Tyrol’s ban on loud motorcycles: the roads, the 95 dB rule and how to check your bike

The rule

Since 2020 the Austrian state of Tyrol has banned motorcycles with a stationary (near-field) noise level above 95 dB(A) from six roads in the Reutte and Imst districts, every year from 15 April to 31 October. It applies to all bikes, whatever country they are registered in, and the 2026 season runs to 31 October.

• B198 Lechtal road, Steeg to Weißenbach am Lech
• B199 Tannheim road, Weißenbach am Lech to Schattwald
• L21 Berwang–Namlos road, Bichlbach to Stanzach
• L72 and L246 Hahntennjoch road, Pfafflar to Imst
• L266 Bschlabs road, Elmen to Pfafflar

How to check your bike

The test is the stationary noise figure recorded for your motorcycle, not a roadside reading. On German and Austrian papers it is field U.1 of the registration certificate. For a UK-registered bike, look for the stationary sound level on the Certificate of Conformity or the manufacturer’s type-approval data. Carry it with you if you plan to ride these roads: it is the quickest way to settle a roadside check. Some large-capacity bikes, and many with aftermarket exhausts, are over 95 dB(A).

Fines and alternatives

The standard fine is about €220 and can be higher. Police can turn you back, and foreign riders can be asked for a deposit on the spot. The Fernpass road (B179) is not covered. Tyrol has renewed the ban every season since it began and says its noise measurements back it, so expect it to stay.

• If your bike is over the limit, plan these roads for November to mid-April, when the ban does not apply, though the Hahntennjoch itself closes for winter.
• Our route planner does not know your bike’s noise figure, so check any route it gives you through the Außerfern and Lechtal.

Road guides mentioned

• Hahntennjoch · Tyrol