Try Howard Leight ear plugs.

Howard Leight | Ear Plugs

I've used them all and prefer the "Laser Light" one. Soft, comfortable all day, very good attenuation, not expensive.
Howard Leight | Laser Lite Earplugs

NOTE: Remember ear plugs are disposable. Most won't work once they've gotten wet. Toss them out, don't bother trying to dry them out.

Rolling the plug down to a skinny tube is important for getting them inserted far enough to achieve MAX attenuation. Every Ear canal is different, I lick the ear plug tip before insertion. The moisture allows it to go in easily.

Clean hands for doing this. Once plugs are dirty ... toss them out.

Now about $30 for a box of 200 pairs. (they've gone UP!)

http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

Oh, no problems with disposables working so well that the world of sound drifts away totally, taking every raucous rattle and wearisome whine with it. They make my 125 Suzuki sound more like a Hoover than a crackly two stroke - and very pleased I am with them (in a Yoda-ish kind of way ). In fact they're so good that I've wondered about taking lip reading classes.

It's getting the balance between that and being able to hear stuff from the intercom speakers at any sort of reasonable road speed that I've not managed to achieve. Put the disposables in correctly and it cuts the speaker volume to the point where I often can't hear it. That's ok for music, where near enough is good enough (I can sing along to fill in the rest) and I don't use sat nav sound directions (even in the car), it's just rider - pillion stuff that's the niggle.

Leave the ear plugs out and the intercom is fine but that really only works for short trips. On an all-dayer I need the plugs - or some ear protection anyway. I've got a collection of helmets and while some are louder / quieter than others enough wind noise gets through all of them that it's just a matter of degree rather than good / bad. I've tried other, not so good, plugs of various types in the hope of getting a balance and it is possible but then I'm conscious of the extra assault on my ears and the higher levels of stress that goes with it.

Btw, I read somewhere that ear plugs are illegal in California - is that the case or just an internet rumour?

There is some reference to wearing "ear phones", but very rarely enforced for motorcyclists wearing hearing protection. Other states have similar restrictions,
not enforced much in Western US.

Tip for intercom: Leave one ear plug in one ear not fully seated (pull it out a bit) ... This should allow enough sound to get through to hear intercom without sacrificing too much wind noise protection.

Experiment with this until you reach a good balance ...

... or get a booster amp for intercom and a better speaker so you can hear even with plugs fully inserted.

Yes, I agree that the Shoei probably has a better chance holding together (and saving your face) in a crash then most flip lids. I'd at least hope so for $600. I used to be a cheap helmet snob - thought expensive helmets were all about fear mongering and paying for advertising, not real safety. Now I view the extra money as well spent just for comfort.

Audio books - I have a subscription to audible which gives you one download a month for a reasonable fee. I'm just trying that out. Not cheap, but convenient. there are lots of ways to download audiobooks for free via torrent 'file sharing' sites (just like movies). These require some investigation - i have friends that use them for everything, i do a mix of pay & play as well as 'sharing' downloads, when I have the time and am organizing for a trip. Audible lets me download a new book while having a coffee or meal, so very convenient..... and now this is really maybe a new thread just for this discussion ?

I would prefere any cheap helmed as i dont have to worry about it when i go hiking or ride offroad through tree trunks and so on...