Motorcycle too loud: TÜV, gasket and police (Part 2)

What happens after a police check for being “too loud”? My journey through the workshop, TÜV and police station — in chronological order. Part 2 of the series.

In the first part of this series, I described how the police stopped me because my Ducati Hypermotard was allegedly too loud. A missing gasket on the dry clutch cover was said to be to blame. Here is what happened next.

The chronology

28 April — Traffic check in northern Munich. My bike was allegedly too loud because of the missing gasket. No measurement was carried out. The following was threatened: a report, a €90 fine, rectification of the defect within two weeks, plus an inspection at TÜV.

29 April — Ordered the gasket online. Cost: €7.50.

5 May — Shared the first part of this post — on the blog and on social media. Plenty of support and lots of tips. Many thanks!

9 May — An appointment at TÜV Garching can conveniently be arranged online. Installed the gasket myself, with instructions and a sound check.

11 May — The TÜV inspection goes smoothly. The inspector is nice and charges just under €19. Straight afterwards, I head to Ismaning police station. The police officer copies all the documents, takes another look at the diva — and even offers to send the proof by official post. Great.

14 May — So far, no written report has arrived in the letterbox.

What I learned

Three insights from a two-week authorities marathon:

• Request documentation during a check without a measurement. A claim of “too loud” without a sound level meter is legally flimsy. Get the exact defect and legal basis in writing.
• Deal with rectifying the defect immediately. The 14-day deadline is real. Anyone who lets it lapse risks escalating consequences.
• Book TÜV online. Saves waiting time, stress and usually the surcharge too.

All in all, the matter costs around €116: €90 fine + €19 TÜV + €7.50 gasket. Plus two weeks of stress and the question of whether the fine was lawful at all.

Appeal or pay?

The written report is still outstanding. If it arrives: pay or lodge an appeal? With the TÜV confirmation and the fact that no measurement took place, an appeal could be successful. On the other hand: time involved, possible legal fees and the risk that the penalty remains after all.

What do you think?

Conclusion

My impression: a traffic check ends in administrative effort even without an apparent defect. With a cool head, quick action and a bit of luck, the damage can be limited — but the feeling remains that there was more appearance than substance at play here. In any case, I will keep the TÜV receipt and the acknowledgement of receipt from the police station safe.