Police on Vancouver Island say they've received numerous tips about the identity of a motorcyclist shown in an online video riding on a highway at speeds close to 300 kilometres per hour.
The video, posted to YouTube on April 8, shows a blue Yamaha bike weaving in and out of traffic along the Trans-Canada Highway in Saanich. Investigators with the Saanich Police Department publicized the video Monday in an attempt to identify the rider, and have already received the names of a few possible suspects.
"We're very pleased that members of the community are taking the time to weigh in and express their frustration at this particular video," Sgt. Dean Jantzen told CTV News.
The video was posted by a user named "Joe Blow" and shows the bike blowing past cars and trucks between McKenzie Avenue and the Millstream Road exit. Jantzen said the investigators have determined the user's IP address, but they have yet to trace that to an exact address.
"It's a challenging investigation, really with little to go on," he said, pointing out that the person shown riding the bike may not have posted the video online.
The brazen example of excessive speeding has provoked outrage among motorcycle buffs across B.C.
Kevin Boisvert, a sport-bike racer and owner of Bayside Performance in Vancouver, said that speeders like the one in the video give bikers a bad name.
"I think it's ridiculous. I don't understand why people act like that. There's plenty of race tracks and plenty of other places to go," Boisvert said.
And Transportation Minister Blair Lekstrom, a motorcycle enthusiast, said he was "shocked" by the video.
"That was an irresponsible driver putting other people's lives at risk," he told reporters.
However, he added that he had pushed a sport bike to speeds over 200 kilometres per hour on a closed track, and "it was great."
