While his father’s passion may be polo ponies, the young Prince William plans to take on a different kind of horsepower – motorbikes. Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the heir to the throne passed his full motorbike test earlier this year and is revving up to ride bikes capable of up to 100mph. The Palace insists however that he would be as safe as anyone else who had just passed their test.
“Prince William will only be able to ride a bike with limited power,” a spokesman said. “He has done the training and is competent.” William, who will be 20 in June, practised for the test on his red Kawasaki 125cc bike on the Prince of Wales’ Highgrove Estate in Gloucestershire and passed the test at the first attempt earlier this year. He is now able to ride any type of bike, but they have to be restricted to 33 brake horse power – roughly half the power of normal bikes – until his 21st birthday.
The Prince is said to have been bike mad for some time. When, in 1999, Prince Charles bought him a VW Golf for his 17th birthday, the gift was seen as a compromise. But William has now handed over the keys of the car to his younger brother Prince Harry, who has just passed his driver’s test. William’s choice of vehicle could prove to be a problem for bodyguards expected to keep up with him.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Prince William is reported to be bike mad and, now that he has passed his bike-test, he has handed over the keys of his VW Golf - a 17th birthday present from his father - to his younger brother, Prince Harry
Photo: © Alphapress.com
The heir to the throne will now be able to ride such bikes as the Suzuki SV650, priced at £4,799, which even with restriction can achieve 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and go at speeds of up to 100 mph
