Road legal bikes banned from certain roads due to noise

[Kawasicki]

Austrian region Tyrol have decided to ban non-modified motorbikes that have static (as in not being driven) noise level above 95 db from certain popular routes.

Equally loud cars and trucks are not banned.

It’s interesting that banning road legal vehicles is in itself legal.

I’m unhappy about this. You?

[Kawasicki]

Pothole said:

Kawasicki said:

Austrian region Tyrol have decided to ban non-modified motorbikes that have static (as in not being driven) noise level above 95 db from certain popular routes.

Equally loud cars and trucks are not banned.

It’s interesting that banning road legal vehicles is in itself legal.

I’m unhappy about this. You?

I honestly couldn't care less. What's your angle? Are you positing some scenario in which a keen-eyed DfT drone mentions it to a junior minister and suddenly you can't ride through your local town?

Some people on this forum might intend to ride their bikes on the continent. The roads that are banned are popular for riders traveling south to Italy.

Also, as others have mentioned, why stop with 95 db? Why stop with motorbikes?

[Kawasicki]

PushedDover said:

Or perhaps as pointed out, the scream of a bike - standard or not, is not fking welcomed by generally anyone outside of a the helmet that is hurtling down the road.

Just like the roar of a classic car engine... or the stink of it’s exhaust. Most people don’t like them.. better they were crushed.

Would you recommend banning old/classic cars?

[Kawasicki]

PushedDover said:

Kawasicki said:

Just like the roar of a classic car engine... or the stink of it’s exhaust. Most people don’t like them.. better they were crushed.

Would you recommend banning old/classic cars?

Now who is the one being S.......

Bikes with or without standard or modified exhausts wouldn’t be banned or thought of banned if they were not too loud, would they ?

The problem exists. Or action wouldn’t be taken

I didn’t call you S......

For many people old cars are filthy things... a problem exists with air pollution. Should they be banned?

These bikes are not “too loud”...in as much as they have passed all current legal requirements. There is no insinuation that the bike manufacturers have cheated.

[Kawasicki]

the tribester said:

I thought that the current type approval noise limit for cars was 80db.
So how is a vehicle making the 95db the OP mentions, 'legal'??

Bikes are limited to 80 db when in motion, and 95 db when sat still, idling.

[Kawasicki]

Chozza said:

Kawasicki said:

Equally loud cars and trucks are not banned.

Aren't cars already subject to noise limits across Europe due to Regulation No 540/2014 which already limits cars to something like 70dB ( or is it dBa? which would be more likely )

Taking a construction limitation and applying it to vehicles on the road would seem to be a sensible next step - though if Austria is anything like the German MOT equiv. you'd be picked up at every test if you modifiy outside of spec or use non approved parts anyway.

Beyond loud so other drivers know you are there why do you want any louder

The situation is such that you can buy a motorbike from a dealer, and be prosecuted for using it, as you bought it, on public roads.

[Kawasicki]

bearman68 said:

I'm one of the (presumably) majority that would be very happy to ban noisy bikes here. And just for the record, noisy cars too.

Bloody hateful things.

These aren’t noisy bikes though. They are fully approved for road use.

Or would you just like to see a general vehicle ban?

[Kawasicki]

PushedDover said:

irocfan said:

Hmmm "...I don't like it, ban it..." very tolerant

Or
Regulations flouted. Stamp on it

The regs haven't been flouted.

[Kawasicki]

black-k1 said:

This is yet another step in a very worrying trend. There is an ever increasing gradual creep of legislation making it more and more difficult to ride an otherwise legal motorcycle. Those that don't think it affects them are, at best, short sighted and naive. If it "works" how long do you think it'll be until it's applied to the Highlands (no more NC500) or the Dales, or North Wales etc.

As a group we must carry a lot of the blame for this. The selfish bds who ride with baffles out or loud pipes are responsible for this. Joe Public does not want to hear your bike yet is being forced to endure it. Joe Public does not know the difference, and couldn't care less about the difference, between a modified exhaust and a standard one so will opt for the easy answer of ban the lot.

Forget the totally unproven cobblers that says "loud pipes save lives" and remember that load pipes will kill motorcycling!

Finally someone who gets it.

If some people ride with exhausts that are illegal, then those people should be prosecuted. If new, road legal, motorbikes are too loud, then surely the law must be changed.

[Kawasicki]

outnumbered said:

Do we actually know which, if any, non modified production bikes would fall foul of this rule?

Here's what I found in 30 seconds...this is NOT the full list. I looks like about 1 in 12 motorcycles either sold or on sale in Austria are banned.

Aprilia V4 Tuono 1100 Factory 96 dB(A)
Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory 105 dB(A)
Aprilia RSV4 1000 RR 96 dB(A)
BMW S 1000 RR 98 dB(A)
Ducati Hypermotard SP 97 dB(A)
Ducati Multistrada 1260 102 dB(A)
Ducati Diavel 102 dB(A)
Ducati SuperSport 98 dB(A)
Harley-Davidson Dyna Street Bob 97 dB(A)
Harley-Davidson FXDR 14 97 dB(A)
Harley-Davidson 1200 Custom 99 dB(A)
Harley-Davidson Sportster Forty Eight 99 dB(A)
Kawasaki Z 900 97 dB(A)
KTM 890 Duke 96 dB(A)

The Tirol police use the Ducati Multistrada 950, It's also banned.

[Kawasicki]

black-k1 said:

Lemanandbeyond said:

...

If others follow like Germany riding at weekends in certain areas will become more restricted, with the heavy policing of speed ,noise will be next and as K1 pointed out could lead to the death of motorcycling.

We are an easy target that's why motorbikes have been put in the bullseye for these controls.

Things have moved on from the '80s and 90's when there was a split between the "ban it now" brigade and the "just impose some restrictions" brigade. While the "ban it now" brigade didn't win in the short term, they are slowly but surely winning through use of creeping legislation. Difficult and expensive licensing requirements are restricting the flow of new riders, "allowing" the criminalisation of mopeds in cities through the lack of enforcement and mainstream headlines about speed are increasing the public's negative view of bikes, ever tightening noise regulation and bans on access to certain roads and certain times are removing the "joy" of riding a bike.

If things continue as they are (ignoring the carbon emissions related changes, do you really think there will be motorcycling in 35 years time?

There seems to be a lobby with the ear of a policy maker for pretty much everything to do with more restrictions and no lobby putting a case forward for more freedoms. There is an ever growing number of people who only want a comfortable life, with minimum risk and minimum disturbance.

BORING!

[Kawasicki]

irocfan said:

black-k1 said:

I agree but I think it's MUCH worse than that. That ever growing number of people want EVERYONE to have their version of a comfortable life.

this sooo much this ^^^

where does it stop? Noisy children? I hate the little buggers - ban 'em! Petrol mowers/chainsaws? Ban 'em. Had some twunt drive past our house yesterday base so loud it rattled our windows. So what now, ensure that stereos can only go to a predetermined limit?

All great ideas. Ban´m. Ban´m all.

[Kawasicki]

BobSaunders said:

Let's introduce some facts please... It's a pilot project for a limited set of noisy motorcyles. The driving ban is valid from June 10th to October 31st 2020.

The temporary ban was introduced due to 70% of traffic being motorcycles - 3,300 motorcycles in one given day on one road. That's a lot.

The ban is for motorcycles with a stationary noise (near field level) > 95 dB (A).

It's limited to the following roads;

- B 198 Lechtalstraße from Steeg (Vorarlberg border) to Weißenbach am Lech

- B 199 Tannheimerstrasse from Weißenbach am Lech to Schattwald (German border)

- L 21 Berwang-Namloser Straße from Bichlbach to Stanzach

- L 72 Hahntennjochstraße 2nd part from Pfafflar to Imst (pass summit)

- L 246 Hahntennjochstraße 1st part from Imst (pass summit) to Imst crossing Vogelhändlerweg

- L 266 Bschlaber road from Elmen to Pfafflar

It should be noted however, that 44% of respondents didnt like the noise - the pilot ban was introduced on a minority rule. Which is worrying.

https://www.tirol.gv.at/verkehr/verkehrsrecht/moto...

https://www.tirol.gv.at/verkehr/verkehrsrecht/moto...

Thanks for your facts. They don't change the discussion one jot.

[Kawasicki]

BobSaunders said:

Kinda does.. they have limited it to select limited sections of popular roads, and select motorcyle noise limits, for a select length of time, as a select pilot. Based on a monumentous number of motorcycles per day, which totally outweigh the number of cars and bikes by over 70%.

For clarity, my bike wouldnt meet their noise limit, but i can see why they have done it.

I assume you will be creating a thread on the outrageous ULEZ in due course?

Kinda doesn't. Your facts don't invalidate the thread. They give additional information, none of which makes the ban of road legal motorbikes any more logical.

I can also see why they did it. I don't agree with it though...even though my bike isn't banned.

If I do start a thread on the ULEZ, I'll be sure to write a 25,000 word first post...you know, just to avoid missing any important facts...

[Kawasicki]

Killboy said:

This is bizarre. How would one know their bike is louder than the limit? Was the a list of allowed/banned bikes?

It’s written in your vehicle docs. The police pull you over...ask you for the docs...when the decibel level is higher than the new requirement you are fined and probably sent home.

[Kawasicki]

Tardigrade said:

Kawasicki said:

Austrian region Tyrol have decided to ban non-modified motorbikes that have static (as in not being driven) noise level above 95 db from certain popular routes.

How many non-modified bikes actually exceed 95db though? Article below suggests that 80db has been the factory limit for over 20yrs (Euro 3 standards).

http://www.fema-online.eu/website/index.php/2018/0...

To be honest I don't have a problem with discouraging very loud bikes in beautiful countryside. It does not help our interests or reputation when other people are offended by unnecessary noise.

There are two separate noise requirements. Static and driving.
The static noise level must not exceed 95 db in this case.
I think about 1 in 15 unmodified bikes exceed that.

[Kawasicki]

PushedDover said:

so a pretty nonfking issue then.... after all 9 bd pages !

Calm down dear.

[Kawasicki]

SpeckledJim said:

The test is a bit silly. Static volume is pretty irrelevant.

What's important is how much noise it makes on a full-bore wind-on from 30 to 100+ mph, which is what does peoples heads in.

That might be difficult to test, but that's how bikes are annoying people, and prompting them to mobilise against biking as a whole.

Yup

[Kawasicki]

AceOfHearts said:

Kawasicki said:

the tribester said:

I thought that the current type approval noise limit for cars was 80db.
So how is a vehicle making the 95db the OP mentions, 'legal'??

Bikes are limited to 80 db when in motion, and 95 db when sat still, idling.

If the Austrian noise test is 95db at idle, that should be no problem for 99% of bikes I would of thought. Noise testing at certain tracks can be as low as 98db at 2/3 of maximum revs so idle should be significantly less!.

I think open pipe cruisers and superbikes with Austin Racing exhausts would likely be the only ones affected

This is not a ban based on a noise test carried out at the side of the road. The ban is based on the certified static noise test result. Many standard bikes are banned, including some of the police bikes used in this area of Austria.

[Kawasicki]

PushedDover said:

Kawasicki said:

This is not a ban based on a noise test carried out at the side of the road. The ban is based on the certified static noise test result. Many standard bikes are banned, including some of the police bikes used in this area of Austria.

which is it ?

Kawasicki said:

There are two separate noise requirements. Static and driving.
The static noise level must not exceed 95 db in this case.
I think about 1 in 15 unmodified bikes exceed that.

Both!

In Austria alone it is 6.7% of 550,000 motorbikes. So, about 37,000 motorbikes.

Unless you think the number 37,000 is not many? And that's only in Austria.