Prince of wheelies!
William relives biking youth at Triumph plant
MOTORCYCLING was always a rather dangerous hobby for a prince – and after Kate said it ‘filled her with horror’, it seemed that William’s biking days were firmly behind him.
But, as the duke’s visit to the Triumph factory showed, all it takes is a sniff of motor oil and the roar of an engine... and he’s off.
The Duke of Cambridge, who has been a keen biker since passing his test aged 19, relived his daredevil youth yesterday by taking the latest model for a spin. William, 35, donned bike leathers for a ride on the powerful 1200cc Triumph Tiger.
The duke had already got the measure of the machine when he arrived at the plant in Hinckley, Leicestershire, saying: ‘Look at this – a monster.’
And later that day, at a technology park in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, he did his best Steve McQueen pose while sitting on a classic Triumph Bobber bike – reminiscent of the TR6 the star rode in 1963 film The Great Escape.
Before he settled down with a family, the prince had a £20,000 Ducati bike, which can go from 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds.
In 2008, he took part in an arduous motorcycle rally with his brother, Prince Harry, across Africa for charity.
But while William may love the thrill of a motorbike, the Duchess of Cambridge is less keen. In 2015, she said: ‘It always fills me with horror when he goes out on it.’