newy.com.au – Footage recorded near Carrington has renewed attention on illegal motorbike activity across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.

The video, supplied to newy.com.au by Hahn, shows three young people travelling on a single motorbike through moving traffic without helmets or a visible number plate. One person is controlling the bike while two passengers ride behind.

Hahn estimated the three appeared to be under 15 years old. Their faces appear covered, and a woman in the vehicle from which the footage was recorded can be heard reacting in shock.

The footage adds to concerns documented in police reports, council submissions and local reporting around Wallsend, Jesmond, Glendale, Mayfield and parts of Lake Macquarie. Those accounts have described trail bikes being ridden on roads, footpaths, parks and shared paths, sometimes with multiple passengers or dangerously around traffic.

The potential consequences were highlighted by a crash at Adamstown Heights on 26 November 2025, when a motorbike and five other vehicles were involved in a collision at City and Brunker roads.

The rider, then aged 17, was taken to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition, while his 14-year-old pillion passenger was admitted in a stable condition. Both have since been discharged.

Police spoke with the rider, now 18, on 28 July 2026 and served him with a court attendance notice for 10 alleged offences. They allege he had never held a licence and was riding an unregistered and uninsured motorbike. Police also allege neither boy was wearing a helmet and the rider failed to stop at a red light.

He is due to appear before a Children’s Court on 11 August 2026. The allegations have not been tested in court.

A major police response also followed a gathering at Dangar Park, Mayfield, on Sunday, 14 June 2026 where a crowd gathered after streetwear brand Bad Apples promoted a merchandise giveaway on social media.

Officers found between 150 and 200 people in the park, along with another 30 to 40 people riding unregistered trail bikes through the parkland and surrounding streets. Nearby roads were closed and traffic was redirected.

Newcastle City Police District established Operation Horizon after the gathering. By 23 July, nine men had been charged in connection with it and police said 26 unregistered motorbikes had been seized under the operation, including two at the scene and others during subsequent inquiries and search warrants.

Collectively, the charges include riot, property damage and dangerous driving offences. Police said immediate intervention in the crowded park had to be balanced against the risk of riders, bystanders or officers being injured. The alleged conduct has not been determined by a court.

Illegal and dangerous riding is not confined to children. On 16 April, a 47-year-old man was charged after an officer was allegedly struck by a motorbike police allege was unregistered during a patrol on the Fernleigh Track at Kahibah.

Police alleged the rider failed to stop before hitting the officer, a stationary police e-bike and a guard rail. Officers said the motorbike carried an unauthorised cardboard number plate. Those allegations have not been determined by a court.

In March 2026, Lake Macquarie City Council said 21 incidents of all kinds had been reported on the Fernleigh Track across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie during the previous 12 months, consistent with the year before.

Police also reported issuing 10 infringement notices and dealing with 24 matters under the Young Offenders Act, although the figures did not specify how many involved motorbikes or e-bikes.

Council evidence has separately highlighted concerns about dangerous e-bike use. The City of Newcastle told a NSW parliamentary inquiry in 2024 said that e-bike uptake was “noticeably high” and complaints about inappropriate use, particularly on footpaths and in shared spaces, had increased.

Lake Macquarie council staff reported seeing as many as three children riding on one electric bike. The council’s submission also identified illegal dirt-bike activity as a key threat to people using footpaths and shared paths.

However, motorcycles and e-bikes are not legally the same. A compliant e-bike is treated as a bicycle and does not require registration, compulsory insurance or a rider licence.

Under NSW rules, an e-bike can have a motor rated up to 500 watts, but motor assistance must cut out at 25km/h. Any throttle or walk-assist function must cut out at 6km/h.

A machine with a motor rated above 500 watts, assistance continuing beyond 25km/h or throttle-only propulsion above 6km/h is not a legal e-bike. It may instead be treated as a motor vehicle and become subject to registration, compulsory third-party insurance and licensing requirements, although many such machines cannot legally be registered for public-road use.

NSW Parliament has passed legislation intended to expand police seizure and destruction powers, although the Act was still listed as not commenced as of 1 August 2026.

People who witness dangerous riding should not confront those involved. Triple Zero should be called if there is an immediate threat, while non-urgent reports can be made to the Police Assistance Line on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Join the discussion on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1E5WXwMuaZ/