A trove of previously classified documents shed new light on Auckland’s dirt bike subculture and the battle by police to put the brakes on the young riders, writes George Block.
You hear them before you see them.
Their engine notes are higher pitched than the menacing deep rumble of the Harleys ridden by the older gang members said to serve as their patrons.
Before you know it they’re roaring past, teenagers mostly, on dirt bikes designed more for motocross tracks and off-road trails than the streets of South or Central Auckland.
Some riders, especially the younger hangers-on, battle to ride a moped without crashing.
But others have skills that would put many serious motocross enthusiasts to shame.
This is #bikelife, the overseas-inspired urban dirt bike subculture that has exploded in the supercity since Covid.
Riders chase clout on social media via the #bikelife hashtag on TikTok or Facebook and become vulnerable to recruitment as gang prospects as the subculture in Auckland is heavily influenced by the Killer Beez gang.
Police believe the gang may be using the bikes as part of their recruitment strategy as a prize for prospects who prove their worth.
An Auckland dirt bike Facebook page, STREET BIKELIFE, from the Killer Beez’ self-described “Ōtara swarm” boasts almost 20,000 members.
The riders are the scourge of police and the bikes are often unregistered, ridden by unlicensed riders and frequently turn out to be stolen.
Weekend group rides are common, especially on public holidays or as part of the “Sunday Funday” rides, organised via social media.
The better riders can hold a near-vertical wheelie for hundreds of metres down a busy street, even steering the bike on one wheel, a skill requiring delicate balance and deft control of the bike.
Even if they are corralled into a reserve, the bikes are so quick and manoeuvrable that they have a habit of being able to slip through the net, leaving a torn-up sports ground behind them.
Dirt bike riders, who frequently forgo helmets, have been seriously injured or killed after coming off their bikes in South Auckland in recent years.
The young age of the riders, their mixed skill levels, and conservative pursuit policies mean frontline officers face pressure from police brass not to chase dirt bike riders.
Since their numbers exploded about three years ago, questions have arisen as to the identity and motivation of the young riders. Every so often they emerge from the suburbs of Manukau or Māngere for a massive group ride through the central city before shooting back south.
The Herald has obtained a series of confidential police intelligence reports and briefings via the Official Information Act on the issue of urban illegal dirt bike riding in Counties Manukau.
They show that in 2021 and 2022, police received more than 500 calls about dirt bike issues in Auckland.
Most - 414 - were in the Counties Manukau District but there were also dozens of calls in Auckland City and Waitematā (West and North Auckland).
Contrary to accusations police may be turning a blind eye, the documents show the constant battle they are waging against the riders.
One anti-dirt bike initiative dubbed Operation Whakatika saw at least 77 dirt bikes impounded and more than 100 people arrested or charged.
A briefing covering the latest effort targeting the riders, the ongoing Operation Metallic Red, shows the frustration the riders are causing police.
“They regularly ride into oncoming traffic and do not wear any protective equipment,” the briefing said.
“Increasingly, these individuals are gathering in groups to perform these antics, further increasing the risk of death and serious injury on our roads.
“This behaviour erodes the trust and confidence in police due to the associated difficulties in policing this group.”
An intelligence report from 2021 notes public outrage grew following a mass ride on Waitangi Day that year, where dirt bikes 10 abreast commandeered streets and weaved around traffic.
“Following a highly visible and organised ride across Tāmaki Makaurau on Waitangi Day 2021, police received extensive criticism via both news and social media about their perceived lack of action on the day,” the report said.
“Commentary on this antisocial behaviour in Tāmaki Makaurau features regularly in the news media, and without perceived improvements to related Police practice, the potential for serious harm will continue to elicit public, local government, and mayoral scrutiny and concern.”
The report notes that posts about dirt bike riders on police Facebook pages elicit far more engagement than those about homicides or drug operations.
In one case, a post asking for the public to help identify dirt bike riders after the Waitangi Day ride had to be removed due to the flood of negative comments amid perceptions of police inaction.
They had more luck with a post of dirt bikes being seized as part of Operation Stockman on Easter Sunday 2021, leading to an apparent change in social media and media relations strategy.
There is nothing new about Kiwi kids spending their time blasting around on dirt bikes.
Honda New Zealand markets its CR50F three-speed auto transmission to kids aged between 5 and 7.
Rural kids then graduate to blasting across paddocks on old farm bikes following their parents, with many then making the step to motocross racing.
The difference with Auckland’s #bikelife community is urban kids from deprived communities don’t have the access or resources to enjoy riding bikes legally off-road that country kids enjoy.
There’s no issue if you’re an unlicensed rider hooning around on an unregistered dirt bike on your old man’s back paddock, but do the same on an unregistered bike around Ngati Ōtara Park and you’ll risk a court date.
But, like their rural counterparts, they are still drawn to the thrill and freedom of riding dirt bikes, with their large travel suspension, knobbly tyres and small lightweight engines that will eat up the terrain in their path.
A police intelligence report euphemistically dubbed “The Impact of Coordinated Vehicle Use on Our Roads” said Auckland’s dirt bike riders tend to be young Māori and Pasifika from deprived communities in the Counties Manukau East and West police areas, encompassing Ōtara, Ōtāhuhu and Māngere.
“In Tāmaki Makaurau, this demographic group is particularly susceptible to gang influence and recruitment, subsequent involvement in crime, and to risk-taking behaviour such as unsafe road use.”
The report acknowledges a simple lack of things for kids to do in Auckland’s deprived communities is a big part of the problem.
“Antisocial dirt bike behaviour and related gang involvement will likely increase long-term if social deficits, including recreational opportunities, are not addressed in deprived communities such as Ōtara.”
Once illegal dirt bike riders are caught by police for driving dangerously or on an unregistered bike without a licence they mostly turn out to have a “recorded history of offending or suspected offending”, the report says.
There is a clear overseas influence on their activities.
“Dirt bike riders in Tāmaki Makaurau appear to be imitating groups in the United States and the associated ‘bike life’ subculture, hoping to gain similar notoriety and even sponsorship for their rides and stunts.
“A proportion of riders will participate in these rides simply because they enjoy the ‘bike life’ lifestyle and not because they intend to participate in gang activity.”
Of 105 dirt bike riders identified by police intelligence staff, one in five were youth.
The report says they are particularly vulnerable to gang recruitment via the strong influence of the Killer Beez on dirt bike-related social media.
The Killer Beez were originally a youth street gang that exploded in the early 2000s in the same South Auckland communities that are now the hub of illegal dirt bike riding.
They started as a feeder gang for the Tribesmen Motorcycle Club but have now graduated into a fully-fledged patched gang, with older riders wearing white and yellow vests and riding large Harley-Davidsons.
A schism with the Tribesmen has brought several violent gang conflicts, most notably the shooting of their president, Josh Masters, by his former friend, Tribesmen sergeant-at-arms Okusitino Tae, in 2019 outside a Harley-Davidson Dealership.
Masters remains president and is still seen at Killer Beez events, now riding a four-wheeler after he was paralysed in the shooting.
When police interview dirt bike riders, they often say they bought their bikes on Facebook Marketplace.
Police have often warned the public about being cautious using the trading platform, saying it’s where many stolen items in Auckland have been fenced, so it’s little surprise some of the dirt bikes seized by police turn out to be stolen - when they can be traced at all.
The police intel reports show the bikes frequently lack a registration plate or even a vehicle identification number, making it difficult to trace the bikes.
Nearly half of the dirt bikes used in the scene are Forzas - a relatively inexpensive make of mostly smaller engine-capacity bikes - cheaper than higher-end Yamahas, Hondas, Suzukis, KTMS or Kawasakis.
Those bikes are purchased by Killer Beez gang members, sometimes as a reward for prospects, one of the police reports reveals.
“Forza bikes appear to be legitimately purchased by riders, or on their behalf by Killer Beez members, as they are relatively cheap compared to other manufacturers,” the report said.
“Furthermore, the Killer Beez have previously supported individuals who have ‘proven themselves’ by providing access to more expensive and powerful dirt bikes.
“They may represent an aspect of the Killer Beez recruitment strategy.”
When the scene began to explode around the time of the first Covid lockdown in 2020 police battled to catch the riders.
A video circulated on TikTok showing a slapstick scene where officers hid behind a fence waiting for a dirt bike rider to come past in a reserve, only to be outrun when they sprung up.
Police came to realise one of the best ways to target the riders was when they gathered at a service station to refuel in a group.
They began to make successful ambushes in this way, swooping in numbers from both sides of the service station, arresting riders and impounding bikes.
But posts on the STREET BIKELIFE page began to urge riders to avoid refuelling together at petrol stations because it creates vulnerability, one police report said. Instead, the posts urged riders to carry extra fuel with them or in support cars.
During Operation Whakatika, one of the earlier anti-dirt bike operations, Counties Manukau police found one of the best ways to target the riders was to wait until they gather in parks such as the Manukau Velodrome then block off all the exits.
One internal report urged police to cultivate informants in the scene.
“Increase the cultivation of Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS) who are actively involved in coordinated vehicle activity to increase Police awareness and support responses to planned and unplanned activities by identifying and targeting the organisers of events to deter antisocial road behaviour,” the report said.
A series of weekly reports from Operation Whakatika provide vignettes into the police’s battle to catch dirt bikers.
Early in February 2022, a patrol unit spotted a rider on what was described as an “old, very loud dirt bike”.
The rider sped off into Bruce Pulman Park in Takanini but the cops were able to keep pace because the bike appeared to be having some engine trouble before the rider dropped his cellphone and staff were able to pick it up.
“At this point the bike stalled and the rider gave up,” the report said.
“When speaking to the offender staff asked what was wrong with his bike, he replied, ‘I’m not sure I’ve just filled it up with 91.’”
In reply, an officer who knew his bikes told the rider his bike was a two-stroke, requiring oil to be mixed with petrol for its engine to run.
Police had been hunting the bike for some time and charged the rider with failing to stop and driving while disqualified.
The old two-stroke was impounded.
The Herald has made multiple attempts to interview dirt bikers on the record.
“Mind your own business aye old fella,” was the latest response.
The new Police Commissioner will also be in attendance.