Italy is waiving vehicle tax on motorcycles in 2027, with no limit on power output or displacement. The exemption applies to one vehicle per person only, however, and anyone who owns a small car gets nothing for the motorcycle.
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Law
In this category you will find articles covering legal topics related to motorcycles and road traffic. This includes changes in legislation, court decisions, regulations, as well as developments concerning registration, licensing and road safety.
The list below brings together reports on national and international rules, judicial decisions and political initiatives that may affect motorcycle riders or the motorcycle market. Where possible, the background and practical implications of the respective regulations are explained.
This section provides an overview of the legal framework and current developments relevant to motorcycle riders.
For the tenth time, the motorcycle demonstration “Freedom is our Religion” rolled through central Berlin. According to the organisers, more than 700 motorcycles took part in the procession on 12 September 2026.
The first test drives for a driverless taxi service begin in Munich in the coming weeks, and other operators are already on the road there. For motorcyclists that pushes one question to the front, and there is still no solid European answer to it: how reliably does this technology detect a single-track vehicle?
In Denmark it is prohibited to ride a motorcycle between waiting rows of cars. An association with close to 30,000 members wants to change that and is meeting clear resistance.
In August the grain harvest is in full swing, with combine harvesters and tractors shuttling between field and farm. For motorcyclists the machines themselves are less of a problem than what they leave behind on the asphalt.
Built-in cameras do not make a vehicle illegal in any European country, not even in Austria or Switzerland. Retrofitted cameras are another matter: in Baden-Württemberg the state data protection commissioner imposed fines of 1,000 to 2,000 euros on vehicle owners.
A motorcyclist riding in a group of six lost half of his compensation after a collision with a car. The decisive factor was a rule that matters on every ride but is rarely thought about in everyday practice.
The Munich Administrative Court has dismissed the lawsuit against the motorcycle riding ban on the B 307 and declared the order issued by the Rosenheim district authority lawful. The German Motorcyclists’ Federation is now waiting for the written grounds of the judgment and will decide its next steps depending on whether the closure becomes permanent next year.
South Tyrol has banned organized motorsport events on around 100 road sections and generally above 1,600 meters in altitude. With the official list of routes and details on fines and enforcement, it’s now possible to pinpoint exactly where the ban applies and what touring riders are still allowed to do.
Austria is overhauling its traffic fines from January 1, 2027. Fines for anonymous penalty notices will then apply at the same level in every federal state and rise by an average of around 50 percent.
According to media reports, the European Commission is examining a technology that would automatically slow vehicles down when they exceed the speed limit. For motorcyclists, the plan raises a number of open questions, since no law exists yet.
South Tyrol’s regional government has banned organized motorsport events on mountain pass roads above 1,600 meters and in protected areas. The ruling takes effect immediately and raises a key question for motorcyclists that the official text doesn’t clearly answer.
Across Europe, cases are piling up where automatic emergency braking systems trigger a full stop without any real obstacle. For motorcyclists riding behind such vehicles, this sudden braking can be life-threatening.
For the first time ever, a European country has legalized dashcams by law, while the classic ban countries are noticeably tightening their enforcement. Anyone riding a motorcycle across several borders this summer will run into a patchwork of rules that can change every few kilometers.
Starting October 1, 2026, new regulations on protective equipment for motorcyclists and on behavior in traffic jams will apply in Spain. The changes affect not only locals but also anyone traveling to Spain by motorcycle.
The EU has passed a new law on end-of-life vehicles that covers cars and, for the first time, motorcycles. It becomes particularly important when selling a vehicle or when the question arises after an accident whether it should be repaired or scrapped.
The L 1152 state road between Jagdshof and Schauberg remains closed to motorcycles, and the ban now extends to an additional weekday in 2026. Two motorcyclists are challenging the measure in court at the Meiningen Administrative Court, backed by the German Federal Association of Motorcyclists.
The CDU in Wermelskirchen is calling for a trial motorcycle ban on the L 409. Residents in Dabringhausen and Dhünn have been complaining for years about noise and speeding. The question, however, is whether the motion is really about road safety or primarily about giving residents their peace and quiet.
The European Commission has published a draft that aims to bring the driving licence to the smartphone as a digital document. It regulates format, security and validity as well as sensitive practical questions such as the revocation of the driving entitlement across borders.
A casual remark by Federal Minister of Labor Bärbel Bas on the ARD talk show “Caren Miosga” has reignited a long-standing controversy: Should motorcycles be allowed to filter through stationary traffic? While lane splitting remains illegal in Germany, a petition to the Bundestag is gathering signatures for legalization.