The 2021 motorcycle season will not last long, but how nice it would be to be able to ride again next year on the routes in Tyrol that are closed to many bikes! How sensible it would be to lift the current driving bans is now shown by the umbrella association Arge 2Rad: The criteria by which the noise pollution of motorcycles is judged are obviously completely nonsensical.
The Tyrolean ordinance, according to which single-track vehicles with a stationary noise of more than 95 decibels entered in the registration certificate are excluded from certain routes, is already in force in the second season. It has not become more meaningful over time.
Because: The state government is assuming wrong conditions, according to Arge 2Rad. Most recently, LH deputy Ingrid Felipe made the assertion on the subject of road closures in a broadcast that the louder the stationary noise, the louder the driving noise. And thus justified in banning motorcycles with a stationary noise of over 95 dB (A) from driving on certain routes in order to protect residents from excessive noise.
“This claim does not correspond to the facts”, clarify the Arge 2Rad, the umbrella association of the Austrian two-wheel industry and two-wheel importers, as well as the Chamber of Commerce for the two-wheel trade.
The two interest groups have put together a list with the noise levels of motorcycles, which give a clear picture: There is practically no connection between the stationary noise and the actual noise development during the journey (and thus the annoyance of residents. Many machines with a high stationary noise level are during the Drive relatively quietly, while others are noticeably loud despite the low stationary noise level.
Two striking examples document this. The specified data comes from the official type approvals of the EU for the corresponding motorcycle types:
- Suzuki: With the same driving noise of 77 dB (A), the GSX-1100 has a standing noise of 96 dB (A) and the Burgmann 400 scooter has a standing noise of 84 dB (A); so no difference in driving noise, but a difference of 12 decibels in stationary noise.
- Ducati: The driving noise of the Panigale Superleggera and the Multistrada V4S is 77 dB (A), the standing noise of the Panigale is 108 dB (A) and that of the Multistrada 92 dB (A); ie in this example there is no difference in driving noise, but 16 dB (A) in stationary noise.
“These two examples underline very clearly why we do not agree with the Tyrolean ordinance regarding driving bans for motorcycles from a purely technical point of view. They clearly show that the stationary noise does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about the driving noise, which is ultimately the noise exposure criterion for residents. It is therefore absolutely unsuitable to distinguish “loud“ from “quiet“ motorcycles! “, Says Karin Munk, General Secretary of Arge 2Rad.
Ferdinand O. Fischer, spokesman for the two-wheeler trade, adds: “The stationary noise has only one purpose: it enables the police to determine whether an exhaust has been tampered with or not by means of an on-site measurement. A regulation that bans motorcycles from driving on the basis of a look-up in the registration certificate without measuring, misses the point and purpose of the location noise, namely to be able to remove manipulated exhausts from the traffic and is therefore completely absurd for this reason alone. “
Here are further comparisons of the driving and standing noises (according to EU homologation) of motorcycles of various brands:
brand | Type | Driving noise in dB (A) | Noise level in dB (A) |
Aprilia | Tuono 660 | 77 | 99 |
Tuono V4 Factory | 77 | 95 | |
BMW | R18 | 75 | 95 |
R1250GSA | 76 | 90 | |
Ducati | Panigale Superleggera | 77 | 108 |
Multistrada V4S | 77 | 92 | |
Harley-Davidson | Fat boy | 75 | 96 |
Road Glide CVO | 75 | 91 | |
Honda | CBR1000RR-R | 75 | 99 |
CB500F | 74 | 90 | |
Kawasaki | Ninja ZX-10RR | 75 | 97 |
Ninja ZX-6R | 75 | 91 | |
Suzuki | GSX-S1000 | 76 | 96 |
Burgmann 400 | 76 | 84 | |
triumph | Rocket3TFC | 77 | 102 |
Street Scrambler A2 | 77 | 92 | |
Yamaha | YZF-R1 RN191 | 77 | 99 |
YZF-R1 RN042 | 77 | 88 |
Arge 2Rad makes it clear that it does not want to break any lance for manipulated, loud motorcycles. However, there are currently enough options to penalize these bikes accordingly. Therefore, there is no regulatory deficit, but at most an enforcement deficit.
“The manufacturers will make a corresponding contribution and from 2024 will bring even quieter motorcycles onto the market with voluntary self-restraint,” said Munk.