Victoria Police target monkey bikes

Monkey bike owners are on notice in Victoria, where the state government is set to hand down powers to Victoria Police that allow authorities to impound and potentially crush any of the pint-sized machines caught being used on Victorian roads.

The move follows the deaths of two people in the state involved in monkey bike accidents in the past 18 months – one a 34-year-old mother of two who was struck by one in a Melbourne shopping centre carpark.

Any offender caught riding their monkey bike outside of a private property will be required to appear in court. They may face a fine of up to $3109 and their bike may be crushed. A charge of unlicensed riding will also be laid, where appropriate.

The Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, said authorities wouldn’t tolerate the reckless and illegal use of monkey bikes.

“We’re not going to stand by and watch another person hurt on our roads by these dangerous bikes,” he said.

“We’re protecting road users and pedestrians. Now, Victoria Police will have the power to crack down on riders who are caught doing the wrong thing.”

Monkey bikes first came into being in the early 1960s courtesy of Honda's Z100. Many other models followed, and today the term is often applied to a wide number of minibike and pocket bike models.