Loud motorcycles are becoming such a nuisance in much of Europe that laws against them are starting to be enacted.
In addition to the standard, louder noise of gas-powered motorcycles compared to other vehicles, many riders install aftermarket exhaust systems to tune their exhaust sound and increase the volume.
Others simply rev the engine for attention at stoplights.
While the noise might not bother as many people in rural areas where few people live within earshot, it has been causing serious debate in densely populated cities across Europe where motorcycles are more popular. And now some countries are taking matters into their own hands.
France has installed microphone systems to in several cities to measure the volume of vehicles as they pass by. The goal is to eventually use the system and the data it gathers to penalize those that create excessive noise in highly populated areas.
Germany is seeing a number of its own gas motorcycle noise-reduction measures. Lighter measures include signs that measure roadside noise decibels and alert riders who are creating too much noise. More heavy-handed alternatives include outlawing aftermarket exhaust systems and instituting fines for those who tinker with their factory exhaust systems.
The increase in regulations regarding the sound level of gas-powered motorcycles highlights an obvious advantage of electric motorcycles.
These initiatives also come at a time when electric motorcycle companies are reporting record-breaking sales. Energica has apparently already sold more electric motorcycles in the first few months of this year as it did in all of 2019.
And with more riders switching to electric motorcycles and new training programs being instituted specifically to teach riders on electric motorcycles, could electric motorcycles be the answer to solving the nuisance of loud gas-powered motorcycles once and for all?
