Perhaps the very wet conditions made this tougher, but otherwise it's not that difficult, did it on a Lambretta GP200 in 1972 and a Suzuki GT380 in 1975.
I remember getting out of my car near the fort and some tourist saying my sandals weren't proper attire for the terrain , when I told him it was men in leather skirts and sandals that built the road 900 years ago he didn't know what to say...his wife couldn't stop laughing at him.
How wrong are you at 16:50 in video its my pall followed by the rest of us, me on bright red VFR last pall on deeper red one, its the rider not bike👍 VFR 800 is and will aways be one of the best ST you can be on, you 2 need to learn balance and how to use you brakes 😂😂 for your info we all made it. No problems
I was behind a BMW one day going over the top from east to west and when you get to the tight turn almost at the top the BMW which had been struggling stopped, the female driver got out shouting and screaming obscenities at someone still in the passenger seat, the passenger got out and a hell of an argument followed, I'm just sitting there on my bike about 100 yards behind them watching the show, the male passenger gets in the driving seat and she in the passenger seat and they drive off, I see them parked up later at Eskdale campsite with their two kids unpacking the car for a camping weekend, hope it went smoother than the trip over the pass,
Did this route 33yrs ago in the dark September 1990 on a GPZ 750 with my ex husband 😳 that's why he's my ex husband lol 😆. Great video guys thanks for sharing.
I'm not surprised he's your ex-husband, if You think that this is a "great video", your ex obviously had more brains and sense than these 2 idiots, and you?
Lol.ive riden my VFR 800 up hardnott both directions. Once fully loaded with panniers top box and tank bag. And then again this year with the Mrs on pillion with top box and tank bag...so your assessment off the vfr800 not making it up is flawed...its not the bike it's the riders.
Thanks pal at 16:50 in video its my pall followed by the rest of us, me on bright red VFR last pall on deeper red one, as you say its the rider not bike👍 you 2 need to learn balance and how to use you brakes 😂😂 for your info we all made it. No problems
Calling the van driver a cnut as you pass on the wrong side because you were too impatient to wait a few seconds. This is the sort of behaviour that makes non-bikers think all bikers are like these two fools. Not a good advertisement for biking.
Love doing this route, done it several times on various bikes in wet & dry, it's worse when there's traffic so i usually head over nice & early morning
We did all of the passes this year on a pair of 70s vespas. The 30% bit up hardnott nearly cought me out as it needed a change to first gear at the bottom of the hill. I was going too slow for 2nd gear to pull it. Loved it though ❤
Nice one... Did it last in 2022 on my brand new Harley.... Made it over and my heart was in my mouth the entire time.... Sense of achievement in doing the Pass sent adrenaline pumping through my system...then when coming down the other side, that tight double switch back..Oh gawd!!!! Would love to do all the Pass's again at some point...in the dry. :) Great vid btw... thanks for upload.
Yeah I take my vfr up there no worries. And they were going the right way for those tight bends. Haven't been there for a few years now as I'm getting older and doddery but the last time over it was a 90s cb750 that came to grief toppling over into a off camber grass verge, little damage luckily except to his pride.
I've been up there on my Fazer 600, VFR800, Speed Triple, Tiger 800 and taken a Harley Sportster up there too. Fanatic road and a real challenge. Nothing as spicy as a forward control Harley though!
Dun it loads too, You will have had to get it RIGHT with forward controls as there is no second bite at it 😁trying to think about weighting the pegs ! good effort. Poor lads did get a stream on the 2 worst corners in either direction. still no biggy like.
Used to do it a couple of times a year on the way to Wasdale with SWEASMC, loaded Ducatis, BMWs and Laverdas (camping gear). Fine but take your time and concentrate...
I should imagine they all got up and down despite a bit of surface water lads. Hardknott is an experience but not that technical. Slip the clutch and use the engine braking. Happy days.
Did it on Gixxer6. The most frightening thing was the gossamer thin tarmac with rocks sticking up through. Depends on what you meet coming the other way too.
I rode Wrynose in the opposite direction after hitting an horrendous pothole that through me into the verge and off, bending my rear brake pedal and left side mirror,luckily only a soft tissue damage to my right hand was my only injury.
Well done I did it last year ,had to stop halfway up and round one of the steepest twistys due to a cyclist and nearly dropped my gsa ,the camber of the road is another thing to be careful of ,not in any rush to repeat the experience. But one to be ticked off the list .
Went over there on a 600R in the late 80's. Ok on the way up, but going down the other side the road had been resurfaced, and was covered in loose chippings. Bit of an arse-clencher in places where there were deep patches of chippings. If I'd stopped and stood up, the bike would have lifted with me lol.
Did this in June 20 23 Had a restle4ss night thinking about what would happen if you lost it on the pass , ended up slipping on gravel at a junction outside my hotel and dropped my brand new S1000XR, not happy. Hardknot was easy with some stunning vistas
I’ve ridden my old 1100 gold wing over hard knot had to sit over the tank to get around some of the hairpin bends, to keep centre of gravity exhilarating ride
If you watched the Video Clearly, Clearly there was no left turn into the Car park at that road position it was infact a walk way into the car park , and Clearly the Driver Clearly din't know where the hell he was ! Thanks for watching no so Clearly.
@@colsmusicfirst bike past the van was going way too quick, just begging for the passenger door to open and take him out. There was room to pass on the right, and the driver was expecting that and was indicating left to show you this. Crap riding skills, only a matter of time before he learns that one the hard way.
@@colsmusicI'm with you, I noticed it was a cut through for a path. Judgy knobs in the comments. The older biking demographic means, lots of miserable gits😂
That's my target for next year the six major Lake district passes on my Super Cub 125, already done the Applecross pass/NC500 with it last year but I will not risk it on my 1100 Rebel too heavy I will test the water first on a more nimble machine, this time we will trailer it up to a Campsite with the Motorhome so the other half can enjoy the Lakes while I can go out to play. Loved the sheep cheering you on that down hill river stretch I hope the weather is OK in June when I intend to go I noticed what you meant about the bike not making it , the tyres look almost bald and the bike behind was not much better. August now and I managed the passes in a day 125 was deffo the best choice the surface was so bad on Honister ( my last ) my gps mount gave up and snapped due to all the vibrations from the roads went on to Keswick for coffee before the ride back to Ravenglass a brilliant day out riding the little bike.
Think the bloke in the VW was actually indicating left to stop so you could pass him. I wasn’t expecting you both to go down the inside then give him a round of ‘fs’ For his trouble. Crossed wires maybe? Nice video though all the same, well put together.
Ive done it tice on an old Lambretta, stopping on the way up isnt an option. I found the decent a doddle even on drum brakes, granted the road wasnt as flooded though
30 years ago, Hardknott pass in normal (foul) weather, both ways, for fun……. Long wheel base diesel Auto Mercedes G Wagon, towing a Sprite Caravan 🎉 routinely overtaken by continental drift and sheep………. even pulling over on ascents to let people pass coming down 😂 It’s on my bucket list to re attend on either my Hardly Movinson or my trusty Honda VeryDareYou 1000 ❤ What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger…….. 🙂🇬🇧
Cameras don't show how steep the Hardknott Pass is! I went the other way. I loved it but saw a motorcycle sidecar smashed up and a VW Tiguan with a blowout. The missus shut her eyes for most of it.
Drove both many times during the night on rallies back in the 60s. The organisers often split the run into one mile or one and half mile sections at a set avg of 30mph. Hairy to say the least.
The last time I rode those routes on two wheels was in the late 1970's with my wife on a Honda CB125S. The bike never missed a beat and had no trouble whatever even on the steeper parts. Two things that were different however, the weather was better being mid summer and the road surface was better. It's certainly been allowed to deteriorate. Great memories, enjoyed your video.
similarly, mid-late 70's but in stair-rod weather two-up with camping gear on a suzi t500 twin - going uphill at the hairpin @13:40, we met a caravan coming downhill with 'limited maneuverability' (out-of-control) (there was a small car on front, to be fair); we ended up backsliding down the inside of the hairpin, across the tarmac and into the (soft, forgiving and saturated) off-road terrain. 🤪At least it was the suzy lying on top of us, not a leadwing... [edit: I forgot to mention the caravan was going (coming) backwards...] grrkk, did I just write that🤔 Yep, nice vid, thanks guys.
I can see myself trying that on my little Suzuki FL125, as its very lightweight and nimble compared to my 88 ZX10. Kudos for you for giving it a go, I know plenty of barstool braggers and Matlock makebelievers that would baulk at that purely because there's a cloud in the sky. Every rides a challenge and every rides a lesson. I've had mates do it on all sorts of machinery, from old classics to new Goldwings and they all got something different out of it. I suppose you'll get a lot of comments in the " I did it on such and such a bike and had no problem" style. Every time we ride, we make our own risk assessment. I know people that commute by bike, through a city everyday but bottled out of going down Shore Hill on the Isle of Wight. As a test and development rider for the last 15 years we do sketchy stuff all the time, and it becomes almost normal to do 250-300 miles a day all year round, or ride on cobbled durability surfaces (look up the Pave at MIRA proving ground). I applaud you for giving it a go, you've inspired me to go and do it! Best wishes. Jim.
Youre grabbing the brakes too much going down. Yes its steep but inching down on the brakes is just unsettling the bike and causing you to tense up. Go slow with engine braking and feathering the brakes but keep it smooth.
Me and 10 mates did it from the other direction in 2009, I'd just bought a new Street Triple, I didn't enjoy the road at all, you're all right until going up an uphill hairpin with a 4x4 coming the other way, nowhere to put your feet down because the soft verge tapers away, it didn't help with the bike being my first non carbed bike either, fuel injection is snatchy compared to carbs, 5 came off, fortunately I wasn't one of them!
I just did this in a discovery 3😅 BMWs were burning our clutches and slipping badly. I even had to recover a driver. An amazing drive but not for the inexperienced
Should do it in a long wheelbase 2.4ltr transit van. Used to do that once a month and once in a bad Cumbrian rainstorm with flooded roads, it didnt like it the diff nearly gave out on the double hairpin going the other way, transit managed many cars didnt
@@colsmusic I have found with riding that hindsight is lovely, we all do things that had we know before hand we might have thought twice. Fortunately I did the passes in lovely sunshine and when I was much younger :)
Fair play having a go ive Google map it from mine its like 5hrs, woukd have to be a weekend away i think next spring, the views look lovely, have you rode the devils staircase in wales 👍👍
Guess what…. They all made it up because they’re competent riders…. If that scared you then I’m afraid you should maybe stick to driving a car or walking…..
Well Done...I would not want to ride that on my motorbike. I did Hard Knott Wrynose and Honister all in the same day back in 1984 pedal cycling. I was then 31 years old and had done hard riding and time trialling and I was as fit as a Butchers Dog. I have some pics of me then and the Bob Jackson touring bike that I did it on. I stayed the night at the Youth Hostel at the top of Honister. This brought back memories. I didn't walk any of it. I wouldn't be able to do it at all now.😬😬
Warning about 5 years ago i crossed the passes on my triumph 1200 explorer with the wife on the pillion. We came up from Ambleside just as we started to climb up we passed a couple of people with yellow tabards on then suddenly hundreds of cyclists coming the other way. This turned out to be a race taking in many passes in the lakes, we now couldn't turn around and had to traverse both passes with these idiots trying as hard as they could to hit us. Before you tackle these passes at the weekend try to find out if there are cyclists racing that day, best of luck.
The "worst part" is the best bit, free wheeling with your clutch in is not a good idea, you made that look really hard work, I've done it in worse weather with no problems.
I did Wrynose in a car and i can tell you that the camera softens the gradient and also the dropoffs at the side; they're worse than they look, certain death at some points. I didn't do Hard Knott and probably don't regret it if i'm honest. The low bit of Wrynose has a few big phuck off rocks poking out into the road, shouldn't be a problem but for quite a few of the locals who roar through there like they're on the RAC rally. Drystone walls are an issue- you see farmers in trucks tailgating tourists because the latter aren't high up enough to see oncoming traffic; but the trucks are, so they try to intimidate. I'm not surprised they're miserable to be honest, i would be- it might be pretty but try making a living there unless you've got a shop selling tat. I relaid the stove fire before leaving a holiday rent at Fell Foot Farm, and by the look on the woman's face you'd have thought i'd left a dead dog in the room.
So I like the video, braking on cattle grids, poor speed in corners the quoting what will and what will not make the "road river" as you call it, trust me that's not wet,.
Don’t fancy it with a pillion with my twiggy aged legs. It’s remembering the camber if you have to put a foot down or stop imo. Applies to many passes where the verges drop and yu can’t. Put foot down. Brake control under power (trail braking) godsend for hairpins
Yes, definitely as ridden, East to West. Far more challenging the other way as it's easy to get throttle and clutch slip combination wrong going uphill around those tight bends, stalling and dropping the bike on its side ... or as I once did, nearly stall, grab some throttle, shoot around the bend and nearly straight off the road and down off the side of the hill.
Nice video. Love the scenery and the biking and stuff. But for my taste, you could kill the music. Just the sound of the bike, the wind and the view would be just fine. The music is to much. Just me... sorry.
Questionable move at 1:17. Passing the VW on the inside while it's signalling left.
Saw that, couldn’t believe it.
Agreed.. Chancy
Absolutely! Dangerous and pointless.Wait till it turns....
Switched of at that point if that’s the standard not interested
Just asking for a door opening in your face, that.
😬 grabbing that front break going down that hairpin nearly going off the edge jesus where did you guys learn to ride.
Perhaps the very wet conditions made this tougher, but otherwise it's not that difficult, did it on a Lambretta GP200 in 1972 and a Suzuki GT380 in 1975.
Awwww, i've had 2 GT380s , best bikes i've ever had 🙂
I remember getting out of my car near the fort and some tourist saying my sandals weren't proper attire for the terrain , when I told him it was men in leather skirts and sandals that built the road 900 years ago he didn't know what to say...his wife couldn't stop laughing at him.
Great response.
How wrong are you at 16:50 in video its my pall followed by the rest of us, me on bright red VFR last pall on deeper red one, its the rider not bike👍 VFR 800 is and will aways be one of the best ST you can be on, you 2 need to learn balance and how to use you brakes 😂😂 for your info we all made it. No problems
🤜🏻🤛🏻was thinking how wrong he was and glad to find your comment. Ride safe
I've watched a number of vids on the lakeland passes, but yours conveys the nature of these roads better than the others.
Thanks for watching Mike
Yes, it portrays just how many unskilled moronic idiots on motorcycles cluelessly tackle roads far above their skill-sets.
I was behind a BMW one day going over the top from east to west and when you get to the tight turn almost at the top the BMW which had been struggling stopped, the female driver got out shouting and screaming obscenities at someone still in the passenger seat, the passenger got out and a hell of an argument followed, I'm just sitting there on my bike about 100 yards behind them watching the show, the male passenger gets in the driving seat and she in the passenger seat and they drive off, I see them parked up later at Eskdale campsite with their two kids unpacking the car for a camping weekend, hope it went smoother than the trip over the pass,
I’m not sure why you thought that some of those bikes wouldn’t make it up the hill, they all looked more than capable to me.
Was thinking the same as I did it in 1979 on a Moto Guzzi Le Mans mk2 and again in 1981 and 82 on a Honda Goldwing GL1100 !!
His lack of experience probably showing through if he thought those bikes wouldn’t make it. Everyone has to start somewhere.
I've done it both ways on various bikes perfectly fine. Even on a monkey bike. Any bike is capable with a competent rider.
Making a big deal of wet conditions. Lack of experience and roadcraft.
@@n0rthernl1ght18Yeah, if you find riding on the road difficult maybe consider another form of transport, could be motorcycles aren't your forte. 🙄
Did this route 33yrs ago in the dark September 1990 on a GPZ 750 with my ex husband 😳 that's why he's my ex husband lol 😆. Great video guys thanks for sharing.
I'm not surprised he's your ex-husband, if You think that this is a "great video", your ex obviously had more brains and sense than these 2 idiots, and you?
Lol.ive riden my VFR 800 up hardnott both directions. Once fully loaded with panniers top box and tank bag. And then again this year with the Mrs on pillion with top box and tank bag...so your assessment off the vfr800 not making it up is flawed...its not the bike it's the riders.
Thanks pal at 16:50 in video its my pall followed by the rest of us, me on bright red VFR last pall on deeper red one, as you say its the rider not bike👍 you 2 need to learn balance and how to use you brakes 😂😂 for your info we all made it. No problems
@@RJ-yd6yi There is no 16:50 more like 15:00
Calling the van driver a cnut as you pass on the wrong side because you were too impatient to wait a few seconds. This is the sort of behaviour that makes non-bikers think all bikers are like these two fools. Not a good advertisement for biking.
That undertake of the van when it was indicating left was deadly and stupid 😢😢
The VW was indicating left and the pair of you undertook it on the inside. Lucky you didn't cone a cropper there.
Possibly extra riding lessons are required or a smaller bike untill you are used to riding.
Love doing this route, done it several times on various bikes in wet & dry, it's worse when there's traffic so i usually head over nice & early morning
We did all of the passes this year on a pair of 70s vespas. The 30% bit up hardnott nearly cought me out as it needed a change to first gear at the bottom of the hill. I was going too slow for 2nd gear to pull it. Loved it though ❤
Nice one... Did it last in 2022 on my brand new Harley.... Made it over and my heart was in my mouth the entire time.... Sense of achievement in doing the Pass sent adrenaline pumping through my system...then when coming down the other side, that tight double switch back..Oh gawd!!!! Would love to do all the Pass's again at some point...in the dry. :) Great vid btw... thanks for upload.
Everyone has got to do it at least once ;-) I hate that last left hander (off camber) with river. Thanks for sharing.
The filming of the road was very good. Better than most I've seen from this area.
Yeah I take my vfr up there no worries. And they were going the right way for those tight bends. Haven't been there for a few years now as I'm getting older and doddery but the last time over it was a 90s cb750 that came to grief toppling over into a off camber grass verge, little damage luckily except to his pride.
Errrrr seriously. Think you should stick to motorways if that's too tricky jeez !
I've been up there on my Fazer 600, VFR800, Speed Triple, Tiger 800 and taken a Harley Sportster up there too. Fanatic road and a real challenge. Nothing as spicy as a forward control Harley though!
Dun it loads too, You will have had to get it RIGHT with forward controls as there is no second bite at it 😁trying to think about weighting the pegs ! good effort. Poor lads did get a stream on the 2 worst corners in either direction. still no biggy like.
Used to do it a couple of times a year on the way to Wasdale with SWEASMC, loaded Ducatis, BMWs and Laverdas (camping gear). Fine but take your time and concentrate...
Well done you two. Hardknot in any direction in bad weather is a hell of a challenge.
My fave road of all time.
Love that road... Well done fellas 👍🏻
Did it on my Scrambler 1200 and most recent on my Sportster 1200..... I had better luck with the weather 🌞
Great Vid..hiked that area many times..I wonder how the other guys got on..with the sports bikes going up hill on that river..?
Mr yellow backpack. Why the f overtake on a narrow hilly road ?!?
I should imagine they all got up and down despite a bit of surface water lads. Hardknott is an experience but not that technical. Slip the clutch and use the engine braking. Happy days.
You won’t have been up many roads in the Alps or Picos that are as technically challenging as the Lake District passes. A naïeve comment.
If you think that's hard don't ever go to the Alps or Picos ,what a pair !!!
Not bragging but encouraging......I've done the alps and piranees on a 1959 lambretta. You can do this terrain on anything.
Did it on Gixxer6. The most frightening thing was the gossamer thin tarmac with rocks sticking up through. Depends on what you meet coming the other way too.
Yes, doing this pass on my Gixser 6 made the Stelvio a breeze!😊
I rode Wrynose in the opposite direction after hitting an horrendous pothole that through me into the verge and off, bending my rear brake pedal and left side mirror,luckily only a soft tissue damage to my right hand was my only injury.
Well done
I did it last year ,had to stop halfway up and round one of the steepest twistys due to a cyclist and nearly dropped my gsa ,the camber of the road is another thing to be careful of ,not in any rush to repeat the experience. But one to be ticked off the list .
At 11:32 - elevation of Hard Knott (the fell overlooking the pass) is 549m but the Pass itself is actually 393m.
Went over there on a 600R in the late 80's.
Ok on the way up, but going down the other side the road had been resurfaced, and was covered in loose chippings.
Bit of an arse-clencher in places where there were deep patches of chippings. If I'd stopped and stood up, the bike would have lifted with me lol.
Did this in June 20 23 Had a restle4ss night thinking about what would happen if you lost it on the pass , ended up slipping on gravel at a junction outside my hotel and dropped my brand new S1000XR, not happy. Hardknot was easy with some stunning vistas
front wheel went because you clowns were using front break on a massive decline in the wet lmao
I’ve ridden my old 1100 gold wing over hard knot had to sit over the tank to get around some of the hairpin bends, to keep centre of gravity exhilarating ride
At the undertaking of the VW which was clearly signalling to turn left in to the car park was so stupid I stopped watching the rest of this.
If you watched the Video Clearly, Clearly there was no left turn into the Car park at that road position it was infact a walk way into the car park , and Clearly the Driver Clearly din't know where the hell he was ! Thanks for watching no so Clearly.
@@colsmusicfirst bike past the van was going way too quick, just begging for the passenger door to open and take him out. There was room to pass on the right, and the driver was expecting that and was indicating left to show you this. Crap riding skills, only a matter of time before he learns that one the hard way.
@@colsmusicI'm with you, I noticed it was a cut through for a path. Judgy knobs in the comments.
The older biking demographic means, lots of miserable gits😂
That's because you are a judgemental bstrd,you won't be missed 😂😂
@@colinb9183 I’m actually a inglorious bstrd and used to eat my enemies livers for energy.😀😀😆😆🤣
Looks great fun must try these passes 😊
That's my target for next year the six major Lake district passes on my Super Cub 125, already done the Applecross pass/NC500 with it last year but I will not risk it on my 1100 Rebel too heavy I will test the water first on a more nimble machine, this time we will trailer it up to a Campsite with the Motorhome so the other half can enjoy the Lakes while I can go out to play. Loved the sheep cheering you on that down hill river stretch I hope the weather is OK in June when I intend to go I noticed what you meant about the bike not making it , the tyres look almost bald and the bike behind was not much better. August now and I managed the passes in a day 125 was deffo the best choice the surface was so bad on Honister ( my last ) my gps mount gave up and snapped due to all the vibrations from the roads went on to Keswick for coffee before the ride back to Ravenglass a brilliant day out riding the little bike.
Myself & a mate did it a few years back in an old beat up Vauxhall Chevette! I honestly thought we were going to die!! 😂😂👍🏼
Think the bloke in the VW was actually indicating left to stop so you could pass him. I wasn’t expecting you both to go down the inside then give him a round of ‘fs’ For his trouble. Crossed wires maybe? Nice video though all the same, well put together.
Ive done it tice on an old Lambretta, stopping on the way up isnt an option. I found the decent a doddle even on drum brakes, granted the road wasnt as flooded though
30 years ago, Hardknott pass in normal (foul) weather, both ways, for fun……. Long wheel base diesel Auto Mercedes G Wagon, towing a Sprite Caravan 🎉 routinely overtaken by continental drift and sheep………. even pulling over on ascents to let people pass coming down 😂
It’s on my bucket list to re attend on either my Hardly Movinson or my trusty Honda VeryDareYou 1000 ❤
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger…….. 🙂🇬🇧
Cameras don't show how steep the Hardknott Pass is! I went the other way. I loved it but saw a motorcycle sidecar smashed up and a VW Tiguan with a blowout. The missus shut her eyes for most of it.
Drove both many times during the night on rallies back in the 60s. The organisers often split the run into one mile or one and half mile sections at a set avg of 30mph. Hairy to say the least.
Easy road if rode right . both directions i love .ridden it rain ,snow an very hot weather .
Did it in a car about 40 years ago. Wound love to do it again in my Land Rover.
Definitely the right bikes to take on the mountain road, everyone should remember you need well in excess of 100BHP and 250KG to take these on...
Well done lads, Not for me on my FJR1300 in that wet, I would have ended up off the edge lol.
I live fairly local been up there dozens of times in some dodgy clapped out bangers over the years the worst was a hillman hunter with no handbrake
The last time I rode those routes on two wheels was in the late 1970's with my wife on a Honda CB125S. The bike never missed a beat and had no trouble whatever even on the steeper parts. Two things that were different however, the weather was better being mid summer and the road surface was better. It's certainly been allowed to deteriorate. Great memories, enjoyed your video.
similarly, mid-late 70's but in stair-rod weather two-up with camping gear on a suzi t500 twin - going uphill at the hairpin @13:40, we met a caravan coming downhill with 'limited maneuverability' (out-of-control) (there was a small car on front, to be fair); we ended up backsliding down the inside of the hairpin, across the tarmac and into the (soft, forgiving and saturated) off-road terrain. 🤪At least it was the suzy lying on top of us, not a leadwing...
[edit: I forgot to mention the caravan was going (coming) backwards...]
grrkk, did I just write that🤔
Yep, nice vid, thanks guys.
I can see myself trying that on my little Suzuki FL125, as its very lightweight and nimble compared to my 88 ZX10. Kudos for you for giving it a go, I know plenty of barstool braggers and Matlock makebelievers that would baulk at that purely because there's a cloud in the sky.
Every rides a challenge and every rides a lesson. I've had mates do it on all sorts of machinery, from old classics to new Goldwings and they all got something different out of it.
I suppose you'll get a lot of comments in the " I did it on such and such a bike and had no problem" style.
Every time we ride, we make our own risk assessment. I know people that commute by bike, through a city everyday but bottled out of going down Shore Hill on the Isle of Wight.
As a test and development rider for the last 15 years we do sketchy stuff all the time, and it becomes almost normal to do 250-300 miles a day all year round, or ride on cobbled durability surfaces (look up the Pave at MIRA proving ground). I applaud you for giving it a go, you've inspired me to go and do it! Best wishes. Jim.
Me and my mate did Hardknot pass in a mk2 Escort 1100 in first gear.
I’ve done it a few times in the opposite direction in dry conditions so have never had to ride “up river” 😂
Youre grabbing the brakes too much going down. Yes its steep but inching down on the brakes is just unsettling the bike and causing you to tense up. Go slow with engine braking and feathering the brakes but keep it smooth.
Honda rider just passed his test....
Me and 10 mates did it from the other direction in 2009, I'd just bought a new Street Triple, I didn't enjoy the road at all, you're all right until going up an uphill hairpin with a 4x4 coming the other way, nowhere to put your feet down because the soft verge tapers away, it didn't help with the bike being my first non carbed bike either, fuel injection is snatchy compared to carbs, 5 came off, fortunately I wasn't one of them!
Awesome roads , what camera are you guys using, really nice smooth footage
I just did this in a discovery 3😅 BMWs were burning our clutches and slipping badly. I even had to recover a driver. An amazing drive but not for the inexperienced
Should do it in a long wheelbase 2.4ltr transit van. Used to do that once a month and once in a bad Cumbrian rainstorm with flooded roads, it didnt like it the diff nearly gave out on the double hairpin going the other way, transit managed many cars didnt
Much braver than I would have been in those conditions.
looking back it was a bit dangerous and the guy on the Honda had only just passed his test, he did so well keeping it uprite.
@@colsmusic I have found with riding that hindsight is lovely, we all do things that had we know before hand we might have thought twice. Fortunately I did the passes in lovely sunshine and when I was much younger :)
In the wet! Brave 😅
It’s just another ride, did that on a street glide special
Undertaking that vw van on left with poor forward vision was not an advanced riding technique. 😅😅
What camera you using
Fair play having a go ive Google map it from mine its like 5hrs, woukd have to be a weekend away i think next spring, the views look lovely, have you rode the devils staircase in wales 👍👍
Me and my mate had a great time doing this last year. He was on his Rocket III. Lol.
Go up there quite often in all weather's. That water wasn't bad at all. I ride a triumph trophy se. If it ain't raining it ain't training.
Problem with this route is when you meet stuff coming up Summers worst as people can’t negotiate the turns going downs easiest
Did hardknott with a mate on way back from siloth on my mt10 must admit nearly binned it twice but what amazing views
That was me on the Ninja, easy peesy 😂. Just deployed water ski's.😊
Nearly put it in the hedge. Bit of a wobble on there eh?😂
Cycled Hardknott and Wrynose both directions. Couldn’t do them on my sports bike, I’d end up dropping it for sure.
That is one brutal path.
I think you chose the easier option, i.e. you started from the western part of the park. Anyway nice road.
Guess what…. They all made it up because they’re competent riders…. If that scared you then I’m afraid you should maybe stick to driving a car or walking…..
Well Done...I would not want to ride that on my motorbike. I did Hard Knott Wrynose and Honister all in the same day back in 1984 pedal cycling. I was then 31 years old and had done hard riding and time trialling and I was as fit as a Butchers Dog. I have some pics of me then and the Bob Jackson touring bike that I did it on. I stayed the night at the Youth Hostel at the top of Honister. This brought back memories. I didn't walk any of it. I wouldn't be able to do it at all now.😬😬
Warning about 5 years ago i crossed the passes on my triumph 1200 explorer with the wife on the pillion. We came up from Ambleside just as we started to climb up we passed a couple of people with yellow tabards on then suddenly hundreds of cyclists coming the other way. This turned out to be a race taking in many passes in the lakes, we now couldn't turn around and had to traverse both passes with these idiots trying as hard as they could to hit us. Before you tackle these passes at the weekend try to find out if there are cyclists racing that day, best of luck.
good intel thanks
Pair off old woman my god
Try to be nicer.
@@crispinleslie I’m always nicer 😂
You ride a GS David?😂
@@kwak1keasy, done it a few times ninja 1000sx and my Suzuki gsxs 1250 in pouring rain, get your feet up and stop waffling be confident
What part of the UK is this
@@Tonydodd1962 the Lake District
Definitely no danger of a speed wobble.
The "worst part" is the best bit, free wheeling with your clutch in is not a good idea, you made that look really hard work, I've done it in worse weather with no problems.
Why risk dropping your bike? Mental😢
Excellent job gentlemen
Stopped watching at 1:24 you're embarrassing.
I did Wrynose in a car and i can tell you that the camera softens the gradient and also the dropoffs at the side; they're worse than they look, certain death at some points. I didn't do Hard Knott and probably don't regret it if i'm honest. The low bit of Wrynose has a few big phuck off rocks poking out into the road, shouldn't be a problem but for quite a few of the locals who roar through there like they're on the RAC rally. Drystone walls are an issue- you see farmers in trucks tailgating tourists because the latter aren't high up enough to see oncoming traffic; but the trucks are, so they try to intimidate. I'm not surprised they're miserable to be honest, i would be- it might be pretty but try making a living there unless you've got a shop selling tat. I relaid the stove fire before leaving a holiday rent at Fell Foot Farm, and by the look on the woman's face you'd have thought i'd left a dead dog in the room.
So I like the video, braking on cattle grids, poor speed in corners the quoting what will and what will not make the "road river" as you call it, trust me that's not wet,.
12:45 is an absolute nightmare turn. And I had the luxury of a car!
All those bikes would get up there easy!
they did !
Don’t fancy it with a pillion with my twiggy aged legs. It’s remembering the camber if you have to put a foot down or stop imo. Applies to many passes where the verges drop and yu can’t. Put foot down. Brake control under power (trail braking) godsend for hairpins
Don't bother nodding to the GS crowd They're too busy posing or judging your choice of motorcycle to return the gesture. Knobs😂
No they are not. You just clearly expressed your OWN prejudices.
I don’t get it - it’s just a road. Bit steep but not exactly an issue. The water makes little difference at low speeds. It just looks more scary.
So which way is easiest?
the way we went !
@@colsmusic Down the steep bit then. I thought so 🙂
Yes, definitely as ridden, East to West. Far more challenging the other way as it's easy to get throttle and clutch slip combination wrong going uphill around those tight bends, stalling and dropping the bike on its side ... or as I once did, nearly stall, grab some throttle, shoot around the bend and nearly straight off the road and down off the side of the hill.
both ways are easy, done it many , many times on numerous bikes.
The Kwak 1000SX makes it easily by the way. Been both ways loads of times.
As others have said, a little more experience probably needed, 👍
defo, my mate on the honda had only just passed his test a week previous. He did well that week end, was rather damp though. All good fun
You got a lot of faith in those sheep staying put, very unpredictable animals.
You need to keep your feet on the pegs when you are moving fellas. Very lucky not to drop your bike on that decent.
Tackled it with cars and my campervan, but oddly not with my bikes. Must do it sometime. I enjoyed the footage, well put together 🙂
thanks Tall-guy
Great ride lads and professionally executed.
Nice video. Love the scenery and the biking and stuff. But for my taste, you could kill the music. Just the sound of the bike, the wind and the view would be just fine. The music is to much. Just me... sorry.
Good view of the IOM on a clear day. I prefer going the opposite way to you guys.
Jesus, my asshole was twitching when you went down the river and I'm not even riding. I got my first bike on Friday, Tiger 900 GT Pro.