Geraldton Harley-Davidson motorcyclist charged after caught flipping bird while allegedly riding at 171km/h

A Harley-Davidson rider who flipped the bird at a speed camera north of Geraldton while allegedly clocking 171km/h might be ruing his decision after police caught up with him. The rider was arrested and charged with reckless driving even though the front-facing speed camera image did not capture his bike’s licence plate. Police say he was caught riding at 171km/h in a 90km/h zone on North West Coastal Highway in Glenfield on Monday, April 17 at 10.15am. The idiotic motorcyclist was also not wearing any protective gear — except for a helmet. He was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and thongs. Despite the setback of having no number plate captured, police arrested the 31-year-old Waggrakine man on Wednesday and impounded his motorcycle for 28 days. The man was bailed to appear in Geraldton Magistrates Court on Thursday, April 27. A conviction for this offence will result in a minimum mandatory licence suspension of six months and a hefty fine. According to the Road Safety Commission, the fine for being 40km/h or more over the limit is $1200 and the deduction of seven demerit points. Mid West Gascoyne District traffic coordinator Sergeant George Tilbury called on the courts to use this rider as an example and send a strong message. “Riding at this ridiculous speed on a motorcycle with one hand, whilst wearing no protective clothing is idiotic and beggars belief,” he said. “It may have been amusing for the rider at the time, but his actions could have cost him his life. He will now have plenty of time to contemplate the consequences of his poor decision making, while walking. “The Magistrate needs to make an example of this rider, to deter others from replicating such stupidity.”