MOTORCYCLE DRIVING BANS - EMISSION LAWS

THE ONLY THING THAT HELPS NOW IS TO STICK TOGETHER!

Basically, it's not just about the proposed weekend driving bans for motorcyclists. It feels like a sick discussion, but it is real! The demand for motorcycle driving bans did not originate somewhere in a green chair circle, as one might think. No! Leading politicians from the CDU and FDP in NRW, such as Armin Laschet, are the main initiators who want to enforce these bans throughout the EU.

They have already made it through the Bundesrat, but that is not surprising, because in eleven federal states (as of March 2020) The Greens are a coalition partner in the government and each federal state is represented in the Bundesrat by members of its state government. The fact that the Greens will ban diesel and petrol cars from 2030 prohibit are already well known.

Will 2030 see the end of combustion engines?

This would almost certainly be the end for motorcycles with combustion engines as well, and if we look at the surveys, a black–green coalition in the 2021 federal government is currently more than possible. Rhineland-Palatinate also supported the motion in the Bundesrat, although it is governed by the SPD/FDP and the Greens in a traffic light coalition. Where will this development lead now?

And suddenly we are back with our Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer, who we recently asked about the new STVO AMENDMENT 2020 and now he could be at least partly our salvation. Due to the protests against the stricter penalties for speeding, he wants to restore the driving ban regulation to its original status, but he needs the approval of the federal states.

Is Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer (CSU) our last resort?

The Federal Minister of Transport doesn't think much of the proposed driving bans and discussions about license plates for motorcyclists wearing helmets. Although he is not a motorcyclist himself, he is well aware that well over 4.5 million motorcyclists will now be looking very closely at him. In the Statistics of the 4.5 million motorcycle registrations in Germany, the seasonal license plate riders are not included. His statement in the „Passauer Neue Presse“: „This is a decision by the Federal Council. I have a different professional point of view. I don't want any further bans and tightening of restrictions for motorcyclists.“

Our request to the Federal Ministry of Transport

Harleysite has received the following factual information from the BMVI (11.06.2020):

• The responsible road traffic authorities are best placed to assess the specific situation on site and order appropriate measures in individual cases for noise protection reasons. For example, they already have the option of restricting the use of certain roads or stretches of road or diverting traffic (Section 45 StVO). This on-site regulation has proven itself in practice.
• There are already effective fines for tuning motorcycles: If a vehicle has an unapproved or impermissibly modified, loud silencer system, the vehicle's operating license expires. This offense is punishable by a fine of 180 euros (driver) or 270 euros (vehicle owner).

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Driving bans are a matter for the federal states

In any case, the Federal Ministry of Transport is opposed to this and the respective federal states are already in a position to introduce far-reaching regulations. From this point of view, you should demonstrate where those responsible are and you think you want to ban motorcyclists from riding.

Baden-Württemberg is at the forefront!

However, we can break it down even further: in Baden-Württemberg there are now over 100 districts, municipalities and cities that are involved in the initiative to reduce motorcycle noise. It basically shows very well that in the future, before an election, you really have to look more and more at who really supports your own concerns and who does not. Of course, this applies to both directions. The Silent Rider organization may not be popular, but it is supported by the state, so the next question is actually, why is there one-sided support here? Why doesn't the state provide opponents of motorcycle bans with the same resources?.

Even city centers and beach access roads are closed

According to the statements made so far, the Federal Ministry of Transport will not go along with placing motorcyclists under general suspicion, which is all very well so far, but what use is it if the federal states close more and more routes, and it's not just individual routes, but also inner cities, beach access roads and scenic roads.

The driving ban on the Baltic Sea beach of Behrensdorf (S-H) only applies to motorcyclists from 21:00 - 06:00, but the curious thing about it is that less than 5 kilometers from this sign, there is a firing range of the Bundeswehr anti-aircraft missile group with up to 600 soldiers, where they shoot from all guns at times.

The MAP from the Bundesverband der Motorradfahrer e.V.

Maybe you already know the map of the Federal Association of Motorcyclists e.V., with the already existing and registered driving bans for motorcyclists. Unfortunately, it is not complete, even in my radius of only 20 kilometers, there are at least three established motorcycle night driving bans that are not entered in the list. However, anyone can go to the website of the association help out to update the map, this would certainly be helpful so that we have an exact overview of how far we have already been restricted. The following information is required: City, zip code, type of ban, time and period, if available.

Understanding for those affected

There are certainly regions where it is extreme and you can understand that the quality of life for local residents suffers and that it can sometimes be annoying. However, this is the development of today, anyone who lives in a hotspot will have to share it with others in the future, especially due to the spread of social media. Most motorcycles are approved for road traffic and have not been tampered with; it is only because the state is failing that people simply want to ban all motorcyclists from riding on certain routes.

If anything, the same rules apply to everyone!

MOTORCYCLISTS WERE FORGOTTEN FOR YEARS

What about the real problems?

Bitumen patches

It is not the case that motorcyclists are only affected by road closures! No! There are still dangerous bitumen patches on our roads, this liquid tar may be quite practical for filling, but in damp conditions the strips on our roads are a considerable danger for motorcyclists. I myself almost went off shortly after Hamburg on the highway heading south on a Road Glide Ultra because the rear wheel was looking for grip on the slippery strip at 80 km/h and on a wet road. You can't see the stripes in the rain, which is another problem. In the meantime, the track has been renovated and even using it for a short time to repair it can be life-threatening for motorcyclists.

Motorcycling in the emergency lane

It would be great if motorcyclists were allowed to use the emergency lane at a reasonable speed, at least until the next exit. This is not allowed here and can be really expensive according to the new StVO amendment. It would be permissible to drive past the stationary vehicles on the far left, except that the vehicles are parked there in order to form the necessary emergency lane. A rescue lane is of course necessary, that's not the point, but there are situations where a stationary motorcyclist on a highway is not in particularly good hands, it is necessary to stay with the vehicle, anything else would be life-threatening.

Crash barriers are no blessing for motorcyclists

Crash barriers, also known as crash barriers, can pose a great danger to motorcyclists, on the side of MEHRSi there are case studies and acknowledgements where the non-profit organization has provided important underride protection.

If you think about what you need an ABE for, whether it's a mirror or an E-mark for a turn signal and then there are crash barriers on our roads that can be life-threatening for a not insignificant group of road users, simply sliding into them when slipping on a bend can cause the worst injuries. With the new RDRS rider assistance system, Harley-Davidson has now installed some safety features on the large touring bikes that can counteract slipping when braking in a bend, for example, but this is not available on many others.

The impact on trade

After the car industry was driven across the country with diesel and petrol engines in 2019, it is now the motorcycle manufacturers' turn. They have been investing in new technologies and engine generations for years in order to meet the ever-changing technical requirements of EU standards. If we just refer to Harley-Davidson, which is already suffering from the EU's punitive tariffs and has had to relocate its production for Europe from the USA, this means a high level of capital commitment.

The Milwaukee-Eight engine, for example, is a development that was developed because of the new exhaust and emissions regulations; it is not always just about loud exhaust systems, but even the engine itself must cause less noise emissions according to the specifications. The regulation then contains sentences such as: „Type III: Emissions from the crankcase“. If you read everything in this regulation, you will know why motorcycles cost what they do today.

NEW DEVELOPMENT - HARLEY-DAVIDSON REVOLUTION MAX MOTOR

The new HARLEY-DAVIDSON REVOLUTION MAX engine is a completely new development and should actually be launched on the market in 2020 if the delays in production caused by the coronavirus can still be absorbed.

New Sportster series

The EU emission standards for 2021 require up to 30% less exhaust emissions, and the standard also applies to noise emissions from the engine - that's right, the engine must become quieter and emit less heat. For this reason, Harley-Davidson has to change the Sportster series with the EVOLUTION engine, it was supposed to be ready in 2020, but as already mentioned, the coronavirus has pushed everything back.

But it clearly shows how intensively work is being done on environmentally friendly engines, and the current situation casts a completely false light on the manufacturers. Harley-Davidson in particular is showing itself to be exemplary, as the traditional company has even had an electric motorcycle like the LiveWire in its range since this year, even if the price is still giving customers a stomach ache and the technology is not really being accepted, Harley-Davidson is very far ahead in this area. However, you can't necessarily say that electric cars are on the rise in Germany; it is only due to considerable cost pressure in the form of vehicle tax increases, CO² tax and driving bans that it seems that electric vehicles can be brought to the public at all.

The federal government's new hydrogen strategy

And now, all of a sudden, hydrogen propulsion is being promoted and people want to play a leading role. That will certainly be the future, but why are we still promoting electric drive today if it is already dead?.

Motorcyclists are an economic factor

Motorcyclists are a good average from our middle class, they invest in their hobby and are also very keen to travel. A motorcyclist invests in many areas, in addition to the motorcycle there is the motorcycle clothing, especially with Harley-Davidson this is a very extensive area, plus the maintenance costs, workshop, insurance, gas stations, tire manufacturers, ice cream parlors, cafes, meeting places, hotels, campsites and even the electronics industry sells more action cams, apps and other accessories to the clientele.

It is about jobs in various areas.

Motorcyclists don't just ride winding roads, they travel just as much. For example on the Lake Faak in Austria Harley riders alone flush millions of euros into the coffers and round off the off-season in Carinthia. And in the Austrian Tyrol, of all places, pilot projects are being installed on some routes where only motorcyclists with a registered stationary noise level of less than 95 dB (A) are allowed to ride.

June 10 to October 31, 2020, driving bans for particularly loud motorcycles stationary noise (near field level) > 95 dB (A):

Driving ban for motorcycles in Tyrol

- B 198 Lechtalstraße from Steeg (Vorarlberg state 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 Straße from Elmen to Pfafflar

Source: Province of Tyrol

It also affects European suppliers

Unfortunately, what is often underestimated is that when fewer motorcycles are sold, it also affects suppliers and distributors. Harley-Davidson, for example, receives electronic components from Bosch and brakes from Brembo. Brembo has its headquarters in Italy, and the country is expected to receive aid from the EU's recovery fund program amounting to 81.8 billion euros. Source: Handelsblatt

You could say that the cat is biting its own tail, as both companies also supply to the maligned automotive industry, with Bosch being hit twice over: in October 2019, the Group announced that it would be expanding its diesel production sites in Baden-Württemberg and at the plant in Bremen and Schwäbisch Gmünd to massively cut jobs and in October 2019 nobody was talking about Corona. (Source: Time online) Baden-Württemberg We already mentioned earlier in the text that the federal state is one of the initiators of motorcycle driving bans and stricter emission regulations.

The Harley-Davidson dealers in Europe

Harley-Davidson has 423 dealerships in Europe (as of June 2020), only in the USA does the company have more locations with 698 dealerships. Unfortunately, we increasingly have the feeling that our politicians' political advisors are becoming less and less aware of the global context. It is therefore not impossible that the political leadership from NRW could possibly be responsible for the next unemployed people in the entire industry. Because it is undisputed that road closures and bans on motorcycling on Sundays and public holidays will have a considerable detrimental effect on business for the motorcycle industry.

This also applies to the competitors of Harley-Davidson, if we take a look at BMW The company produces the successful R 1200 GS model in Berlin-Spandau and has already produced over 500,000 units for the world market. Incidentally, we can also find the two suppliers here Brembo and Bosch again, which surely only surprises non-motorcyclists!

The Euro 5 emissions standard is already very comprehensive

There are already new requirements, the regulation UNECE-R 41.04 requires 77 dB(A) in the Euro 4 exhaust standard ex works and in emission level 5 the regulation UNECE 92.01 comes into force and thus accessory exhaust systems are also limited to 77 dB(A) since 2020.

One wonders what this is all about! It's more than unfair how motorcyclists are being politically attacked here and where are the equal rights?.

CONCLUSION

Certainly we have a few black sheep in the ranks, but they are not the problem, where there is traffic there is always a background noise, whether it is the engines, the tires and of course the exhaust systems. It is usually the case that traffic has increased over time. The problem has often not been recognized by politicians, or has been recognized too late. A driving ban cannot and should not actually exist, not for anyone! Many citizens in our country are exposed to completely different strains, let's take a look at the B73 Hamburg - Stade, whoever lives on the road really has problems. In comparison, a 100% driving ban should be introduced there!

What do those people do who live opposite a fire station in a big city where the fire engines are on duty round the clock with their sirens blaring? Where do you want to start and stop, we need more personal responsibility, it goes so far that people in the country move in next to a farm and complain about the rooster screaming in the morning and even get justice.

In my village, alongside motorcyclists and classic cars, countless tractors drive past at the weekend when the farmers are bringing in their harvest. In the village, cars are parked on the main road in such a way that the farmers with their large trailers are hindered. Or where people live on the railroad tracks, there are areas where the train has to slow down because of the residents, who moves to a railroad track and complains afterwards?

The fact is, after the motorcyclists it will be the turn of the next ones, a part of society has unfortunately completely lost its self-responsibility.

We have to stick together now, go to the DEMOS and find out in your areas where things are happening.

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Text & Research: Harleysite

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