Late for work and showing no patience for traffic, a 23-year-old Bonney Lake man decided to apply plenty of zip to his high-performance motorcyclethe morning of June 27 – to the tune of 140 miles per hour.

Not such a good idea, according to authorities who caught up with him on his high-speed ride that on State Route 18 that took him through Covington and Maple Valley.

He’s facing fines of nearly $700.

A State Patrol airplane pilot spotted the motorcyclist at about 8:25 a.m. traveling eastbound on SR-18 near the Green River – and speeding far above the posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour.

“He was ripping,” said state trooper Cliff Pratt, who in his patrol car eventually tracked down the man at the SR-18 and Interstate 90 junction. “It was one of the fastest (violators) I have ever seen.”

The man, according to troopers, followed other motorists at a close distance and made unsafe lane changes to pass traffic.

While the State Patrol had him clocked at 100 miles per hour, the man admitted to traveling at higher speeds ranging from 140 to 150 miles per hour.

He was arrested for suspicion of negligent driving, which carries a maximum fine of $550.

In addition, he didn’t have a license to drive the powerful 2006 Honda 600cc bike, according to troopers. They said he likely will face a possible fine of $124 for lacking a motorcycle endorsement on his license.

“He was very apologetic, very honest about it,” Pratt said. “He knew he was caught.”