'Disrespectful' Te Papa museum visitor ignores signs, climbs on $700,000 exhibit

A Te Papa museum visitor has been slammed after ignoring exhibit signs and climbing on a rare $700,000 exhibit on the weekend.

A Te Papa museum visitor has been slammed after ignoring warning signs and climbing on a rare $700,000 exhibit on the weekend.

On Saturday exhibit-goer Leon Watson was taking a look around the Britten V1000 motorbike exhibition when he overheard a woman say she was going to climb on the bike.

With a helping hand of another bystander, the woman is seen climbing over the warning barrier and pushing herself onto the exhibit, which is more than 2m high.

The woman then posed for a photo before climbing down.

Watson told Stuff the woman's behaviour was stupid and disrespectful.

"It was very disrespectful. She could have potentially damaged it through her stupidity," he said.

When questioned about her action, Watson said the woman claimed to be a close friend of the late John Britten, the New Zealand mechanical engineer who designed a world-record-setting motorcycle.

Te Papa's Britten V1000 motorbike is one of only 10 in the world.

A Te Papa spokesperson described the woman's actions as "dangerous", revealing the exhibit was insured for $700,000.

The bike was checked over and there was no visible damage.

The motorbike is the brainchild of John Britten (1950-1995), a New Zealander who had a dream to make the fastest four-stroke motorbike in the world. Britten began designing and building it in his garage-workshop.

It went on to become the only motorbike designed and built in New Zealand to have won both the National Championships and the New Zealand Grand Prix. It also holds four official world speed records, all gained in 1993.