I feel like this an appropriate ‘don’t try this at home’ moment, as the thought of putting my nine-year-old on a full-sized motorcycle is scary enough! Nonetheless, ex-MotoGP and WorldSBK racer Kenan Sofuoğlu has taught his son to ride a DCT Honda Gold Wing!
The video was shared by Sofuoğlu on his son's Instagram account, and it shows his three-year-old son approaching the behemoth of a bike, scampering up onto the seat – that is nearly as tall as him I might add – firing up the engine and riding off along a closed racing circuit. Before he even gets the bike switched on, you can see him stretching for all he’s worth to reach the helmet that is stashed in the top box of the bike.
Presumably, the child is already pretty handy on a bike, having previous ridden a selection of small and full-sized bikes on the track. And in fairness, he doesn’t go very quickly. Filming the action, Sofuoğlu runs alongside his son as he rides along the circuit. When it’s time to stop the ride, his dad can be seen running alongside him, giving him instructions and eventually grabbing the handlebars to bring the bike to a stop.
While plonking your child on a 1,800cc bike weighing more than 300kg is never advisable, it does go some way to proving just how easy it is to ride a Gold Wing. And while Honda will likely not appreciate seeing this video, props to them for making such an easy-to-handle bike – so much so that you don’t even need to reach the footpegs to ride it!
