Dunedin police have slammed the ''beyond idiotic'' actions of a motorcyclist caught riding at nearly 200km/h at the weekend.

Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen, of Dunedin, said the rider of the Aprilia motorcycle was caught travelling at 199km/h on State Highway 1 near Waihola on Saturday by a police speed camera van.

"That's beyond idiotic,'' Dinnissen said.

"I'd hate to have a guess at what your reaction time would have to be.''

Because the rider was travelling at more than 50kmh over the speed limit, they could face a licence suspension and charges of careless, dangerous or reckless driving.

Police inquiries were ongoing to locate the registered owner of the high performance Italian motorcycle and determine who was driving.