Speeding motorcyclists caught

A GROUP of up to 50 motorcyclists has been targeted by Wollongong police, with two bikers caught last week exceeding 200km/h north of Wollongong.

Chief Inspector Mark Lavers from Wollongong Local Area Command said police are targeting a group of riders on powerful Japanese road bikes regularly doing a ‘run’ south from Sydney, down Lawrence Hargrave Drive to Wollongong and back up Bulli Pass or Mount Ousley on Tuesday or Wednesday nights.

The group have been doing the ‘run’ since the Sea Cliff Bridge reopened, Chief Inspector Lavers said.

Last Wednesday night, two motorcyclists thought to be part of this group were clocked doing well over twice the speed limit.

The first was caught by police at around 9.30pm on Wednesday, May 7 at 203km/h in a 90km/h zone.

The 24-year-old rider from Sylvania had his license suspended on the spot and will face court in June.

At 10.43pm the same night police spotted a group of motorcycle riders travelling along Mount Ousley Road at Cataract Creek, clocking one of the riders at 225km/h in a 100km/h zone.

His licence was also suspended immediately.

Chief Inspector Lavers said there have been a number of fatal motorbike accidents on Lawrence Hargrave Drive since the bridge reopened.

“I can see why motorbikes want to ride on (Lawrence Hargrave Drive) because of all the curves, but that also makes it dangerous,” he said.

He said police will continue to target the group.

Manuel Molina from motorcycle group the Illawarra Riders Association said he knew of the group in question and said riding at those kinds of speeds is reckless and gives all riders a bad reputation.

“Its very dangerous - anythings possible on a bike,” he said.

“You can have a tyre blow out, you can have a car come out on the road (or) anything; an animal, a dog or a cat - you won’t survive at that speed.

“It’s stupidity doing that speed on public roads… even on highways.

“If you want to do that sort of speed go to a track.”