Quietride helmet review.

I've never had any luck finding comfortable earplugs, but tend to give up in short order. You don't have issues with the stems dragging when you put your helmet on?

Ive always worn expanding foam earplugs, for some reason they don’t bother me much. I remember when I started wearing them on motorcycles 15 years ago. I’d put them in and it would just be eerily silent, I loved it! I couldn’t even hear the engine once I was going. But since then, I’ve developed really bad tinnitus and as soon as the earplugs expand it’s like the ringing in my ears is suddenly on speakers, it is really loud once all the background noise is removed. But still I wear them to protect what hearing I have left. :shrug:
 
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An amusing story about me and foam ear plugs. One night a neighbors barking dog was keeping me awake, I had a set of ear plugs in my night stand and put them in and fell asleep. The next morning my wife had gotten out of bed and when I didn’t stir, she called my name, when I still didn’t stir she freaked out and thought I was dead and proceeded to shake the snot out of me! Scared the heck out of me, she was standing over me with her lips flapping and at first I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t hear her. It would’ve been pretty funny to watch! :laugh2:
 
When earplugs go in they are on an angle so those stems on the Auritechs are within the ear and pointing down.
 
When earplugs go in they are on an angle so those stems on the Auritechs are within the ear and pointing down.

Here's a picture:
ear.JPG
 
Oh, man, this was the toughest part yet. Almost thought that this project would be shelved, a wasted helmet.

Installing the chin straps.

The lower/front of this HJC IS-33 II helmet's chin area is too cluttered with trim hardware to allow installing the chinstraps per the QuietRide ear muffs installation procedures (under/behind the cheekpads).

Had to rework the cheekpads, and redesign the chinstraps and their mount scheme.
A lot of meticulous fabrication.

Sorry, no pics of the process. Too many re-do's, wasn't sure if this would work.

But, got the chinstraps installed...

20200818_HelmetMods-16.jpg


*gasp*
 
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I must've disassembled and reassembled this thing at least a couple dozen times. Adjustments, fits, refits. With so much material removed, things are getting delicate, and have to baby it.

One thing I ran into was the earcups catching on the edges of the openings. The sides of the earcups are wrapped with electrical tape, but if the adhesive-backed earpads aren't perfectly aligned over the earcups when assembled, there'll be a ridge there that catches on things.
20200818_HelmetMods-17.jpg

I meticulously repositioned and retaped the earpads, removing most of the catching...
 
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... he sent me new valves and tubing about a month ago. the tubing to the pump tended to degrade he sent translucent surgical tubing as a replacement...

The bladder tubing is very soft, large (1/4" dia), difficult to squeeze into small spaces.

Found that I could shove some 3/16" OD Tygon into this tubing. Smaller, flexible, uses less air (should speed up pumping), should last longer.

A little experiment.
Shove some Tygon into a piece of the black tubing, using stoopidglue as an insertion lubricant and bonder. Gotta be quick, after 2 seconds it sticks. Fit this onto a pressure gauge, to see how much this joint can handle.
20200818_HelmetMods-18.jpg


Just started applying air pressure and that tiny stub of black tubing inflated like a balloon, to the size of a ball-park frank! 3 seconds later it blew out the Tygon. The gauge barely got to 5 psi.

Ok, I guess we're working with some very low pressures here. A bladder is just over 5 sq-in area, and 5 psi would put at least 25 lbs force onto the earcup. That's headcrunching. So, maybe 1 psi is all this needs to handle.

Just to be safe, made some brass reinforcing rings from 5/16" hobby brass. A snug fit over the joint, should keep it from separating.

20200818_HelmetMods-19.jpg


This time the joint held, even after the black tubing burst...
 
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I'm comfortable with machining and metal working, but this project is more like upholstery. Not my strong area. Quite challenging.

For all the years that I've been using super-glue, I don't think I've ever stuck my fingers together as much as on this project. My thumbs are a different color now, and I think I've lost my fingerprints.

Anyway, finished installing the cheekpads, and mounted the pump/valve gadget to the back of the helmet.

20200819_HelmetMods-23.jpg
20200819_HelmetMods-24.jpg
20200819_HelmetMods-25.jpg


Ready for testing.
Put the helmet on, just a few pumps to seal the earcups, and............?

WTF!
Dangit, my air conditioner stopped working. Now, what's wrong with that thing. And, the TV stopped working. Must be one of those rolling power outages.

Huh? There's still cold air coming out.

Well, whaddya know. I just couldn't hear the air conditioner and the TV.

The QuietRide muffs really *do* work!

Got a group ride scheduled for tomorrow, we'll see how this works on the road.

Next week, gotta disassemble this thing to install some new speakers on order...
 
I'm comfortable with machining and metal working, but this project is more like upholstery. Not my strong area. Quite challenging.

For all the years that I've been using super-glue, I don't think I've ever stuck my fingers together as much as on this project. My thumbs are a different color now, and I think I've lost my fingerprints.

Anyway, finished installing the cheekpads, and mounted the pump/valve gadget to the back of the helmet.

View attachment 173747 View attachment 173748 View attachment 173749

Ready for testing.
Put the helmet on, just a few pumps to seal the earcups, and............?

WTF!
Dangit, my air conditioner stopped working. Now, what's wrong with that thing. And, the TV stopped working. Must be one of those rolling power outages.

Huh? There's still cold air coming out.

Well, whaddya know. I just couldn't hear the air conditioner and the TV.

The QuietRide muffs really *do* work!

Got a group ride scheduled for tomorrow, we'll see how this works on the road.

Next week, gotta disassemble this thing to install some new speakers on order...

Really nice work on an interesting project Steve! I look forward to hear your riding impressions. :thumbsup:
 
Near the top of my todo list is replacing the tubing in the Quietride that has the neoprene neck muff so i can AB test the helmet with, without the muff. :thumbsup:
I gotta say I've had helmets apart a few times and thought that letting quietride put it all together was a no brainer.
Can't wait for the ride report.
 
I gotta say I've had helmets apart a few times and thought that letting quietride put it all together was a no brainer.
True, but I wish the quietride helmet was better quality with a better selection of shields. Although I am hesitant to attempt the surgery 2M did with a $800 helmet.
 
A few of the bikes from the Hill Country group ride to Leakey, Texas.
20200820_105615.jpg


The QuietRide earmuffs worked great.

The wind noise, although still there, was greatly subdued.
And, the whistling is gone!
I'd say that the wind noise at 70mph is about what you get at 40mph.

The roar of my Thor exhaust was pleasantly reduced.

A much less fatiguing ride. Well worth the effort.

The bladders and their velcro attachments added about 3/8" (9mm) to each of the earcups seating, so now my ears catch on the earpads when I put the helmet on. Not a significant problem, when I pull the helmet all the way down the earpads settle around my ears and I don't feel them. A few pumps and the earcups seal off the outside noise. And, yes, they're "all-day" comfortable. Feels like the rest of the helmet.

I released the bladder pressure a coupla times during the ride, and the noise difference is quite substantial. After being spoilt by the quiet, I just had to pump them back up.

Pressure equalization may be important for some folks, since it creates an air-tight seal. Pilots and airline passengers are accustomed to this. Many folks just do a yawning routine to pop their ears. The pressure isn't significant, just something to consider.

Yes, these QuietRide earmuffs are a keeper...
 
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Good to (not?) hear Steve!
Put some new tubing in the "other" quiet ride with the neoprene cuff rode the venture to
Madison at 80ish degrees today. Venture's quiet enough that I ride with the shield up. But that cuff and ear muffs sure makes it tomb like in there. So quiet I feel a bit isolated. Need to get out on a no shield bike for a true test. mebbie in a bit, very nice evening.
PS: rural rider warning!!
The fawns are now big enough to start following mom. It's not the deer you see, it's the one following that'll get you.
 
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Did the AB on Madness, took the windshield off for the test.
Overall noise reduction is very similar BUT the higher pitched wind noise, roar, whistle is significantly reduced by that cuff.
I think that's cuz the dirty (air flow) at the bottom edge of the helmet is the generation zone for those high freqs.
 
I lost the dust cover on the release valve.
20200825_QuietRide_ValveCap.jpg

I wanted to just buy another one, but Al gratiously sent me a replacement valve unit.

Installed speakers, similar to Al's picture here.
speaker14_lg.jpg

Made up a harness to support stereo earphones and boom mic. Used USB connectors to make it quick-disconnect. Then, I found this tiny thing.
20200824_MyMahdi-M260-01.jpg

A combination bluetooth MP3 player and FM radio.
15 hours play time on a single charge.
Weights just 1 ounce.
20200824_MyMahdi-M260-02.jpg 20200824_MyMahdi-M260-03.jpg

Attached it to the mini CB radio.
20200828_MyMahdi-M260-04.jpg


It's a bold new world...
 
I lost the dust cover on the release valve.
View attachment 174279

I wanted to just buy another one, but Al gratiously sent me a replacement valve unit.

Installed speakers, similar to Al's picture here.
View attachment 174280

Made up a harness to support stereo earphones and boom mic. Used USB connectors to make it quick-disconnect. Then, I found this tiny thing.
View attachment 174281

A combination bluetooth MP3 player and FM radio.
15 hours play time on a single charge.
Weights just 1 ounce.
View attachment 174283 View attachment 174284

Attached it to the mini CB radio.
View attachment 174285

It's a bold new world...

C’mon Steve, give us a little tour of your cockpit. I see a bunch of electronics parked up there. :) Like all the tiny little switches and stuff.
 
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