Harley-Davidson's Quietest Motorcycle Helmets of 2024
December 27, 2023 Comments CommentYou may think of your motorcycle helmet as, first and foremost, protection against potential impact. But it should also be keeping you safe from another danger of the open road: noise.
That’s right: far from just a nuisance, noise from the road can pose a serious threat to your ears. And that means that improving the comfort of your helmet can play a key role in helping to protect your ears.
Learn more about the potential dangers of road noise and the part your helmet plays in it all. Plus, find an overview of our quietest motorcycle helmets that can help you safely enjoy the road in the year ahead.
Quietest Motorcycle Helmets from Harley-Davidson
Thanks to their Bluetooth® compatibility and cutting-edge aerodynamics, these Harley-Davidson® helmets offer riders a quieter experience on the open road.
Hearing and Noise on the Open Road
Feeling the wind in your face as you glide down an open road can be downright magical. Add the roar of your engine at the right time, and there’s nothing quite like it. That thrill and feeling of freedom are what draws many of us back to our bikes again and again.
However, it’s important for all riders to understand the risks of riding noises—from our bikes, the surrounding traffic, and the passing wind.
Many motorcycle engines can easily reach volumes above 100 decibels when revved, a level high enough to cause damage to your ears after 15 minutes. However, when riding at highway speeds, consistent wind noise alone might pose a much bigger threat. According to one study, riding at 50mph generates 92.7 decibels of wind noise. This is enough to cause hearing damage after less than 26 minutes. Raise the speed to 60mph and the noise was up to 97.9 dB, potentially doing permanent damage in just eight minutes. At 70mph, damage is risked in four minutes. At 90mph it’s under 90 seconds.
To make matters worse, both improperly fitting and less aerodynamic helmets can actually amplify this noise and the associated risk. Any opening created by airflow near features like neck rolls, cheek pads, or chin curtains could be the culprit, underscoring the importance of finding the right helmet with the right fit.
Finding the Right Quiet Motorcycle Helmet
Given the risks of noise as well as debris, it’s recommended that riders who sustain highway speeds opt for a full-face or modular helmet that includes a tightly fitting face shield. As we cover in our guide to motorcycle helmet fit and sizing, riders should take the proper measurement of their head and compare it with a helmet manufacturer’s size chart. In addition, the helmet should be comfortably snug upon trying it on, with no space between the brow line and the helmet’s inner lining.
The Benefits of Helmet Headsets
Aside from selecting a helmet with the proper fit, riders concerned with reducing noise levels should evaluate helmets’ headset compatibility. Motorcycle headsets that utilize Bluetooth® technology, including those available from Harley-Davidson®, may feature advanced noise control and wind noise reduction functionality which provides active noise cancellation for incoming audio.
