Harry on a Harley... look away, Charles: Prince dons a red bandana and aviator shades, then hits Arizona highway on a £11,000 classic bike



They are pictures certain to gladden the hearts of Prince Harry’s female fans.

Looking tanned, fit and macho, the Prince jumped on a classic Harley-Davidson motorbike on Friday and roared off across the Arizona desert.

One person unlikely to be impressed by his exploits, however, is his father Prince Charles, who doesn’t share his sons’ passion for motorbikes. Harry owns a Ducati 848 and a classic Triumph, and Prince William a Ducati 1198. But Charles admitted last year: ‘I hate motorbikes. My sons are interested in them. I can’t even get my balance on them.’

King of the road: Prince Harry sets off on his trip across the desert

Our photos of Harry show the 27-year-old thrill-seeker looking every inch the Easy Rider as he hit the road on the £11,000 bike capable of 110mph.

But unlike the 1969 counter-culture movie – starring Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper as freewheeling hippies riding customised Harleys on a lone odyssey across the US – Harry was accompanied by a security entourage as he embarked on his weekend road trip.

Cool cruiser: When not flying Apache helicopters for the army, Prince Harry pursues his love of speed on another mean machine

Getting down to the nuts and bolts: Harry checks out his bike before taking to the road

An eyewitness said: ‘Harry was grinning from ear to ear and he jumped on the bike like a natural. He didn’t look the least bit nervous when he roared off but he had quite an entourage with him. They kept their distance as it was clear he was just enjoying the freedom of being on the open road.’

Iconic: Dennis Hopper in a scene from the film Easy Rider

The Prince was enjoying a day off from an eight-week helicopter course at Gila Bend Air Force base in Imperial Valley, Arizona, where he is undergoing advanced training as an Apache pilot.

He left the base at midday on Friday in a silver Dodge SUV accompanied by a Suburban 4x4. A witness said: ‘Harry was in the Dodge with a driver. The backup car had his bodyguards in it – two big male bodyguards and a tiny girl who looked out of place but who was packing a gun.

‘They drove across the desert, 95 miles, from Gila Bend to Scottsdale, which is where the Harley-Davidson dealership is.

‘As they arrived at the Harley shop, a dark-grey metallic SUV turned up which had two more burly guys in it. One of the guys was clearly an experienced motorbike rider as he got on a Harley next to Harry and took off with him.’

Harry’s bike was a black Harley-Davidson Softail Classic which the garage, Hacienda Harley-Davidson, hires out for $150 (£95) a day.

Freedom of the open road: Harry rented the £11,000 bike from a rental shop in Scotsdale

Freewheeling: Harry and a minder chat as they cruise through traffic on the desert road

Knotting a red and white bandana around his neck, Harry grabbed a maroon and black lumberjack-style shirt and aviator sunglasses from the boot of his car and posed for a picture (taken by one of this bodyguards) next to his Harley. He then roared off accompanied by a guide from the Harley-Davidson dealership and a bodyguard. Tailing the riders were two cars containing his bodyguards.

The eyewitness said: ‘Harry looked like he definitely knew his way around a motorbike.

‘It was Friday rush-hour traffic. He was on the freeway for a while before they hit the open road. He was weaving in and out of commuter traffic. He didn’t even have proper leathers on or gloves. He rode like a pro.’

Last night, a staff member at the Harley-Davidson dealership said: ‘We are not allowed to say anything about Prince Harry being here. We’ve been sworn to secrecy. But he’s seriously cool.’

The trip comes at the end of his stint in the US. He caused headlines at the beginning by enjoying a night of fun with tattooed cocktail waitress Jessica Donaldson. And things continued in a similar way after his Harley trip, with Harry partying at a Las Vegas nightclub with a mystery blonde.

The Prince and three friends were at the Tryst club in the Wynn Casino at 1.30am yesterday, drinking Grey Goose vodka and dancing.

A reveller said: ‘Harry looked very close to one girl who looked to be in her early 20s. He was dancing with her and they had their arms around each other. They were hugging and at one point he had his hands around her waist as they danced. They all left together at about 3am, Harry still looking very close to the girl.’