Speeding, drunk motorcyclist died after crash on faulty bike in Upper Hutt

The crash happened outside St Patrick's College Silverstream in October 2015. Photo/Google Maps

A speeding, drunk motorcyclist who crashed outside an Upper Hutt college was unlicensed and had his front wheel on backwards, a coroner says.

Koro Robin Peachey died from multiple injuries in October, 2015, after he failed to take a sweeping right hand bend outside St Patricks College in Silverstream and hit a metal traffic signal post and lamp post before being flung into a nearby parked car.

Numerous bystanders rushed to the 37-year-old's aid as he lay on the roadway, but he died at the scene.

In findings released today, Coroner Carla na Nagara said Peachey had 136mg of alcohol in his blood at the time of his death. The limit is 50mg, and anyone over 80mg can be convicted for drink driving.

An examination of the 1200cc Triumph Trophy motorbike Peachey was riding revealed "several serious faults" that may have contributed to the crash, the coroner said.

"These included that the front wheel was fitted backwards, the speedometer did not work, the clutch lever bush was missing, the rear tyre was worn below WOF standard, the rear brakes were not operative, there was excessive play in the lower shock absorber linkage bearing, the drivetrain chain was loose, no chainguard was fitted, the rider's left footrest was incorrectly fitted, and there was a gear change lever fouling on the side stand."

The investigating officer, Sergeant Peter Sower of the Wellington Police Serious Crash Unit, found the faults might have contributed to the crash, but did not cause it.

Numerous witnesses either heard or saw Peachey travelling at well above the 50km/h limit before he crashed.

Although calculations to determine the actual speed were not done, Sower said witness accounts and the extent of damage suggested Peachey was riding at near or more than 100km/h.

"At 100km/h the lean angle of the motorcycle required to negotiate the corner is about 20 degrees," he told the coroner.

"Normally given the weather and road conditions, I would expect this to be achievable and as such I consider the speed to be a contributory factor."

He noted Peachey did not have a licence for either a car or a motorbike, and although he was wearing a helmet he was not wearing any other suitable riding gear.

He concluded Peachey's failure to maintain the correct cornering line "most likely" came down to the combined effects of his blood alcohol level and his excessive speed.

There is no indication as to Peachey's level of experience riding a bike, except that at some point in the past he held a learners motorcycle licence.

na Nagara found Peachey died from multiple injuries sustained in the crash, and the primary factors to the crash were his intoxication and speed.