I doff my cap to you Carol. It's certainly a challenge, especially if that water run off on them bends is slippy. Fantastic dronage, and you know I like my dronage 👌👌
@@tojj29 She's blushing now 😄 The thought of it was worse than actually doing it. Carol is also the drone flyer (although she has crashed two previously 🤔)
@stevietrucker4631 Hi, it's Richard. She says thank you, and it was a relief to have done it incident free. Krypton Factor, that's a blast from the past 😀
great that Carol overcame the fear as it's a beautiful place for sure and as you said not that difficult as long as you don't stop in the middle of the corner. Cheers guys
The road surface has been bad for years and getting worse, I know many riders that would avoid doing the pass until one day they tried it then wondered what all the fuss was about 🤔. the dropping incidents I know of have been a couple guys and gals on heavy tourers carrying pillons coming up the opposite direction which I think is slightly more technical? And the video I watched of the guy on the1200 Tiger in Winter on the icey steep section it really was just a matter of time till he went down 😮... Carol's joy after the ride was brilliant....
Carol was super happy to have done it and found it wasn't that difficult after all. There's so many videos on this pass. The sensational and drop videos get the views. I do wonder if some folks will do virtually anything to get a viral video, including riding high passes when it's icy.
@crumblymal8479 Yes, she did well. I knew she was a good enough rider, but it just comes down to feeling confident enough to do it. It was a fun weekend (filmed at the same time as our Whitby coast to coast)
Congregations Carol for conquering the mighty Hardknot 😀! I did it yesterday 30th August, as well as Wrynose both ways, on a Enfield meteor 350, it was a doddle 👍😊. By the way, I honestly recon that if you can ride them both safely, you can do any tarmac road in Europe😊.
@keitht3055 Well, congratulations to you as well. We keep exploring Europe and love to ride. Carol has clocked nearly 40,000 miles on her current bike and probably did about 30K on her previous bike, so hopefully, she's getting the hang of this motorcycling thing now. Thanks for watching 👍
What a great little video, the transformation in Carol from her nervous start to being happy and confident after the descent was priceless. Lovely drone footage at the top and great photos of the views along the route. I had a test ride today on a BMW R1250R, what a marvellous machine, it would be a great contender as a replacement for the MT10 🤔😮 In my case it's the ZZR and the Thunderbird Sport which will be leaving the stable. I'm going for partial retirement and need to cut my cloth accordingly.
@michaellilley6725 Thanks. Carol was apprehensive. There's definitely a reason it's took 12 years to try it. I had no hand in persuading her to do it for UA-cam. She wanted to conquer her fear of it. In actual fact, it's not difficult unless you encounter traffic on a steep turn. Partial retirement. I'm sort of already doing that. I'm taking most of the winter off. Carol needs to keep working a little longer as she's 6 years younger. It's one of the reasons I went back to just one bike. That boxer BMW unit is a great engine but I'm hanging onto the MT10 a while longer yet. At least until I get reliability issues
@@Banditmanuk I went for a last ride on the ZZR tonight with my son as pillion, I thought I might start having regrets but as much as I love the power it's a big brute. With myself and my son both weighing 100kg each I nearly dropped it at slow speed, stopping and starting. I was really struggling to get my feet up onto the pegs, needed to tuck my knees behind my ears 😲😂
Was lovely meeting you both ,what a coincidence bumping into you 3 days later! 😂 It’s hard to capture just how steep some of those bends are in photos so loved watching the route back. Definitely want to try it again but we said next time we’ll make sure we have a base where we can leave our panniers and backpacks 😂😅
@n8watt We didn't envy you both riding with the big rucksacks. What a coincidence meeting you randomly in two different parts of the country. When your mate told me at Glossop that you were heading for the lakes, I said "might see you there" but we're heading to Whitby first. It was good to meet you. Cheers and best wishes
@@Banditmanuk you now completed the steepest fell rd in UK, done it many times try it in snow and heavy rain gets the blood pressure really high great vid👍👍👍🍻
Well done Carol. Bless ya. It is bit daunting at first but you soon get used to it. What makes it harder is the road suface as Richard quite rightly says. I've only ridden it your way once but not in reverse order yet. Thought I was going to burn my clutch out. Will have to do it to tick that one off too. TILL YOUR NEXT ONE. Thanks. 👍👍👍
@iancharlesworth3654 She says thank you. Yes the clutch takes a little stick on this road. Especially as both of our bikes Have a tall 80mph first gears
@bikerbuddy3166 Chatting with Carol after the ride, I think we've negotiated worse roads abroad. I just think Hardknott has built a bit of a reputation for being difficult. She was pleased to have done it though 😀
I once went up there and as I was going over the crest close to the top which was very steep, suddenly a jet fighter emerged and I could see the pilot! It was such a scary experience that I nearly lost control and ended up going off the road! Just a tip if you ever decide try it again be mindful of low flying aircraft. 🙂 👍✈
Well done Carol thats now been crossed off your bucket list. I love the lakes always used to go up for a week twice a year. Done the Hardknott and Wrynose passes a couple of times on a Honda Blackbird with luggage and a pillion just to make it interesting. Once a few sheep were crossing they didnt look left and right just crossed so I had to stop on a steep bend. Great place to practice hill starts. Thanks for sharing enjoyed the content and brought back some happy memories.
@youngeroldie5089 Two up on a Blackbird with luggage is impressive Richard. There's definitely nicer, more enjoyable passes in the Lakes. My personal favourite is Honister Pass with the slate mine cafe at the top. Arr, yes, sheep are the unpredictable element. Always best to think they will step out! Thanks for watching, hope you're well?
@flatcapcaferacer Thank you. I must admit to preferring wider faster roads, but this is sort of a challenge to be ticked off. We're glad we did it, but we're in no rush to repeat. If you get some stickers, count us in for a couple 👍👍
it is a challengebut thats it,,i did it 2 years ago on a honda vision 110 scooter easy no gears no weight just common sence,pius the sheep.love to do it again.
@the_mad_leprechaun You would be fine with your experience. The road isn't that difficult, but people/vehicles coming the other way can cause problems.
I did it east to west on my NC750S and didn't think it was particularly hard, atleast compared to what I had expected, which is not to say it is an easy road to ride. Perhaps that is the biggest take away, we project our fears on things which may not be as bad or a hard as we think they might be, probably not helped by others telling us it is so difficult. Perhaps in days gone by, with machines less capable, it was hard. Interesting contrast between the attitude of you seeing a vehicle ahead and waiting towards the start of the video, and the rather impatient cars squeezing past towards the end.
@slorida It's mostly just difficult if you meet another vehicle coming the other way at a steep corner. It's caught many people out over the years. I've witnessed an air ambulance land on the road to collect a stricken biker some years back. I think you're correct, fearing something that's not actually that difficult. Car drivers!! The ones with the bigger capacity engines and small IQ. There's definitely some thoughtful ones, but most don't realise we don't have a reverse gear 🤔
Now that's a coincidence. I owned a JPS 3.0L Capri back in 82/83. Kept two bags of sand in the boot for better rear wheel traction! Never did Hardknott in it! I witnessed a rear wheel drive BMW NOT make it and reverse down 😆😆 His tyres were spinning on the corner.
Weird, Microsoft Edge won't let me comment, but Google Chrome does. Well done Carol, I've heard how narrow and tight it is. Looked stunning views though... not sure I'd want to do that in winter 😀
@HippoDrones That's odd. I always tick the box 'allow all comments' in UA-cam Studio. We're also Google on everything. Agreed, stunning views. The road isn't really a great riding road, more of a challenge.
@fdn0067 No, we did a much scarier steeper road in Madeira. If you've watched the Madeira vids, you've seen it! You just needed to keep rolling. I think the number of people riding/driving Hardknott at busy times causes its own problems. Appreciate your kind words, and thanks for watching
@alanduncan3337 I think it's a road to tick off the list to say you've done it. It's undeniably beautiful there, but there are plenty of opportunities for other vehicles to affect you safely riding it on the steep, narrow sections.
Well done, Carol 😁👌 I ticked it off the list a couple of years ago. I had an unexpected pillion when I did it but she was a champion pillion 🏆🏆🏆😂 Is it always grey up there?
@NooBiker Arr, so you moved up to level 2 in difficulty with an unexpected pillion 😄 Yes, much like Scottish weather, it can do anything up there but rarely full sun.
@exeterrider The camera flattens everything lol. Hardknott has gained a degree of notoriety, but it's only really an issue when you meet inconsiderate traffic coming the other way on a steep bend. Carol says she's done it so she doesn't have to do it again. 😄
@RRRRefuelRideRace I would say from the sign where we started to the top would take 15 mins perhaps 20 depending how much you wait for traffic to pass the other way. Yep, 1st gear stuff. It was nice for Carol to have made it over for the first time.
@thematlockbiker That sounds brilliant. I hope you've included Honister Pass. Beautiful and stunning with a great cafe/slate mine at the top. Hardknott is too narrow, pot holed to be really enjoyed but certainly has great views. It's also the most direct route central Lakes to the west coast.
@@Banditmanuk the six I’ve ear marked are Whinlatter, Newlands, Honister, Kirkstone, Wrynose and Hardknott in that order. We’re camped at the end of Hardknott in Eskdale so will leave panniers and top boxes there
The road surface is bad as the vans and SUV's ignore the warnings and cause even more damage by damaging the road edges. If your vehicle is damaged on the pass the council will not pay out as they have warned users about the surface and they will not carry out repairs until next spring unless the surface gets really bad ie. massive hole across the whole of the road surface. I did the road from the Eskdale side in June and found it was no trouble at all, then again I was using my light Super Cub 125 with no extra gear apart from waterproofs, having such a flickable light bike made all the difference, no way would I try it on my Rebel 1100 or the other passes I did that day.
A little Super Cub would be ideal. I don't think any motorcycles contribute to the road damage, but powerful cars like the one that passed us near the end certainly could. The problem with Carol's bike and my own MT10 are the engines are based on the Daytona and R1 race bikes. The first gear is tall on both bikes (up to 70 or 80 mph) They are simply not that great at slow hairpins where you have to slip the clutch Thanks for watching
Hi Richard & Carol , what a superb video and drone footage. So here's the question ....... I always had the NC500 over 5 days on my bucket list but don't have a big bike , just a Yamaha XSR 125 Legacy with 1500 mies on the clock . Do you think doing the NC500 on it is feasible , say 100 miles a day . Be interested in your views if you could reply . Thanks.
@paulcollings5424 Hi Paul. It's absolutely feasible. We've ridden lots of Scotland but never the actual NC500. The reason is, those actual roads have become very busy and the accommodation along them have started changing ridiculous rates. If you do want to do the actual route, remember to factor in getting to the start of the route and getting home at the end. The latest Scottish vids on this channel, we based ourselves in Killin and did different spectacular rides each day. Not making long riding days allows you to stop more, to enjoy the views, take pictures. It also gives flexibility if it rains. You should definitely do what you really want to do. The Yamaha is a fine bike and will look after you. We wish you the very best of luck.
@@Banditmanuk Thanks for the heads up Richard , I'd heard the route had become rather busy . I like your idea of having a central base and then riding out each day on different runs , certainly is a beautiful area . Thanks again and keep up your great videos. Paul.
@paulcollings5424 Here is a link (if UA-cam allow it) of our 2021 Scotland trip using the base in Killin. Some amazing roads without the pressure and on bike luggage needed to move on every day. I would suggest you may enjoy this more than the actual NC500 but understand you wanting the big trip. ua-cam.com/play/PLXeEfAoWoKdaczPr68mdzOYKF22mKysit.html&si=4gpqss0i1yL8m7qJ
@@Banditmanuk Yes , link worked ok , thanks Richard . I'll enjoy watching those ! Let you know if I do it but will be next year now. All the best to Carol too.
its not bad at all, keep the gears low, the revs high and look as far as you can ahead for oncoming vehicles, only time ive crashed on it is when i did it in december and slid on the ice, i want to do it at night but wierdly non of my mates are as keen
I think I would be with your mates on not wanting to do that road in the dark. Or in December, now you mention it. Agreed, you do need to look ahead for oncoming traffic and plan your passing places. Thanks for watching
@seanbennett1137 A Sat Nav will almost certainly direct you around this route as it's unsuitable for larger vehicles, caravans or HGVs. Its also closed during winter months when snow or ice is around. If you simply type Roman Fort Hardknott pass into Google maps, it will take you down Hardknott pass from whichever direction you approach. The pass is also the most direct road from the Central Lakes to the Cumbria Coast
I doff my cap to you Carol. It's certainly a challenge, especially if that water run off on them bends is slippy.
Fantastic dronage, and you know I like my dronage 👌👌
@@tojj29 She's blushing now 😄 The thought of it was worse than actually doing it. Carol is also the drone flyer (although she has crashed two previously 🤔)
Brilliant stuff Carol! Really well done - great riding! 😀👍👏
@midlifemotorcyclediaries I think she was happy to have done it but is now in no rush to repeat it.
Well done Carol 👏 that was like the Krypton factor of roads 😂
@stevietrucker4631 Hi, it's Richard. She says thank you, and it was a relief to have done it incident free.
Krypton Factor, that's a blast from the past 😀
great that Carol overcame the fear as it's a beautiful place for sure and as you said not that difficult as long as you don't stop in the middle of the corner. Cheers guys
@@UncleLongbeard yep,not meeting anything coming the other way on a steep corner is key.
Carol was certainly happy but not rushing for a second go 😀
The road surface has been bad for years and getting worse, I know many riders that would avoid doing the pass until one day they tried it then wondered what all the fuss was about 🤔. the dropping incidents I know of have been a couple guys and gals on heavy tourers carrying pillons coming up the opposite direction which I think is slightly more technical? And the video I watched of the guy on the1200 Tiger in Winter on the icey steep section it really was just a matter of time till he went down 😮... Carol's joy after the ride was brilliant....
Carol was super happy to have done it and found it wasn't that difficult after all.
There's so many videos on this pass. The sensational and drop videos get the views. I do wonder if some folks will do virtually anything to get a viral video, including riding high passes when it's icy.
Wow! The drone views! Thank you for sharing those!!
Congrats Carol, you made it look easy! I did it 25 yrs ago two up on a Kawasaki ZZR1100, I still have nightmares! 🤣 great video 👍
@Hinckley_Biker Cheers. She couldn't stop smiling when she'd done it. Personally I (Richard) wouldn't want to do it 2 up on a ZZR1100
Nice and of course Carol ya breezed it well done guys some lovely views around there especially those drone shots great fun cheers 👌👍
@crumblymal8479 Yes, she did well. I knew she was a good enough rider, but it just comes down to feeling confident enough to do it. It was a fun weekend (filmed at the same time as our Whitby coast to coast)
I'd rather go up than come down! Carol, you are VERY brave...awesome riding!!
@@PurpleOnThree I think she was relieved to have done it.
Congregations Carol for conquering the mighty Hardknot 😀! I did it yesterday 30th August, as well as Wrynose both ways, on a Enfield meteor 350, it was a doddle 👍😊. By the way, I honestly recon that if you can ride them both safely, you can do any tarmac road in Europe😊.
@keitht3055 Well, congratulations to you as well. We keep exploring Europe and love to ride. Carol has clocked nearly 40,000 miles on her current bike and probably did about 30K on her previous bike, so hopefully, she's getting the hang of this motorcycling thing now. Thanks for watching 👍
What a beautiful road, rough but beautiful!!
What a great little video, the transformation in Carol from her nervous start to being happy and confident after the descent was priceless. Lovely drone footage at the top and great photos of the views along the route. I had a test ride today on a BMW R1250R, what a marvellous machine, it would be a great contender as a replacement for the MT10 🤔😮 In my case it's the ZZR and the Thunderbird Sport which will be leaving the stable. I'm going for partial retirement and need to cut my cloth accordingly.
@michaellilley6725 Thanks. Carol was apprehensive. There's definitely a reason it's took 12 years to try it. I had no hand in persuading her to do it for UA-cam. She wanted to conquer her fear of it.
In actual fact, it's not difficult unless you encounter traffic on a steep turn.
Partial retirement. I'm sort of already doing that. I'm taking most of the winter off. Carol needs to keep working a little longer as she's 6 years younger. It's one of the reasons I went back to just one bike.
That boxer BMW unit is a great engine but I'm hanging onto the MT10 a while longer yet. At least until I get reliability issues
@@Banditmanuk I went for a last ride on the ZZR tonight with my son as pillion, I thought I might start having regrets but as much as I love the power it's a big brute. With myself and my son both weighing 100kg each I nearly dropped it at slow speed, stopping and starting. I was really struggling to get my feet up onto the pegs, needed to tuck my knees behind my ears 😲😂
@michaellilley6725 If it's time for it go, it has to be done unfortunately 😕
Was lovely meeting you both ,what a coincidence bumping into you 3 days later! 😂 It’s hard to capture just how steep some of those bends are in photos so loved watching the route back. Definitely want to try it again but we said next time we’ll make sure we have a base where we can leave our panniers and backpacks 😂😅
@n8watt We didn't envy you both riding with the big rucksacks. What a coincidence meeting you randomly in two different parts of the country. When your mate told me at Glossop that you were heading for the lakes, I said "might see you there" but we're heading to Whitby first.
It was good to meet you. Cheers and best wishes
She said it was fun! Love it!!
sensable wait for the cars to pass👍👍👍great road
Yep, you definitely don't want to have to stop on one of those steep off camber corners
@@Banditmanuk you now completed the steepest fell rd in UK, done it many times try it in snow and heavy rain gets the blood pressure really high great vid👍👍👍🍻
Well done Carol, the only tricky corner is the uphill right handed just after you stopped for the campervan.
@LordBilious She says thank you. I don't think any of it troubled her to be honest. The thought of doing it was worse than actually doing it.
Well done Carol. Bless ya. It is bit daunting at first but you soon get used to it. What makes it harder is the road suface as Richard quite rightly says. I've only ridden it your way once but not in reverse order yet. Thought I was going to burn my clutch out. Will have to do it to tick that one off too. TILL YOUR NEXT ONE. Thanks. 👍👍👍
@iancharlesworth3654 She says thank you. Yes the clutch takes a little stick on this road. Especially as both of our bikes
Have a tall 80mph first gears
Well done carol 😎👌 some of the best roads are the hardest ones 👌❤️
@bikerbuddy3166 Chatting with Carol after the ride, I think we've negotiated worse roads abroad. I just think Hardknott has built a bit of a reputation for being difficult. She was pleased to have done it though 😀
@@Banditmanuk it’s all about the adventure and you two definitely do that 😎👌
One of my favourite roads to ride when I’m in that area Richard and Carol you done well 👍🏍️🏍️😎
@SOLOMOTOUK Thanks. I (Richard) have done the road a few times. Carol has always excused herself from riding it, but it all turned out fine.
I once went up there and as I was going over the crest close to the top which was very steep, suddenly a jet fighter emerged and I could see the pilot! It was such a scary experience that I nearly lost control and ended up going off the road! Just a tip if you ever decide try it again be mindful of low flying aircraft. 🙂 👍✈
@@mum-0217 Wow, what an experience! I've been walking in the Lakes before and seen them fly below in the valley, but never that close on a motorcycle.
Well done Carol thats now been crossed off your bucket list. I love the lakes always used to go up for a week twice a year. Done the Hardknott and Wrynose passes a couple of times on a Honda Blackbird with luggage and a pillion just to make it interesting.
Once a few sheep were crossing they didnt look left and right just crossed so I had to stop on a steep bend. Great place to practice hill starts.
Thanks for sharing enjoyed the content and brought back some happy memories.
@youngeroldie5089 Two up on a Blackbird with luggage is impressive Richard. There's definitely nicer, more enjoyable passes in the Lakes. My personal favourite is Honister Pass with the slate mine cafe at the top.
Arr, yes, sheep are the unpredictable element. Always best to think they will step out!
Thanks for watching, hope you're well?
"We might see you at the top"!!!!! Love it.
@RichardASK 😄😄 Thankfully, we all did. I really enjoyed seeing Carol's reaction to making it over. Happy, I think, sums it up.
another great ride . as you mentioned ,lovely scenery . thanks both .
@johnbellamy6449 Thanks John. One ticked off Carol's bucket list! Thanks again for watching
Well done you, get out face your fears, cheers from Canada
@GlennAdams-i7u Thanks for the kind words. Yes, she's super glad she did it.
Good for you both. Really tight steep uphill right handed turns get me a little tight. I might get some channel stickers of my own soon.
@flatcapcaferacer Thank you. I must admit to preferring wider faster roads, but this is sort of a challenge to be ticked off. We're glad we did it, but we're in no rush to repeat.
If you get some stickers, count us in for a couple 👍👍
Congratulations Carol, you 'bossed it'! Nice drone footage too.
@@paullee6663 Thanks, she did. She's also a half decent drone pilot. Thanks for watching
@@Banditmanuk I know that...I was 'talking' to Carol...😃 👍
@paullee6663 She hardly ever answers the comments 🙄
@@Banditmanuk I misunderstood. 👍 She looks super happy to have 'ticked it off the list'..👍
It was lovely running into you both. Great chatting. Some beautiful shots with the drone. What are the chances 😅
@edwilliams5417 We did say we weren't very quick at getting these vids out. Great to meet you and like you say, what are the chances 🤔
Well done to you both. I still want to ride this. Like you said Richard it’s the challenge. 😁👍
it is a challengebut thats it,,i did it 2 years ago on a honda vision 110 scooter easy no gears no weight just common sence,pius the sheep.love to do it again.
@the_mad_leprechaun You would be fine with your experience. The road isn't that difficult, but people/vehicles coming the other way can cause problems.
@richardeyers322 Yes, and watch out for sheep 🐑
I did it east to west on my NC750S and didn't think it was particularly hard, atleast compared to what I had expected, which is not to say it is an easy road to ride. Perhaps that is the biggest take away, we project our fears on things which may not be as bad or a hard as we think they might be, probably not helped by others telling us it is so difficult. Perhaps in days gone by, with machines less capable, it was hard.
Interesting contrast between the attitude of you seeing a vehicle ahead and waiting towards the start of the video, and the rather impatient cars squeezing past towards the end.
@slorida It's mostly just difficult if you meet another vehicle coming the other way at a steep corner. It's caught many people out over the years. I've witnessed an air ambulance land on the road to collect a stricken biker some years back.
I think you're correct, fearing something that's not actually that difficult.
Car drivers!! The ones with the bigger capacity engines and small IQ. There's definitely some thoughtful ones, but most don't realise we don't have a reverse gear 🤔
Good film, nice to meet you at the Vic the other night great channel.
@@chirpy999 Are you the gentleman who was on the pedal cycle and collects motor mowers? Good to meet you
@@Banditmanuk Yes, looked up the BSA sloper yet??
@@chirpy999 You've forced me to Google it now 😉
Congratulations and great video.
@theoldman9709 Thanks appreciate the kind words
Well done Carol
@mervjames6183 She says thank you and appreciates you watching
Well done Carol 🎉🏍️
@@05gt99 She says thank you. 🙏
Well done Carol, you can tick that one off now, have only done it once and that was 4 up in a Ford Capri in about 1982….we made it but only just😂
Now that's a coincidence. I owned a JPS 3.0L Capri back in 82/83. Kept two bags of sand in the boot for better rear wheel traction! Never did Hardknott in it!
I witnessed a rear wheel drive BMW NOT make it and reverse down 😆😆 His tyres were spinning on the corner.
Weird, Microsoft Edge won't let me comment, but Google Chrome does.
Well done Carol, I've heard how narrow and tight it is. Looked stunning views though... not sure I'd want to do that in winter 😀
@HippoDrones That's odd. I always tick the box 'allow all comments' in UA-cam Studio. We're also Google on everything.
Agreed, stunning views. The road isn't really a great riding road, more of a challenge.
Great stuff, agree it’s really not that bad.
@@wraggy_moto You two did well doing it. Did you film it?
@@Banditmanuk indeed we did
Is it steeper than in Madeira? You two are champs!
@fdn0067 No, we did a much scarier steeper road in Madeira. If you've watched the Madeira vids, you've seen it! You just needed to keep rolling.
I think the number of people riding/driving Hardknott at busy times causes its own problems.
Appreciate your kind words, and thanks for watching
I did it last October on a GS1250. The video doesn't show how steep or rutted it is. I don't feel too inclined to do it again. 😮
@alanduncan3337 I think it's a road to tick off the list to say you've done it. It's undeniably beautiful there, but there are plenty of opportunities for other vehicles to affect you safely riding it on the steep, narrow sections.
I have to get over there to ride one day.
Give us a shout if you're ever riding over here. We would love to show you a few of our favourite roads.
Well done, Carol 😁👌
I ticked it off the list a couple of years ago. I had an unexpected pillion when I did it but she was a champion pillion 🏆🏆🏆😂
Is it always grey up there?
@NooBiker Arr, so you moved up to level 2 in difficulty with an unexpected pillion 😄
Yes, much like Scottish weather, it can do anything up there but rarely full sun.
Done it heading west a few years back, technical but not a great road for biking…nice scenery though and better if you don’t meet a motorhome.
@IanTed Yep, think we would both completely agree with you there.👍
Bet someone has tried it in a motorhome
Well, I never wanted to say that it didn't look too bad, but yes I've been on worse roads even down here. Still, you have another tshirt to wear👍😎
@exeterrider The camera flattens everything lol. Hardknott has gained a degree of notoriety, but it's only really an issue when you meet inconsiderate traffic coming the other way on a steep bend.
Carol says she's done it so she doesn't have to do it again. 😄
The tarmac isn't great, but it is well worth reaching the top. How long you need to reach the top? The average speed is quite low. Enjoyed.
@RRRRefuelRideRace I would say from the sign where we started to the top would take 15 mins perhaps 20 depending how much you wait for traffic to pass the other way. Yep, 1st gear stuff.
It was nice for Carol to have made it over for the first time.
@@Banditmanuk Yes, very narrow road. :)
Ey up
Well I’m blowed, we’re up there riding the Passes in a couple of weeks
I’ve got a route planned that takes in 6 Passes in one day’s loop
@thematlockbiker That sounds brilliant. I hope you've included Honister Pass. Beautiful and stunning with a great cafe/slate mine at the top. Hardknott is too narrow, pot holed to be really enjoyed but certainly has great views. It's also the most direct route central Lakes to the west coast.
@@Banditmanuk the six I’ve ear marked are Whinlatter, Newlands, Honister, Kirkstone, Wrynose and Hardknott in that order. We’re camped at the end of Hardknott in Eskdale so will leave panniers and top boxes there
It seems writing about about Hartknott Pass would be Much Ado About Nothing.
@@mrcintheuk4641 😆😆Yes indeed
The road surface is bad as the vans and SUV's ignore the warnings and cause even more damage by damaging the road edges. If your vehicle is damaged on the pass the council will not pay out as they have warned users about the surface and they will not carry out repairs until next spring unless the surface gets really bad ie. massive hole across the whole of the road surface. I did the road from the Eskdale side in June and found it was no trouble at all, then again I was using my light Super Cub 125 with no extra gear apart from waterproofs, having such a flickable light bike made all the difference, no way would I try it on my Rebel 1100 or the other passes I did that day.
A little Super Cub would be ideal. I don't think any motorcycles contribute to the road damage, but powerful cars like the one that passed us near the end certainly could.
The problem with Carol's bike and my own MT10 are the engines are based on the Daytona and R1 race bikes. The first gear is tall on both bikes (up to 70 or 80 mph) They are simply not that great at slow hairpins where you have to slip the clutch
Thanks for watching
Hi Richard & Carol , what a superb video and drone footage. So here's the question ....... I always had the NC500 over 5 days on my bucket list but don't have a big bike , just a Yamaha XSR 125 Legacy with 1500 mies on the clock . Do you think doing the NC500 on it is feasible , say 100 miles a day .
Be interested in your views if you could reply . Thanks.
@paulcollings5424 Hi Paul. It's absolutely feasible. We've ridden lots of Scotland but never the actual NC500. The reason is, those actual roads have become very busy and the accommodation along them have started changing ridiculous rates.
If you do want to do the actual route, remember to factor in getting to the start of the route and getting home at the end. The latest Scottish vids on this channel, we based ourselves in Killin and did different spectacular rides each day.
Not making long riding days allows you to stop more, to enjoy the views, take pictures. It also gives flexibility if it rains.
You should definitely do what you really want to do. The Yamaha is a fine bike and will look after you. We wish you the very best of luck.
@@Banditmanuk Thanks for the heads up Richard , I'd heard the route had become rather busy . I like your idea of having a central base and then riding out each day on different runs , certainly is a beautiful area . Thanks again and keep up your great videos. Paul.
@paulcollings5424 Here is a link (if UA-cam allow it) of our 2021 Scotland trip using the base in Killin. Some amazing roads without the pressure and on bike luggage needed to move on every day.
I would suggest you may enjoy this more than the actual NC500 but understand you wanting the big trip. ua-cam.com/play/PLXeEfAoWoKdaczPr68mdzOYKF22mKysit.html&si=4gpqss0i1yL8m7qJ
@@Banditmanuk Yes , link worked ok , thanks Richard . I'll enjoy watching those ! Let you know if I do it but will be next year now. All the best to Carol too.
its not bad at all, keep the gears low, the revs high and look as far as you can ahead for oncoming vehicles, only time ive crashed on it is when i did it in december and slid on the ice, i want to do it at night but wierdly non of my mates are as keen
I think I would be with your mates on not wanting to do that road in the dark. Or in December, now you mention it.
Agreed, you do need to look ahead for oncoming traffic and plan your passing places.
Thanks for watching
Is this part of a common sat nav route or do you specifically have to go out you way to do it?
@seanbennett1137 A Sat Nav will almost certainly direct you around this route as it's unsuitable for larger vehicles, caravans or HGVs. Its also closed during winter months when snow or ice is around.
If you simply type Roman Fort Hardknott pass into Google maps, it will take you down Hardknott pass from whichever direction you approach.
The pass is also the most direct road from the Central Lakes to the Cumbria Coast
I find the other way much harder.
@alanjones8810 Think I would agree, I've done it both ways (Richard). It's best when nothing is coming the other way.
There are no dangerous roads, it’s the idiots with more ego than ability that make roads dangerous
@lanceoverton5919 It's not a dangerous road but probably shouldn't be attempted by inexperienced riders.