Music

[Viirin]

Anyone ride listening to music? I know it's not as safe and i'm not even sure if it's legal here in Ireland but i was just wondering if it's common practise with a lot of riders or just reserved for long journeys and the like.

Vii

[Water Warrior 2]

Many folks ride and listen to their tunes. I normally wear ear plugs and just listen to the road as it goes by. I tried music a couple times but found it was distracting

[bonehead]

I really enjoyed it on my bike that had it. My next big bike WILL have tunes, the only way to travel.

[music man]

Anyone ride listening to music? I know it's not as safe and i'm not even sure if it's legal here in Ireland but i was just wondering if it's common practise with a lot of riders or just reserved for long journeys and the like.

Vii


I listen to an Mp3 player with headphones when I ride, some people say it is distracting, but I have been riding like that since the first day I got my GZ and I haven't looked back. And I wear them in town, on the highway and everywhere in between.

You really have to decide for yourself whether or not it is too dangerous/distracting for you personally, some people can't handle riding with music, I personally can't handle riding without music.

[Viirin]

Ah yeah i gotta give it a go - i don't mind being exposed to bad weather, the reduction in metal between me and other people on the road but the best thing that cars have on bike is a radio/cd/mp3 - hope my helmet doesn't push my headphones into my brain.....it doesn't really leave a lot of room.....but i guess that's it's job

[Easy Rider]

hope my helmet doesn't push my headphones into my brain.....

Ear buds, bud. :biggrin:
You can get a pretty decent set for about $15 and they are small enough that a properly fitting helmet should NOT cause you any discomfort.

[music man]

My helmet has cutouts around the ear area so you can put speakers in it, so it doesn't push on my ears at all, and I thought about doing that (putting speakers in my helmet that is), it would have a more car stereo sound to it I think, I just haven't gotten around to trying it out yet.

[Viirin]

Ha - just put on the helmet there with the earphones in - no problem - don't know why it didn't occur to me that i didn't actually have to be going for a ride to put on my helmet and see if it was comfortable with them in!

Thanks for letting me know if music was common or taboo guys - looking forward to my next ride now...


Vii

[music man]

Thanks for letting me know if music was common or taboo guys - looking forward to my next ride now...
Vii


I still don't think we let you know that, I am the only one that really responded to whether or not they actually listen to music on their motorcycle.

[Sarris]

I have music on both mine!

:rawk:

[BillInGA]

I listen to music on longer rides. I picked up a pair of Skull Candy Ink'd earbuds a few weeks ago and I'm very happy with them. They provide just as mush noise attenuation as my earplugs, which is their primary purpose. The music is just a pleasant bonus.

[music man]

I listen to music on longer rides. I picked up a pair of Skull Candy Ink'd earbuds a few weeks ago and I'm very happy with them. They provide just as mush noise attenuation as my earplugs, which is their primary purpose. The music is just a pleasant bonus.


That is what I use too. And I have rode with them without the music on and you are correct, they dampen a lot of the harsher noises you would normally be exposed to on your bike.

[TheWife]

I ride with music. I have adhd & music helps me focus. Without it I would be a twitchy little spaz, not good for on the bike! My helmet has the space for heaphones which I prefer since it doesn't drown out all other noise.

[Easy Rider]

Thanks for letting me know if music was common or taboo guys -

Now that we have established that lots of riders do it and it seems to work out fine..........

You also need to know that in many states it is ILLEGAL to drive or ride with something in BOTH ears. I doubt that this would ever be an issue.....unless the cop has it "in" for you......but it could theoretically apply to noise reducing ear plugs too.

[TheWife]

You also need to know that in many states it is ILLEGAL to drive or ride with something in BOTH ears. I doubt that this would ever be an issue.....unless the cop has it "in" for you......but it could theoretically apply to noise reducing ear plugs too.


I was thinking this too. It's a definite safety issue for both you and emergency vehicles, and then some.

[dannylightning]

it is a safety issue imo, i grew up riding bmx bikes, wearing head phones on a bicycle did not feel safe to me. you never know what you are not going to hear and i did not like that at all, no music for me unless the bike has a built in radio, you could always clamp some powered speakers on your handle bars hahahah

[BillInGA]

O.C.G.A. (Official Code of Georgia, Amended) § 40-6-250. Wearing device which impairs hearing or vision

No person shall operate a motor vehicle while wearing a headset or headphone which would impair such person's ability to hear, nor shall any person while operating a motor vehicle wear any device which impairs such person's vision; provided, however, that a person may wear a headset or headphone for communication purposes only while operating a motorcycle. This Code section shall not apply to hearing aids or instruments for the improvement of defective human hearing, eyeglasses, or sunglasses. This Code section shall not apply to any law enforcement officer or firefighter equipped with any communications device necessary in the performance of such person's duties.

So, if my headphones are attached to my iPhone...?

Legalities aside, I don't listen at volumes that would completely block out all other sounds. I can hear sirens, horns and my engine. IMO listening to music on a motorcycle is no more distracting than listening to music in a car. In both cases, however, the driver must have his/her primary focus on driving the vehicle.

[music man]

Legalities aside, I don't listen at volumes that would completely block out all other sounds. I can hear sirens, horns and my engine. IMO listening to music on a motorcycle is no more distracting than listening to music in a car. In both cases, however, the driver must have his/her primary focus on driving the vehicle.


:plus1: I listen to music in my car WAY louder than I do on my motorcycle. It is just a matter of being responsible with it. :rawk:

[Viirin]

Yeah i can't hear a thing when i'm driving the car - i guess my main concern now is the in-ability to turn off the music as quickly as you could hit the dial on your car radio - gloves aren't made for operating mp3's or phones

[diffluere]

I tend to only listen to music on long rides. My commute to school involves a lot of maneuvering around idiot college drivers so I have to pay all the attention possible to avoid squishing myself. On the ride home there tend to be less people around so some nights I listen, sometimes not.

On long rides I am trying to make playlists to listen to. The shuffle function on my mp3 sucks and it always plays stuff I don't feel like listening to. However, picking one artist rarely makes a long enough track list for a long ride, so I'll either try and switch the songs at a stop light/stop sign or pull off to stretch and get new tunes.

I just have ear buds and I don't listen at a volume that blocks out other sounds. It's relaxing to have the music on long rides though. Not sure of the legality in Florida, I will have to check...

[BillInGA]

This might be a helpful site to check out regarding state-by-state legalities:

AMA State Motorcycle Laws (http://www.amadirectlink.com/legisltn/laws.asp)

I use iTunes to make playlists. It has a playlist creation utility called Genius - you pick one song and it creates a playlist around it with your other existing music. You can specify the length of the playlist (the default is 25 songs) and a few other parameters as well.

[Mercutio57]

It's legal here in NY, provided that one listens with only one ear. Scansound.com sells the 1-BUD, which is a single earphone that plays both stereo channels. This way you get the full sound while remaining legal.

[Fish Baseball]

I listen to my ipod while riding, althou its no where near loud enough to drown out the engine or any of the ambient sounds......

I mostly listen to a lot of metal when i ride, hip-hop and tori amos don't seem to be right to ride to.
More Motorhead is never enough :rawk:

[BillInGA]

My music collection runs the gamut: classical, jazz, new age, rock, folk, big band, standards - even a little CW & Hip Hop. I have a lot of themed playlists, but sometimes I'll just hit shuffle and be surprised.

[TheWife]

I listen to my ipod while riding, althou its no where near loud enough to drown out the engine or any of the ambient sounds......

I mostly listen to a lot of metal when i ride, hip-hop and tori amos don't seem to be right to ride to.
More Motorhead is never enough :rawk:


There was no better ride than when GNR Yesterdays came on as I was riding away from the sunset in perfect weather...

[Mercutio57]

The 2-to-1 headphone came today, and I gave it a try. The sound quality wasn't great, but it played both channels, which is what I was after. This was my first experiment with riding to music, and I liked it. Thanks for the idea, everyone!

[Water Warrior 2]

I actually was listening to music the other day. Took my Scala Rider 2 way with me and tried out the FM radio. Not great in the mountains but could be worse. Best station was a talk show and the 2nd best had real music I can enjoy so it was basically a win-win kind of ride.

[music man]

Here is what I do, I have a Mp3 player with 2gb of space on it, roughly about 320 songs or so, depending on the songs. I put a bunch of random stuff on there when i first got it to hold me over, then I started hand picking a playlist and saving it on my computer, I hand picked each one, that way, no matter what song comes on next in the playlist when I am riding, it is a song that I will want to hear, that way I can just stick the mp3 player in my pocket and go, I don't have to mess with it. Its like having my own personal radio station.

And the Player that I have has a slot for a memory card, so I bought an extra memory card and made another playlist on it, that way I can just pop that little card in, and Presto, I have a whole other playlist that I haven't heard in a while.