A motorcyclist performed a high-speed wheelie in front of shocked police on a busy Sydney street.

After doing a wheelie on Oxford Street, Paddington, the driver's passenger - riding pillion - was caught jerking his thumb at officers.

The incident was caught on video by blogger @RidebyBen in broad daylight earlier this month. The blogger, wearing a yellow helmet with a blue visor, was riding nearby.

Assistant Police Commissioner John Hartley told media he was "shocked and disgusted" that someone would take that sort of risk on a public street.