Tech Special: Hunting for the perfect twin-cylinder engine
The Missenden Flyer on why Princes Wills and Harry’s ongoing affair with biking is good news for everyone who loves life on two wheels
Now I’m not in any shape or form a royalist but, in recent years as Queen Liz and Phil the Greek have got older, I’ve developed much more respect for them and in the main I’m starting to think they may even be good eggs. Next Saturday, as you may have heard, young Prince Harry (the less horsey looking one with a penchant for dressing up inappropriately) is due to get shacked-up with an easy-on-theeye American lass. Well done to him I say. Now I have no idea what makes for an attractive looking bloke, but I suspect the jaunty young ginge is punching well above his weight with Ms Markle. Good on you, lad. It seems this latest generation of royals are much more acceptable to us mere oiks; they’ve kind of reinvented themselves for the modern age, and I for one am sucked in. I really couldn’t be less interested in a Royal Wedding, but I am interested by the fact that the two most popular royals, Harry and baby-factory Wills, are both addicted to the thrill of bikes. I love the fact Prince Charles doesn’t approve of them riding but they still do it. It’s as close to defying the King as they’re likely to get any time soon. And just imagine how good for biking it could be when one of them does get the big job. Drag strip on The Mall? Race circuit at Sandringham? Motorcycling by royal appointment?
It also makes me wonder what it must be like for two fellas so permanently in the limelight and public glare to slip on their lids and be completely anonymous amongst London traffic. I like to think that they rip around the West End on sportsbikes, filtering like lunatics, making grid-locked drivers green with envy at the progress they’re making. In reality, I suspect they must ride with an entourage of protection people – and assuming these are police officers, the temptation to wind open the throttle must be hugely reined in (see what I did there?). Or maybe it’s the ultimate getout-of-jail-free card. So, hats off to William and Harry for choosing one of the best stress relievers there is. Their participation can only be a good thing for the perception of motorcycling, and of course it stops them riding horses (which are dangerous). Despite my lack of an invite to this weekend’s jollities, let’s hope I get to meet Harry one day, preferably with Megan riding pillion, at the Ace Café. But I won’t hold my breath.