I bet you are well under 6ft tall. I am about 6ft 3 and I use earplugs as well as a bank robber's balaclava under my helmet, and it's still BLOODY LOUD. The two other Varois 3 Wheelermen I met recently (one of them a general practitioner) were both a lot shorter than me - they could fit into my car but I could not get into theirs. They both told me that they have no problems with excessive noise and do not use earplugs. If you want more noise, get some cushions to sit on - but then you will need to use earplugs...