A South Auckland mountain bike club says they are increasingly having issues with people they believe to be Killer Beez gang affiliates riding motorbikes on their trails.
A member of the Totara Park Mountain Bike Club filmed a confrontation yesterday with five men who were caught riding motorbikes along a trail despite clear signs at all entrances forbidding motorbikes.
A spokesperson for the club who asked to remain anonymous posted the footage and photos of the men on Facebook with the hope of identifying them and giving the information to police.
In the video, the five men are seen riding along a trail before being stopped by a group of mountain bikers, one of whom can be heard saying "that's bloody dangerous, aye ... seriously ..."
One person commented on the post saying he "saw these clowns riding up Goodwood Drive and up Redoubt Road on Saturday evening.
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"Pulling wheelies in front of oncoming traffic, cutting in front of cars on both sides of the road ... reported them to the police."
The club spokesperson said the group has had a problem with people coming in on motorbikes "over the last couple of months - but it's really increased in the last few weeks and they're making a bit of a regular visit.
"The last time one of the members got a picture of one of these guys, he ended up being a Killer Bee."
He said members have been intimidated by the riders before, but during this confrontation they were "pretty gentle" because there were more members present than at previous encounters.
Some of the individuals among the five in the video have been warned before not to come back, he said.
Motorbikes do a lot of damage to the trails, the spokesman said, leaving large skid marks and gouges, and are also dangerous to pedestrians, pets, and of course mountain bikers.
"They're a bit faster, especially uphill, than most riders," he said.
"They skid, they wheelspin, and it rips up the track ... it's really, really annoying.
"I've watched, over the last few weeks, some skids appearing in unusual places ... We're kind of stuck with trying to get restricters in - so you can't get a motorbike through but you can get a bike through and it's just a lot of drama."
The trails are inside a public park but are created and maintained by the club's volunteers with the help of the Manurewa Local Board and Trillian Trust.
The spokesman said he wants to give a message to the motorcyclists: "You're damaging a lot of volunteers' hard work ... You've got a whole lot of people enjoying that facility and you're degrading it."
The Auckland Council told 1 NEWS it's a breach of the Public Safety and Nuisance bylaw to ride a motorbike in a park.
If convicted, the maximum fine is $20,000.
A police spokesperson said "police are aware of concerns regarding motorbikes being ridden on these trails.
"We are making inquiries, but at this stage we have not identified any of those involved."
Anyone with information can contact police on a non-emergency line, or information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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