A second motorcycle was seen in the area where a motorcyclist was killed early Thursday morning, Toronto police say.

A 28-year-old man died after being thrown from his silver-coloured bike and into a light pole on Rosedale Valley Road. His passenger, a 20-year-old woman, was also thrown from the motorbike and was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Police now say a second motorcycle returned to the scene of the collision and left shortly after. They added that witnesses told them that speed was a factor in the crash.

Police said the man who was killed only had an M1 motorcycle licence, which means he was only certified to ride during daytime hours. M1 licence holders are also not permitted to carry passengers.

Const. Clint Stibbe, with Toronto police's traffic services unit, said police have investigated many motorcycle crashes on Rosedale Valley Road, a winding strip of roadway that runs between Yonge Street and Bayview Avenue.

"We've had a number of motorcycle collisions ... where the riders have suffered serious injuries," Stibbe said.

This is the second motorcycle death on Toronto roads this year, Stibbe said.