Motorcycle Noise Annoyance in Residential Areas Along Popular Leisure Routes

Motorcycle noise along leisure routes constitutes a distinct environmental health burden poorly captured by standard road traffic noise indicators. This study derives source-specific exposure–response functions and examines non-acoustic predictors of residential motorcycle noise annoyance. A mixed-methods socio-acoustic design was applied in five study areas in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. A community survey ( N = 493) assessed long-term annoyance (12-month recall); a smartphone-based experience-sampling study (MotoApp; N = 213; ten days in summer 2022) collected hourly ratings. Acoustic measurements provided vehicle-specific L Aeq,1h , L AFmax,1h , and N 60 ; exposure–response functions were estimated using logistic regression and generalised estimating equations. In the long-term survey, 46.5% were highly annoyed by motorcycle noise, compared with 18.4% for passenger cars. Motorcycle exposure–response curves were markedly shifted; the 25–highly-annoyed threshold was reached approximately 16 dB lower in L Aeq,1h than for passenger cars on weekends. Negative attitudes towards motorcycle riders, low coping capacity, and noise sensitivity were significant independent predictors. Source-specific assessment is necessary for motorcycle leisure routes. The 25–highly-annoyed criterion maps to approximately 52 dB L Aeq,1h and 78 dB L AFmax,1h on weekends, and to 25 N 60 events per hour—substantially below current road traffic guideline values—providing actionable thresholds for noise action planning.