Police on the trail of ‘lunatic’ 300km/h motorcyclists

Police believe they are close to tracking down two “lunatic” motorcyclists who sped away from a patrol car at an estimated 300km/h.

In a statement, police said members of the public had been “very supportive” of the attempts to identify the riders, who were clocked riding at 247km/h on State Highway 2 just south of the Rimutaka Ranges.

Upper Hutt mayor Wayne Guppy said the speeds of the pair were “absolute lunacy. They’re not only endangering themselves, more importantly they’re putting innocent people at risk and endangering them.”

“Someone will know them, because when you get people doing what they’ve done, they can’t help themselves talking about it.

“There will be someone who they’re bragging to, or talking to, that will know about it.”

Guppy said people in Upper Hutt weren’t the type to put up with that sort of behaviour.

“Look it’s zero tolerance to it, and our community has had enough of it.”

About midday on Saturday, June 2, two Japanese 1000cc sports bikes were spotted by police travelling on State Highway 2, just south of the Rimutaka Range, at 247km/h.

“When the riders saw police, they accelerated away at speeds thought to be in excess of 300km/h,” Wellington Road Policing Senior Sergeant Thomas McIntyre said at the time.

“The speeds these riders have reached on a state highway are beyond dangerous. The risk they posed to themselves and other road users is unimaginable.”

At 247km/h, the riders would have been travelling at just under 70 metres per second.

Had they crashed they would have killed themselves and possibly other road users, McIntyre said.

Anyone with information on the riders involved is urged to contact their local station or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.