering the highways but that's generally due to the distraction level as they chat on their cell phones, search for the CD with a particular MP3 on it, change stations to find the best music until they can find the CD, and type notes on their PDAs as they go down the road. :shock:

The more important factor is hearing loss. I rode for about 6 hours yesterday in a half hat with no ear protection. Today the whole world seems more muted. I think my next trick (since I obviously don't care about the protection offered by the helmet) will be to modify a set of helmets to accept some complete noice cancelling headsets.

Fred H. · Oct 13, 2004

I can increase my riding stamina by almost 200 miles by simply wearing earplugs on days when I need to get miles done. At the end of a 16- 18 hour day in the saddle it makes the difference between being just tired and being tottally brain dead and numb.

I won't do long distances with em and I keep a dozen new ones in the storage pouch at all times. They only cost about $1.50 at Wal Mart.

blizardj · Oct 13, 2004

Fred

Thanks for the suggestion. I put in the soft ear plugs this morning. They make a lot of difference. Haven't had such a quiet ride for a long time. I have an Arai Corsair.

Will probably have to take them out next summer. I still ride everyday when its 115 deg. so I may prefer the noise to the heat. We'll see...

Thanks again.

John

How to make an Arai helmet quieter

Fred H.

cycledude

Fred H.

oldturtle

Landtuna

Brian

azjerry

Stu_O

OlsonBW

Geeeze

cycledude

Jerry J

CBX

Stu_O

Sam Jones

Brian

Brian

Brian

Fred H.

blizardj

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