Done this road a couple of years ago on a S1000R in the pouring rain, a lot of the road was like riding through a river, correct gear changes and clutch control and its not that bad at all.
@@Lochwood92Just my opinion but this certainly is not a route for a novice rider . I have watched quite a few videos of going over there as I am quite local and have been over many times . I have said it before and will repeat that again here , you must be competent at general bike control and be confident in your ability as well as being used to how your bike performs and how to get the best from it . Anything less and you are looking for trouble on these routes .
I've done the route over the years on Tuonos and Milles - moved onto a GS now and as you say, correct gears, a bit of engine braking and grit look-outs and it's real fun. I have been over a few times in a car as well which is not so much fun especially with the queues.
Back in the early 80's I used to drive this road quite often in my 1.2l Vauxhall Viva with unassisted 4 wheel drum brakes - by the time I got to the bottom there were no brakes and only gears left to slow down.. Great fun.
I did this when at university in the 80's. In a Hillman Minx 1725cc reg EJT72D (can't remember a car number plate since then - it was my first car). No other vehicles around. The drum brakes were smoking and frankly I was a bit scared not having much experience of driving. A real memory.
In 1968 I rode Wrynose and Hardknott passes on a BSA DBD34 Gold Star with an RRT2 box and a 23 tooth engine sprocket. Slipping the clutch in bottom gear to 20mph. At the summit the chaincase was belching smoke. I always had a spare clutch on the shelf at home ready to do an exchange when I got home!
I had rode the Hard Knott pass a couple of years ago on a suzuki gsxs1000f, I had no problems at all taking the challenge on. Just got to concentrate & keep control of engine revs & be in the correct gear🤔😏🇬🇧🇬🇧
A great collection of fails at the start. Beautiful day when you did it. We've been stranded there a couple of hours when the air ambulance landed on the road. Unfortunately a Triumph Tiger had gone over the edge mid way up! Think it's a road to enjoy the scenery and to tick off the list of roads ridden. (It's also worth stopping off at the Roman Fort there)
Thanks buddy.. That sounds traumatic with the triumph. Jeez. Yeh it is a stunning pass and I just ran out of time to stop at the Fort but I will be back with others. ,👍
Did this last Sunday - with a group. Was not expecting it to be the most terrifying ride ever! I was on a K3 GSXR600 - not ideal! We did south-north, but then a van was stuck on the hairpin going down the other side so we had to turn back just as the heavens opened and made visibility almost zero. I was so glad to get back to base and dry off in the Three Shires Inn. You made it look easy. Loved the music and suspense at the start, made all my stress seem worth it - and the guys falling off - well made me feel mighty proud of myself. Cheers :)
The trick to anything like this is not changing gear in or near the turn, select it early, keep momentum and keep your eyes going up the road and not looking at the apex!
School boy errors with all these crashes/drops. Many of these bends are 1st gear turns. You have rev range. Use it! Everyone potters around ticking over and as soon as the gradient changes it catches people out 👍🏻
And then you get geriatric car drivers coming downhill who wont pull over to one side to let you get past, not ideal when you have short legs and are on an adverse camber. I ended up on my arse with my bike practically upside down and the f***ing old barsteward didn't even stop.
Anybody who cannot ride that road should not be riding a bike, i have done it 3 times , first time on a 30 year old Honda cx500 then a renault clio and a peugeot 2008
Last year I did the Chimney Bank (North Yorkshire Moors) and Hardknott pass in the same day. Both are clammed to be the steepest roads in England. Chimney bank is about 33% gradient. I will be doing both again this year with a wild camp at the end.
@@Lochwood92 I live not far from Chimney Bank done it lots of times, it's not really worth it to be honest. There's a camp site nearby (Rosedale) that's a decent little site if you ever need to camp over that way. p.s. Done Hardknott quite a few times never thought it was that difficult to be honest but the views were good. Best one was when we were going over to Piel Island to camp and there was about 30 bikes riding through the Lakes towards the island and watching 30 odd bikes all go over Hardknott was quite good.
I did it way back when on a 125cc and didn't think it was a tricky road. Only thing that made it difficult was the two way traffic and at 5:22 the SUV in front of me decided to stop to get out and take pictures, I only used the front brake and ended up skidding down to the dry wall.
Great video, some really beautiful footage. Rode the pass just last week east - west on my Bonneville T120 (with my pal on his 1969 Daytona!) - as others have said, it’s no sweat if you concentrate and control your gears properly. That said, it was dry and sunny for us - not sure I’d want to try it in heavy rain let alone snow or ice !!
I rode the passes 2 months ago on my DR 650 that I shipped over from Australia, also later done Applecross, and to be honest they were not that difficult they were fun, would have been even more fun if they were dirt like some of the roads here in OZ.
I did it twice last week, when visiting the lake district with six motorcycles. I rode my 2016 Triumph Tiger Sport 1050. The first time, visibility was so bad due to the clouds and dense mist. I could hardly see 3 metres in front of me and my glasses (that I need) were useless, so I had to remove them. It made it a lot more challenging. The second time, we did it in the opposite direction and the weather was superb and clear. That was much easier and I could actually see what we had done the first time. It is epic
I did Hardknott about 1960 Dad was driving. There was a little queue at the bottom and we took our turn to do the hairpins so watched wheel spin and rubber smoking on the corners. Our Austin A40 sports went up no problem even if it was just 1200cc. I have looked for for more challenging tarmac strips all my life. I found one in Wales. Not quite as dramatic nor as many hairpins but it was so tight and steep i had to stop and reverse to get round!!!!? Yes i did it a couple of times up and down to prove the bend was too sharp for the lock of my front wheels. No i am not telling where i found this road.
I did it yesterday. East-west, turned round and came back over. Coming back was trickier. Someone dropped a newish Africa Twin in front of me. He just stalled mid corner. I did it slowly in 1st gear. The pictures don't do it justice. It's spectacular!
Oooooh, I am jealous! I live in a country which is as flat as how we pronounce English words, yep, that's The Netherlands :) But absolutely beautiful! I wish it was a bit closer to my home :)
Great video, commentary and scary music! Reminded me of when I was bonkers enough to ride the Hardknott on my Ducati Sports Tourer (ST2). No way was I going to go back the other way!
I remember driving this in the sixties in a Triumph Roadster car with a three speed box and don’t recall people having difficulties with it. There was a Quarry at the top I recall that was no longer used and a good place to pull over and see the view. I think the quarry produced a famous green granite. Lovely country and had several holidays there.
Hi all. Did this last weekend. It is definitely challenging, especially as my first jaunt out after passing my DAS a couple of weeks before. A lot of firsts for me, first on motorway from London. First on all the passes in Cumbria. Did the knot both ways,and the videos don't do it justice. I dropped the bike on the third try as was in second. Definitely going to do this again
Great stuff. I was impressed how well the AT pulled in 2nd. The secret is to get in a low gear early and keep rolling. A lot of people don't use first gear enough in my opinion. Also a clean run through without cars makes a huge difference. Also you need to be able to get your feet down flat easily if you are forced to stop on a tight turn due to traffic. For comprensive steep bend experience go on a tour with Canary Motorcycle Tours in Gran Canaria. You get to follow and learn from really experienced tour leaders who gradually increase the difficulty over a week. They also tailor the routes to rider's ability. A fantastic holiday, well worth the investment and you don't risk your own bike. 👍
Cudos to you! I found this challenging enough in my little Renault 11 Hatchback back in 1986. Mostly stayed in second and first gear, will always remember the smell of burning clutch oil😬
Wow 😮we have this pass on our list to ride in June. Fingers crossed that we will make it without putting the bikes down. You really had a epic beautiful view riding back that pass. 👍🏻🙋♂️🙋♀️🏍️🏍️
I rode this on my tuono v4 with the wife and kids following me in the BMW 5 series, she shit out on the decent and I had to drive the car down in my leathers and walk back up to the top to get my bike-in August! Sweaty walk that was!!
That’s one good thing about a DCT gearbox, never in the wrong gear and impossible to stall, you can still fall off though of course. Now sold my Honda 750DCT and got a Tracer 7 GT, it has gears so will probably stall it and fall off going up there!😂
Did this yesterday on a indian super cheif I borrowed off a friend . I found it easy but I also ride trials and endure ....but I did drop the bike wile trying to put it on the stand ,these road bikes are heavy .....beautiful route its a must for any road rider
Did both this on a pushbike and a VW camper. The former took about six months of practice! I managed the double of Wrynose pass too in the same ride. Pre EV of course.
More terrifying than the passes is the level of incompetence of some of the riders that bin their bikes. Yes, I have done it, both ways, and it was fun.
Superb video! You’ve really captured the trepidation experienced when riding the pass. When we did it a few years back my mate came a cropper in front of me due to the adverse camber on the way up (couldn’t get his foot down) the hairpins coming down weren’t to bad. Came across your channel from Peaky Bikers Live last night. Looking forward to catching up with all of your videos 👍🏻
Hey mate.. Nightmare, I cant imagine someone falling in front of me.. it can be quite deceiving the accent and catch people out. Thanks for the sub and hope you enjoy the channel. Sub'd you back and checking out your stuff. Thanks again 👍
@@Lochwood92 yeah bit of a nightmare when he went down as I didn’t really have anywhere to pull over and help him up. I was on my Honda CB1000. We laughed about it afterwards. 😁 thanks for subscribing and really keen to see where you go with the new channel idea 👍🏻
I wish i had some more photos from the early 80s when my dad would meet the MZ riders club at the top of Hardnot for New years camp. High winds snow ice .
Did the passes on a 650 triumph before the internet or home computers existed. Two up, can’t remember which direction we went, three triumphs together, no one fell off, we just rode it. No drama. If you spend your entire riding time on fast roads and never really venture onto shitty single track roads you’ll find it trickier
You have nothing to fear but fear itself. Franklin D Roosevelt....some of the problem here is media types hyping this up for their own gain i.e. monetary or UA-cam clicks etc. A lot of bikers then approach it with trepidation, expecting to fall. The Pass will eat you if you approach with the wrong attitude. Some level of skill and efficiency is needed, granted, but it is easier without the instilled fear.
Went over it in 1957 in a Hillman Minx 4 up. No problem whatsoever. In 1967 went over on my BSA Gold Flash single seater sidecar outfit, slight issue with loose gravel otherwise no problem. The bike riders need to use their gearboxes. 🙈 The Romans had a fort at the summit, they managed it with their chariots, presumably 😂
Those bikes getting stuck and getting dropped were really all down to rider error, I've done this pass multiple times along with Wrynrose which is another that's known to be a challenge. Correct gear and revs and it's no problem at all. A mate did it on his GSX-R1000 as well, again, correct gear where needed, correct revs, no problem.
I live 15 minutes away from here, regularly ride and drive it. Its amazing how many incompetent people get stuck in cars and vans on this road. I've had to leave my car several times to get other people to the top.
I take my hat off to you showing your mishaps along the way been up and down the hard knot and wry nose many a time on different bikes mainly super moto’s much fun to be had with the correct equipment ,we used to trail our bikes up to the area and camp along the kirkstone pass ride down the Struggle to Ambleside for fuel then kind of wing it from there .most days we would ride up to 100 miles or until we got monkey butt just riding all the passes out to Whitehaven and far down as Barrow riding through the sheep shit on some of the passes ,back to the campsite early evening for some good food and a belly full of beer at the local pub ,👍
I've lost count of how many times I've done this road. I've certainly done it in every car I've ever owned and most of the bikes I've owned and despite that, it's still a challenging road. The conditions can vary that much every time you go over that you've always got to pay attention. I think my most challenging was in a 1.0 Hyundai i10 with a full boot and rear seat and a loaded roof box. Still made it though 😀
I do this road a few times a year when I'm up in the Lakes. I can't see what the problem people have with it. It isn't scary or bad in the slightest. I've done it an CB250's, Africa Twins, Varaderos, FJRs, GS Adventures without any issue what so ever. I've done it in all weathers, Ice two up, rain and lovely sunshine. I just can't see why people have any fear whatsoever about this stretch of road.
I've done the Hardknott (and Wrynose) both ways on my old CBR1100XX, it's not that bad to ride. You definitely had the right sunlighting for the view on the way back over!
I did it in a Peugeot 3008 coming from Boot and filmed it also (I actually walked from Boot up to Hardknott Fort the day before and got some great views in both directions), and it is technically a challenging road. But like most things, if you take it steady then you shouldn't have any problems, unless you meet an oncoming vehicle in a narrow spot, so you need to be on your toes looking out (where possible) and spot those vehicles and give them chance to pass safely. Good ride though, looks like you enjoyed it :D
It’s a road that people get ether over confident about or are scared off which leads to silly mistakes manly being tense 😬. I’m very fortunate to live on the outskirts of the park and need to do more rides into it. This year’s plan is to hit it more and go up the north west Scotland more. The key to mountain Rideing and even driving is take it steady plan ahead and stay in a gear set and rev range that won’t stall or have to change if challenged, and try to not be tense and be chill 😎. And importantly enjoy but stay focused.
Did it two up on a 27 year old BMW K75 in one of the 2024 January storms: didn't put a foot down, but not saying it's easy. look ahead and choose your gear wisely and critically important is keep that power on in the bends.
I drove through hard knott pass by accident, my sat nav took me through it to get to a campsite. I'd never heard of it before 😂 so you could imagine my delight when driving through it not knowing what I was going to face lol. I made it tho. In a suzuki vitara lol
Only tricky if you meet someone coming the other way on the twists or have to stop, otherwise 1st or 2nd gear, and look ahead. Do not coast the downward sections, keep it in gear. It is not easier in either direction as both sides have an off-camber hairpin.
I don't live far away from most of these passes and have done HardKnott and Chimney Bank as well as Long road and the other passes up to Tan Hill on my Tiger but its been much more fun on my Himalayan its the ultimate mountain goat ,Recently toured the Mull of Kintyre and the pass up to the Mull of Kintyre light house and as passes go that was one of the best Scotland has to offer a lot more than Applecross
A bit shocked to be honest. My friend and I did it in a hire car a couple of years ago she was driving and we had no issues or drama at all? Am I missing something?
Not far from me and I ride it and Wrynose at least once a year for the practice. Over the last few years ridden on a BMW R1200RS, KTM 1290SAS and KTM 890 Duke R. The worst problems are potholes and other road users swinging wide in the bends coming towards you as you're heading uphill.
I am a little puzzled by the trouble folk are having. The first time I ever did it I got there later than expected and it was dark and raining. And it was "interesting" I suspect that a lot of the problems in the first section is folks who haven't grown up in hilly terrain and don't realise that in a steep uphill you _have_ to use the rear brake to hold the bike from rolling back, as there is no weight on the front. I won't argue that it isn't scary though. The third time I did it my pillion was terrified. I thought she was going to snap my pelvis she was squeezing so hard. To be fair we had only met that day, as she was an American visitor who had brought her kit, but no bike. And was wearing leather chaps. And I wasn't hanging about on the old FJ1100.
There are several roads like Hardnott in the lakes. Try the 'Struggle' at the top of Kikstone Pass, turn off near enough opposite the Kirkstone Pass Inn
No idea who these people are riding these bikes but they really need to consider if they should be riding bikes at all as most of the reasons for failure seem to be wrong gear, inability to feather clutch/throttle control or target fixation.. I am no bike trainer but a day session with a good trainer would resolve most of these issues
All of the falls they was clearly in a higher gear then was necessary. This road in simple 1st and 2nd gear only. Its not a hard road to ride. Go at the right time and its fine
Those steep uphill bends - accelerate into them and a quick drop to first just before - with some carefull clutch control? Theres a similar smaller scale bend up by the Sugarloaf (Abergavenny). Managed it in 2nd (on a 125) but knew I should've dropped to first earlier.
If you think it’s tough on a motorbike you should try cycling it 😅 I’ve done it a few times - easiest bike was a Royal Enfield Himalayan- just enough power to chug up in first
🤷♂️ your on a motorcycle .. so just select the correct gear & roll on the throttle 👍 now if you were cycling I’d agree it is a challenge! Having been there & cycled it🚴.. much like “Bealach Na ba” tough but achievable…. these days however there are so many so called influencers with GoPro cameras strapped to their helmets desperate to get the footage they believe will propel themselves on to internet stardom! they loose sight of the basic principles of riding if of course they were ever there in the first place 😉
Done both ways on triumph trophy 1200. Enjoyed it. Stay in first use throttle to control. Issue comes when traffic about. Off up again soon two up this time,fingers crossed.🤔
@@williambentley774@williambentley774 absolutely. Thinking about it though I think first gear for the hard parts all the way on east side but to save on fuel when leaving house to get there I may use the other gears 😉
Done this road a couple of years ago on a S1000R in the pouring rain, a lot of the road was like riding through a river, correct gear changes and clutch control and its not that bad at all.
Correct gear change is key and yeh it wasn't that bad. Quite antimidating for the novice rider. Thanks for watching 👍
@@Lochwood92Just my opinion but this certainly is not a route for a novice rider . I have watched quite a few videos of going over there as I am quite local and have been over many times . I have said it before and will repeat that again here , you must be competent at general bike control and be confident in your ability as well as being used to how your bike performs and how to get the best from it . Anything less and you are looking for trouble on these routes .
@@Lochwood92Just finished watching your video , you looked fine and well capable unlike some of the videos you showed at the start . Well done .
I've done the route over the years on Tuonos and Milles - moved onto a GS now and as you say, correct gears, a bit of engine braking and grit look-outs and it's real fun. I have been over a few times in a car as well which is not so much fun especially with the queues.
A big 👍for doing it both ways and then it doesn't matter what anyone says about the harder direction.
Back in the early 80's I used to drive this road quite often in my 1.2l Vauxhall Viva with unassisted 4 wheel drum brakes - by the time I got to the bottom there were no brakes and only gears left to slow down.. Great fun.
I did this when at university in the 80's. In a Hillman Minx 1725cc reg EJT72D (can't remember a car number plate since then - it was my first car). No other vehicles around. The drum brakes were smoking and frankly I was a bit scared not having much experience of driving. A real memory.
I have seen people on goldwings and harleys over there. Nothing scary if you can ride. Ive done it on zz1400 few times. Keep your speed and ride.
Yes agreed, I found it was fine but some people are either in wrong gear or let it go to their head.
In 1968 I rode Wrynose and Hardknott passes on a BSA DBD34 Gold Star with an RRT2 box and a 23 tooth engine sprocket. Slipping the clutch in bottom gear to 20mph. At the summit the chaincase was belching smoke. I always had a spare clutch on the shelf at home ready to do an exchange when I got home!
I had rode the Hard Knott pass a couple of years ago on a suzuki gsxs1000f, I had no problems at all taking the challenge on. Just got to concentrate & keep control of engine revs & be in the correct gear🤔😏🇬🇧🇬🇧
I done Hardknott Pass in May 2022 on a Kawasaki Versys 650cc GT with my Daughter on the back. We rode in the direction of your second run. 🏍👍
Cheers bud 👍
What a beautiful morning, best time of day to do it, almost no traffic. Well done.
A great collection of fails at the start. Beautiful day when you did it. We've been stranded there a couple of hours when the air ambulance landed on the road. Unfortunately a Triumph Tiger had gone over the edge mid way up!
Think it's a road to enjoy the scenery and to tick off the list of roads ridden.
(It's also worth stopping off at the Roman Fort there)
Thanks buddy.. That sounds traumatic with the triumph. Jeez. Yeh it is a stunning pass and I just ran out of time to stop at the Fort but I will be back with others. ,👍
Did this last Sunday - with a group. Was not expecting it to be the most terrifying ride ever! I was on a K3 GSXR600 - not ideal! We did south-north, but then a van was stuck on the hairpin going down the other side so we had to turn back just as the heavens opened and made visibility almost zero. I was so glad to get back to base and dry off in the Three Shires Inn. You made it look easy. Loved the music and suspense at the start, made all my stress seem worth it - and the guys falling off - well made me feel mighty proud of myself. Cheers :)
To be fair, you made this look easier than the article I just read about it described. Well done. 👍🏼
Easier than I thought. So glad I did it. Thanks 👍
The trick to anything like this is not changing gear in or near the turn, select it early, keep momentum and keep your eyes going up the road and not looking at the apex!
School boy errors with all these crashes/drops. Many of these bends are 1st gear turns. You have rev range. Use it! Everyone potters around ticking over and as soon as the gradient changes it catches people out 👍🏻
And then you get geriatric car drivers coming downhill who wont pull over to one side to let you get past, not ideal when you have short legs and are on an adverse camber. I ended up on my arse with my bike practically upside down and the f***ing old barsteward didn't even stop.
Anybody who cannot ride that road should not be riding a bike, i have done it 3 times , first time on a 30 year old Honda cx500 then a renault clio and a peugeot 2008
Last year I did the Chimney Bank (North Yorkshire Moors) and Hardknott pass in the same day. Both are clammed to be the steepest roads in England. Chimney bank is about 33% gradient. I will be doing both again this year with a wild camp at the end.
Need to try this Chimney Bank you speak of.. 🤔 Great fun running these passes. Thanks for watching and commenting, buddy. 👍
@@Lochwood92 it's very short, 500yards at most, just make it part of a day trip to the North York Moors area
@@Lochwood92 I live not far from Chimney Bank done it lots of times, it's not really worth it to be honest. There's a camp site nearby (Rosedale) that's a decent little site if you ever need to camp over that way.
p.s. Done Hardknott quite a few times never thought it was that difficult to be honest but the views were good. Best one was when we were going over to Piel Island to camp and there was about 30 bikes riding through the Lakes towards the island and watching 30 odd bikes all go over Hardknott was quite good.
I did it way back when on a 125cc and didn't think it was a tricky road. Only thing that made it difficult was the two way traffic and at 5:22 the SUV in front of me decided to stop to get out and take pictures, I only used the front brake and ended up skidding down to the dry wall.
Great video, some really beautiful footage. Rode the pass just last week east - west on my Bonneville T120 (with my pal on his 1969 Daytona!) - as others have said, it’s no sweat if you concentrate and control your gears properly. That said, it was dry and sunny for us - not sure I’d want to try it in heavy rain let alone snow or ice !!
I rode the passes 2 months ago on my DR 650 that I shipped over from Australia, also later done Applecross, and to be honest they were not that difficult they were fun, would have been even more fun if they were dirt like some of the roads here in OZ.
I did it twice last week, when visiting the lake district with six motorcycles. I rode my 2016 Triumph Tiger Sport 1050. The first time, visibility was so bad due to the clouds and dense mist. I could hardly see 3 metres in front of me and my glasses (that I need) were useless, so I had to remove them. It made it a lot more challenging. The second time, we did it in the opposite direction and the weather was superb and clear. That was much easier and I could actually see what we had done the first time. It is epic
Yes it is an epic road and experience.
I did Hardknott about 1960 Dad was driving. There was a little queue at the bottom and we took our turn to do the hairpins so watched wheel spin and rubber smoking on the corners. Our Austin A40 sports went up no problem even if it was just 1200cc. I have looked for for more challenging tarmac strips all my life. I found one in Wales. Not quite as dramatic nor as many hairpins but it was so tight and steep i had to stop and reverse to get round!!!!? Yes i did it a couple of times up and down to prove the bend was too sharp for the lock of my front wheels. No i am not telling where i found this road.
Congratulations mate! You rode a motorcycle, on a road, up a hill. 👏
I did it yesterday. East-west, turned round and came back over. Coming back was trickier. Someone dropped a newish Africa Twin in front of me. He just stalled mid corner. I did it slowly in 1st gear. The pictures don't do it justice. It's spectacular!
Oooooh, I am jealous! I live in a country which is as flat as how we pronounce English words, yep, that's The Netherlands :)
But absolutely beautiful! I wish it was a bit closer to my home :)
You have a beautiful country and lots of windmills plus you got Amsterdam 😀
Pah! Typical day out for me in Wales, that. It's what people are used to. It's a *lot* different to usual riding, that much I'll grant you.
Great video, commentary and scary music! Reminded me of when I was bonkers enough to ride the Hardknott on my Ducati Sports Tourer (ST2). No way was I going to go back the other way!
I remember driving this in the sixties in a Triumph Roadster car with a three speed box and don’t recall people having difficulties with it. There was a Quarry at the top I recall that was no longer used and a good place to pull over and see the view. I think the quarry produced a famous green granite. Lovely country and had several holidays there.
Brilliant video.....Thanks 👍
Remember driving this with L plates on in the family ford consul estate. Loved it
Great video. Your intro and music choice built the suspense nicely! I need to ride that pass sometime. Ride safe.
Thanks buddy.. Music definitely adds to the drama.
I also went up it on a space hopper in my pyjamas with my imaginary pet pig called Benny Garcia , I was only 7 it was great.🐖🐖🐖
😂😂😂
Hi all.
Did this last weekend. It is definitely challenging, especially as my first jaunt out after passing my DAS a couple of weeks before. A lot of firsts for me, first on motorway from London. First on all the passes in Cumbria.
Did the knot both ways,and the videos don't do it justice. I dropped the bike on the third try as was in second. Definitely going to do this again
Nice one buddy.
Great stuff. I was impressed how well the AT pulled in 2nd. The secret is to get in a low gear early and keep rolling. A lot of people don't use first gear enough in my opinion. Also a clean run through without cars makes a huge difference.
Also you need to be able to get your feet down flat easily if you are forced to stop on a tight turn due to traffic.
For comprensive steep bend experience go on a tour with Canary Motorcycle Tours in Gran Canaria. You get to follow and learn from really experienced tour leaders who gradually increase the difficulty over a week. They also tailor the routes to rider's ability. A fantastic holiday, well worth the investment and you don't risk your own bike.
👍
Did this last week in a bmw 440i, was an absolute treat! Automatic transmission was great and had no issues, great fun drive!
Good on ya bud
Having done that myself and recognising it - you were very confident on the toughest steep part with the left then right hairpins!! Nice riding!
Yes I think if some road resurfacing was done more often than every 50 years wouldn't go a miss
Cudos to you! I found this challenging enough in my little Renault 11 Hatchback back in 1986. Mostly stayed in second and first gear, will always remember the smell of burning clutch oil😬
Wow 😮we have this pass on our list to ride in June. Fingers crossed that we will make it without putting the bikes down.
You really had a epic beautiful view riding back that pass. 👍🏻🙋♂️🙋♀️🏍️🏍️
Thanks buddy. Safe riding 🏍
I rode this on my tuono v4 with the wife and kids following me in the BMW 5 series, she shit out on the decent and I had to drive the car down in my leathers and walk back up to the top to get my bike-in August! Sweaty walk that was!!
Rode it a few times in 1996 on my Suzuki GN250 - can't remember having any difficulty. I do remember it being a lovely bit of road.
Well done mate... Great vid! Did this myself last summer in the wet on a new Harley Davidson that I only had for 4 months.. :)
That’s one good thing about a DCT gearbox, never in the wrong gear and impossible to stall, you can still fall off though of course. Now sold my Honda 750DCT and got a Tracer 7 GT, it has gears so will probably stall it and fall off going up there!😂
Did it Yesterday in my automatic Ford Transit custom hightop campervan, wasn't easy, have to keep speed up, and don't stop.
Did it recently on my ST1300 Pan European. Got over the pass no problem only to drop my bike as I pulled up on an adverse camber on the other side 😂😂
Jesus H what a ride, best video yet
Don't think the gtr would have coped with that
Roll on wildbad 23
Yeh one for the bucket list 👍
This was great to watch having ridden it June 2023 and could not really appreciate the views!
Did this yesterday on a indian super cheif I borrowed off a friend . I found it easy but I also ride trials and endure ....but I did drop the bike wile trying to put it on the stand ,these road bikes are heavy .....beautiful route its a must for any road rider
Please may I suggest stabilisers!
Did both this on a pushbike and a VW camper. The former took about six months of practice! I managed the double of Wrynose pass too in the same ride. Pre EV of course.
More terrifying than the passes is the level of incompetence of some of the riders that bin their bikes. Yes, I have done it, both ways, and it was fun.
Superb video! You’ve really captured the trepidation experienced when riding the pass. When we did it a few years back my mate came a cropper in front of me due to the adverse camber on the way up (couldn’t get his foot down) the hairpins coming down weren’t to bad. Came across your channel from Peaky Bikers Live last night. Looking forward to catching up with all of your videos 👍🏻
Hey mate.. Nightmare, I cant imagine someone falling in front of me.. it can be quite deceiving the accent and catch people out. Thanks for the sub and hope you enjoy the channel. Sub'd you back and checking out your stuff. Thanks again 👍
@@Lochwood92 yeah bit of a nightmare when he went down as I didn’t really have anywhere to pull over and help him up. I was on my Honda CB1000. We laughed about it afterwards. 😁 thanks for subscribing and really keen to see where you go with the new channel idea 👍🏻
I wish i had some more photos from the early 80s when my dad would meet the MZ riders club at the top of Hardnot for New years camp. High winds snow ice .
Did the passes on a 650 triumph before the internet or home computers existed. Two up, can’t remember which direction we went, three triumphs together, no one fell off, we just rode it. No drama.
If you spend your entire riding time on fast roads and never really venture onto shitty single track roads you’ll find it trickier
You have nothing to fear but fear itself. Franklin D Roosevelt....some of the problem here is media types hyping this up for their own gain i.e. monetary or UA-cam clicks etc. A lot of bikers then approach it with trepidation, expecting to fall. The Pass will eat you if you approach with the wrong attitude. Some level of skill and efficiency is needed, granted, but it is easier without the instilled fear.
Did this a few years back on my CRF250l in the rain it was great
Went over it in 1957 in a Hillman Minx 4 up. No problem whatsoever.
In 1967 went over on my BSA Gold Flash single seater sidecar outfit, slight issue with loose gravel otherwise no problem.
The bike riders need to use their gearboxes. 🙈
The Romans had a fort at the summit, they managed it with their chariots, presumably 😂
Well, you made that look easy 👍👍
Wonderful drive! Went over in my citroen relay camper - interesting!
I bet 😂
The Applecross pass in Scotland isnt as challenging but the views are much better.....
Amazing scenery. The first pass you do in this video is Wrynose. The second (starting at about 8:45) is Hardknott Pass.
No it's Hardknott twice. East to West then turns round and goes East to West. Never gets as far East to go over Wrynose.
Those bikes getting stuck and getting dropped were really all down to rider error, I've done this pass multiple times along with Wrynrose which is another that's known to be a challenge.
Correct gear and revs and it's no problem at all.
A mate did it on his GSX-R1000 as well, again, correct gear where needed, correct revs, no problem.
I live 15 minutes away from here, regularly ride and drive it. Its amazing how many incompetent people get stuck in cars and vans on this road. I've had to leave my car several times to get other people to the top.
I can believe it. Some numpties in your area 😂
I take my hat off to you showing your mishaps along the way been up and down the hard knot and wry nose many a time on different bikes mainly super moto’s much fun to be had with the correct equipment ,we used to trail our bikes up to the area and camp along the kirkstone pass ride down the Struggle to Ambleside for fuel then kind of wing it from there .most days we would ride up to 100 miles or until we got monkey butt just riding all the passes out to Whitehaven and far down as Barrow riding through the sheep shit on some of the passes ,back to the campsite early evening for some good food and a belly full of beer at the local pub ,👍
I drove the road in a Nissan at night , foggy night with sheep , goats and ewoks on the road , easy peasy🚘
I've lost count of how many times I've done this road. I've certainly done it in every car I've ever owned and most of the bikes I've owned and despite that, it's still a challenging road. The conditions can vary that much every time you go over that you've always got to pay attention. I think my most challenging was in a 1.0 Hyundai i10 with a full boot and rear seat and a loaded roof box. Still made it though 😀
I do this road a few times a year when I'm up in the Lakes. I can't see what the problem people have with it. It isn't scary or bad in the slightest. I've done it an CB250's, Africa Twins, Varaderos, FJRs, GS Adventures without any issue what so ever. I've done it in all weathers, Ice two up, rain and lovely sunshine. I just can't see why people have any fear whatsoever about this stretch of road.
I've done the Hardknott (and Wrynose) both ways on my old CBR1100XX, it's not that bad to ride. You definitely had the right sunlighting for the view on the way back over!
Yeh the sunlight was spot on that day.. Just blew me away
2 weeks to go and im cycling that!!
@@spikeon2wheels586 rather you than me! I'll stick with motorised bicycles.
@@LordBilious that’s just the start of the ride too - riding to Whitby!!
I did it in a Peugeot 3008 coming from Boot and filmed it also (I actually walked from Boot up to Hardknott Fort the day before and got some great views in both directions), and it is technically a challenging road. But like most things, if you take it steady then you shouldn't have any problems, unless you meet an oncoming vehicle in a narrow spot, so you need to be on your toes looking out (where possible) and spot those vehicles and give them chance to pass safely.
Good ride though, looks like you enjoyed it :D
Terrifying? No. Spectacular, Yes!
It’s a road that people get ether over confident about or are scared off which leads to silly mistakes manly being tense 😬. I’m very fortunate to live on the outskirts of the park and need to do more rides into it. This year’s plan is to hit it more and go up the north west Scotland more. The key to mountain Rideing and even driving is take it steady plan ahead and stay in a gear set and rev range that won’t stall or have to change if challenged, and try to not be tense and be chill 😎. And importantly enjoy but stay focused.
Done it a few times bandit 1200 , tiger 800 and z1000 great fun 🤩
Whats all this adventuring on an adventure bike? - looked like a great ride and not stuck behind one campervan 😆
Yeh I am loving it but I need a naked in my life when I'm not adventuring.. 🤣
LOVE THE START OF THE VIDEO THE SUSPENSE
Haha yeh I wasn't sure how I was gonna bring this one together but it seems to have worked. Cheers mate 👍
@@Lochwood92 worked out great mukka honestly well done credit where. Refit is due great video
Did it two up on a 27 year old BMW K75 in one of the 2024 January storms: didn't put a foot down, but not saying it's easy.
look ahead and choose your gear wisely and critically important is keep that power on in the bends.
I drove through hard knott pass by accident, my sat nav took me through it to get to a campsite. I'd never heard of it before 😂 so you could imagine my delight when driving through it not knowing what I was going to face lol. I made it tho. In a suzuki vitara lol
Excellent video
I use chimney bank often,and have done hardknott and wrynose,if you're a confident rider there's nothing to worry about,much more of a pain in a car.
Only tricky if you meet someone coming the other way on the twists or have to stop, otherwise 1st or 2nd gear, and look ahead. Do not coast the downward sections, keep it in gear. It is not easier in either direction as both sides have an off-camber hairpin.
Better views fae the BEALACH NA BAH IN APPLECROSS 😅
Done this on on Yamaha XT500 and BMW 1000RS two up… no problem at all..
As easy a shelling peas 🫛 😋
Not that bad really..😁
I don't live far away from most of these passes and have done HardKnott and Chimney Bank as well as Long road and the other passes up to Tan Hill on my Tiger but its been much more fun on my Himalayan its the ultimate mountain goat ,Recently toured the Mull of Kintyre and the pass up to the Mull of Kintyre light house and as passes go that was one of the best Scotland has to offer a lot more than Applecross
A bit shocked to be honest. My friend and I did it in a hire car a couple of years ago she was driving and we had no issues or drama at all? Am I missing something?
It would be a Scot to get to the otherside of hardknott pass and then have a go the other way too 🤣🤣 good on ya
Had to be done
I drove up this road in a 520D a few years ago by mistake and it was the first time ever I was worried
Not far from me and I ride it and Wrynose at least once a year for the practice. Over the last few years ridden on a BMW R1200RS, KTM 1290SAS and KTM 890 Duke R. The worst problems are potholes and other road users swinging wide in the bends coming towards you as you're heading uphill.
I am a little puzzled by the trouble folk are having. The first time I ever did it I got there later than expected and it was dark and raining. And it was "interesting"
I suspect that a lot of the problems in the first section is folks who haven't grown up in hilly terrain and don't realise that in a steep uphill you _have_ to use the rear brake to hold the bike from rolling back, as there is no weight on the front.
I won't argue that it isn't scary though. The third time I did it my pillion was terrified. I thought she was going to snap my pelvis she was squeezing so hard. To be fair we had only met that day, as she was an American visitor who had brought her kit, but no bike. And was wearing leather chaps. And I wasn't hanging about on the old FJ1100.
There are several roads like Hardnott in the lakes. Try the 'Struggle' at the top of Kikstone Pass, turn off near enough opposite the Kirkstone Pass Inn
Going back this year.. I will have a look buddy thanks 👍
Dawdle, wouldn't like to meet a car where there are massive potholes tho. Lovely views
I vlogged my ride yes it's steep in places. It's bumpy and a challenge but much shorter than I envisaged. I was riding my 1999 Vfr800fi.
Did it in a Range Rover earlier this year in snowy conditions for the first time. Would like to take my ZX7R along there in better conditions!!👍🏻
No idea who these people are riding these bikes but they really need to consider if they should be riding bikes at all as most of the reasons for failure seem to be wrong gear, inability to feather clutch/throttle control or target fixation.. I am no bike trainer but a day session with a good trainer would resolve most of these issues
Well said 👍
Awesome ride mate, and visually stunning. Brilliant opening too 👌🏼
Gonna have to drag my ass up there some time 👍🏼
Thanks buddy.. Yes you will need to do it. Definitely one for the bucket list. 👍
@@Lochwood92 It’s on the list, but the list is long 🤷🏻♂️👍🏼
Most fun I had on that road was in an MG TF 160, wife screamed most of the way.
😂😂😂
All of the falls they was clearly in a higher gear then was necessary. This road in simple 1st and 2nd gear only. Its not a hard road to ride. Go at the right time and its fine
Regarding your mention of the Roman Fort, the parking bay, with a plaque, and path leading to the Fort are on your right at 13:50 on your video.
Those steep uphill bends - accelerate into them and a quick drop to first just before - with some carefull clutch control? Theres a similar smaller scale bend up by the Sugarloaf (Abergavenny). Managed it in 2nd (on a 125) but knew I should've dropped to first earlier.
If you think it’s tough on a motorbike you should try cycling it 😅
I’ve done it a few times - easiest bike was a Royal Enfield Himalayan- just enough power to chug up in first
It's a tough one, I've done it a few times both on a GSXR and a GS 😁much easier on the GS. Great video you got my sub 👍
🤷♂️ your on a motorcycle .. so just select the correct gear & roll on the throttle 👍 now if you were cycling I’d agree it is a challenge! Having been there & cycled it🚴.. much like “Bealach Na ba” tough but achievable…. these days however there are so many so called influencers with GoPro cameras strapped to their helmets desperate to get the footage they believe will propel themselves on to internet stardom! they loose sight of the basic principles of riding if of course they were ever there in the first place 😉
Done both ways on triumph trophy 1200. Enjoyed it. Stay in first use throttle to control. Issue comes when traffic about. Off up again soon two up this time,fingers crossed.🤔
That’s exactly how I did it in 1976 on my Puch moped. 1st gear all the way, no problems.
@@williambentley774@williambentley774 absolutely. Thinking about it though I think first gear for the hard parts all the way on east side but to save on fuel when leaving house to get there I may use the other gears 😉
I didn't even know they named a road after me! I'm a hard Knott 😏
Took my family over in a powerful automatic 4WD Audi, I love bikes but not for this road! Especially when wet/slippy.