We feel like we really shouldn’t have to tell you this, but apparently we have to. If you’re going to do something dumb on your motorcycle, especially if it’s illegal, and on public roads—don’t post it on social media. Especially if you’re going to hit just under 300 km/h, a feat that will almost certainly see your bike seized by The Man.
Our latest reason to drive home this reminder comes courtesy of Instagram account @Atrixil, which was apparently based in British Columbia. Or at least, that’s what their uploaded footage looked like, according to CHEK News. Initially, there was some debate as to exactly where the rider was recording their motorcycle jaunts. A recent POV clip from the Lions Gate Bridge, with a Kawasaki ZX-10 reaching well over 200 km/h*, gave the public a good idea where this rider was hitting high speeds on public roads. And, it also gave police a bit more to go on.
According to CHEK, both the BC Highway Patrol and Vancouver’s municipal police said they were investigating the account after those videos, so it’s no wonder the Instagram user has now ghosted us.
If this bike was plated to its owner while it cruised around BC at hyperspeeds, chances are sooner or later they’ll catch up to them with a stunt driving charge—you can see BC’s definition of stunt driving here, along with the penalties, which include both a fine and vehicle impoundment. Even without plates, the police probably have a lot more info to go on than you might think, thanks to cameras everywhere. While we could argue about the actual value of aggressive prosecution of speed-happy motorcyclists, the police certainly take this stuff seriously.
So, here’s a takeaway. It is probably a futile hope to expect all motorcyclists to behave sensibly at all times, even on public roads. As long as silly people can get their hands on silly-fast bikes, they’ll do silly things. But if you plan on that sort of thing, maybe keep your GoPro off next time, if you want to stay out of trouble.
But on the other hand, if you do insist on getting yourself caught, it’s probably better for the rest of us in the long run, as that kind of speed on the streets is bad for motorcyclists’ image, and our insurance rates.
*Note that some YouTubers are using SpeedoHealers to fake hyper speeds in their video, although the behavior in these IG vids is so wild that even if the speeds are faked, it’s still pretty risky.
“While we could argue about the actual value of aggressive prosecution of speed-happy motorcyclists, the police certainly take this stuff seriously.”
What’s to argue about ?
300kmh on public roads is stupid and dangerous – period.