Save Your Senses It All Adds Up
SAVE YOUR SENSES IT ALL ADDS UP
IGNITION
RIDE SMART
Exposure to wind, noise, light, and vibration should be ameliorated
John L. Stein
I love the racing adage, "To finish first, first you must finish." That's a great mantra for all types of riding, but it also helps you take care of that other machine—your body—over the longer endurance race of life.
Thanks to the NFL concussion discussion, overall society is finally learning something that motorcyclists know instinctively: Repeated blows to the head, even if you’re wearing a helmet, can be detrimental long-term. Less recognized are other overuse and overexposure situations that may also cause veteran riders difficulty, including hearing loss and ringing (tinnitus), eye problems from sunlight, wind and grit exposure, and even vibration syndrome.
Let’s say you’re 20 years old and fitter than Fabio. That ringing in your ears after a day of road or dirt riding was interesting, but it went away by the next morning. No harm, no foul—right? Well it turns out that in the non-fairytale version of life, long-term noise exposure (94 decibels for an hour) permanently damages the neural receptors inside the cochlea. Accompanying tinnitus is one theory why Van Gogh cut off his ear. And he didn’t even ride a cruiser with shotgun pipes!
Although these cumulative woes can be part of motorcycling’s dark underbelly, they don’t have to be. Here’s how to breeze through your riding career with senses intact.
[l] Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Vibration-Induced White Finger (really!) are disorders caused by repetitive motion and vibration. Symptoms include wrist pain and tingling, numbness, and whitening of fingers. Prescription: Try a smoother bike, cushier grips, and a lighter, quick-turn throttle. Hello, Zero SR!
[2] The best foam earplugs are from Howard Leight. Available at pharmacies for less than $10 per box, they drop 33 decibels from the racket reaching your ears. Using them might seem like a hassle now, but let’s talk when you’re 60 (if you can hear me).
[3] Wear ultraviolet light-blocking eyewear to protect your orbs from the UV rays that could lead to cataracts. Look for a UVA and UVB light protection label. All reputable brands of eyewear should have this feature.
[4] Excessive sun, wind, and grit exposure over many years can cause the whites of the eyes to yellow, a fairly unattractive condition called pinguecula.
To help prevent this, Mom says wear a full-face helmet with visor, goggles, or wraparound sunglasses.
CHEAP PROTECTION
Beyond earplugs, try a $30 NOJ Classic Helmet Skirt. Riding all day, returning at night?
Get a$15 stick-on helmet lens from Tint-A-Shield. And quell dirtbike bar vibration with $13 TAG Metals Rebound Technology grips.
