In the past, the motorcycle was typically used during the week to commute to work, whereas today one is more likely to be on the road on weekends or holidays. Motorcycling is most beautiful when we can travel on the most curvy, scenic country roads on sunny days. Neither the age of the driver, the type of motorcycle or the way of driving (loud or quiet, fast or more relaxed) play a role. Motorcycling has become a recreational pleasure.

In particular, we motorcyclists can significantly influence the latter. We decide whether to accelerate at full throttle after passing the end of town sign. It is up to us whether we briefly turn on the gas tap when changing from 30 to 50 km / h.

Most of us have already experienced what it is like to be on a popular and busy street, e.g. For example, sitting outside for coffee or lunch on a driveway to a pass. A lot of motorcycles pass in both directions - most of them "normal". Whereby normal in this case means: at the “presumably” prescribed speed, in the highest possible gear at low engine speed and when accelerating no full throttle. It may be that a passing motorcycle is perceived louder than a car, but this does not automatically mean that the noise is disturbing, or that it can even be described as noise. 

Then there are some bikes that are louder, probably caused by an actually louder engine and exhaust noise. Harley's are predestined for this, but one or the other powerful four-cylinder is also part of it - they are simply louder than other motorcycles. This noise is a bit annoying, especially when such machines pass by all the time. The really annoying, however, are the few who take no consideration and simply "roll through" and accelerate at full throttle. And that is indeed noise pollution. Noise can also be made with a GS or RNineT, and correctly. As soon as the flap on the exhaust opens, the boxer in its original condition also attracts attention. As Markus Schramm, boss of BMW Motorrad, says: "We do not define the sound of motorcycles by volume, but by sound character". That may be true, but it does not change the fact that a loud character is still loud.

The same also applies to cars. Here, too, there are vehicles from time to time that drive past you and make a lot of noise. And they are not included in the current discussion.

If you have such an experience now and then, the noise may be acceptable. However, if you are at home on such a piece of road and experience it on almost every nice and free day at the weekend, the annoyance from noise is completely understandable. As a friend of a board member said, who drives a motorcycle himself and lives on such a popular road in the Black Forest: 158 motorcycles came by in an hour. Most of them at an acceptable volume and speed, but not all!

So what can we do?

1. Avoid noise when driving. Our machines are more or less loud, make noise and cause noise! We have to be aware of that! We should be responsible and considerate about it. The gas tap should only be turned on away from the place name sign or in uninhabited terrain. On a lonely mountain pass road you only disturb marmots, cows or other animals, but that's another topic. 
2. Do not define driving pleasure by volume. We should refrain from making the bikes louder than they already are. There are also companies^[2], they have specialized in making the original exhaust system quieter (for our GS there is currently no satisfactory solution).
3. Clearer guidelines. The existing requirements at EU level must be specified and narrowed down. The current guidelines give manufacturers too much freedom because they can do more or less what they want outside the existing regulations. 
4. Make manufacturers responsible. With a more precise specification about the permissible noise emissions in a larger speed and speed range, the manufacturers would be forced to change their current control and thus possibly do without an exhaust flap in the future. The 80 db brought into play by the Federal Council are of course completely illusory, but each db less reduces the perceived volume.
5. Check. We believe that there are only a few motorcyclists who make a lot of noise. However, since there are no reliable measurements so far, this is a subjective perception. Probably everyone was too loud at one time or another. The sound of a boxer when you turn the throttle briefly in a narrow street is very seductive. So much more needs to be checked based on existing laws. Offenses should be punished with severe penalties. Other options such as Tempo 50 beyond the local border should be discussed. However, it is doubtful whether these measures will be successful. However, a fair discussion should start at all levels.

The general punishment or exclusion of more than 4,5 million motorcyclists is the wrong approach in any case. This does not help anyone, not even those affected, if a road is blocked completely or due to excessive db values ​​for certain motorcycles. Then you switch to other roads. At over 220.000 kilometers^[3] We have a few federal, regional and regional roads to choose from.