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NSW police have issued a fine against an US-based online influencer and served two driving violation citations for alleged reckless operation after a swarm of e-bike riders converged on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during peak-hour traffic on a weekday.

The Incident: A Prohibited Ride

A group of approximately 40 individuals riding electric bikes and motorbikes proceeded along the bridge’s main deck, an area where bicycle riding is banned. The riders then turned around and rode through the downtown area and Haymarket.

"This had potential for serious injury or fatalities," stated a senior police official David Driver on the following day.

Law enforcement said they did not chase right away the group due to safety concerns but instead located the group at a scenic Sydney lookout near the city gardens, where they dispersed.

Penalties Issued for Influencer

On Saturday, police announced they had served the American online personality known as the influencer, 26, with two traffic infringement notices for careless operation (with no death or previous bodily harm), with a penalty of over five hundred dollars and three demerit points each, in relation to the bridge incident. Officials noted that the investigation is ongoing.

The influencer reportedly has over 3.4 million subscribers on one platform and more than 1.2 million on the social media app.

Creator's Response

The online figure spoke with a local publication recently after the incident spread rapidly on news sites and social media, saying he regretted giving "bike life" a negative image.

"I accept the blame. It was one of the safest ride-outs I have witnessed," he told the publication. "I’m coming here as a guest, so I’m going to abide by the rules and standards of the city. When I decided to do a meet and greet it did not involve a ride-out, it was just to greet people near the bridge."

"I’m unfamiliar with the city, I am to blame we found ourselves on the bridge and I had a decision to make: either the group rides the full length of the bridge and turns around, an illegal act. Or we turn around, basically, before entering the bridge. And I made the decision at the time to go back."

National Debate on E-Bike Regulation

The increase of e-bikes on roads nationwide has prompted increasing demands for regulation. A senior government official, Mark Butler, recently said that non-compliant electric bikes were a "total menace on the road."

"Kids have done stupid things on bikes ever since the early bicycle [but] the harm that are presenting at our hospital emergency departments are truly severe," he said. "We’ve got to ensure we prevent these things coming into the country [and] police are granted the authority to crack down, to confiscate them, to crush them, to destroy them."

NSW reported 226 injuries associated with electric bikes in the previous year. But, in the initial half of 2025, that number jumped to 233 injuries plus four deaths.