A metro motorcyclist has been cited for speeding and not having enough wheels on the pavement. The episode was caught on tape by an NSP cruiser camera.

On June 18, a State Patrol Officer driving an unmarked vehicle was following a motorcyclist on Interstate 480 near the Martha Street exit in Omaha.

Once the trooper was able to get close to the motorcyclist, he noticed him popping a wheelie at about 70 mph.

A trooper ahead of the motorcyclist was able to clock him with laser radar. The rider was then pulled over and cited for reckless driving and going 75 mph in a 60 mph zone.

The troopers were out that evening running a selective enforcement operation specifically targeting motorcycles.

Captain Bret Friesz says since the bikes are smaller vehicles, they can be hard to see in traffic, and pose a risk to both the cyclist and drivers around the bikes.

”The motorcycle can hide behind blind spots in vehicles, where larger vehicles don’t,” he said.

Captain Friesz says drivers need to be extra cautious and look twice before pulling out into intersections.

“We want to make the public aware that they’re back out there. They’re harder to see.”

Patrick Lewis received a traffic citation that Thursday but he says popping wheelies isn’t really his style.

“I ride with a couple of guys who do wheelies all the time and stuff like that," he said. "But I keep mine on two wheels. If I wreck it, that’s my money. I’ve got to pay for it.”

The State Patrol plans several more selective enforcement operations throughout the summer to combat accident-causing behavior during key times of the day.

In some cases, the operations are announced on the State Patrol’s Web site.