Ep03 Chug the Royal Enfield Himalayan and the Hardknott pass Wiltshire Man

[@julibradbury]

Hardknott isn't for the faint hearted. You and Chug coped brilliantly. Thanks for another super vlog Sandy.

[@johnbaker7626]

That was epic, well done. Brought back memories of trying to get over the pass in the rain with an old rear wheel drive van. Almost got to the top but couldn’t get any further as the rear wheels couldn’t get a grip so I had to reverse quite a way to get turned. Even had my mate in the back of the van jumping up and down trying to get some traction. Never sweated so much in my life.

[@clivegreenall309]

That brings back memories. My wife and I drove over this pass in a little Ford Escort in 1974. "Chug" is a great bike for this type of riding. Regards from S Africa Clive

[@WiltshireMan]

Thanks Clive, yes your right

[@fuglbird]

I have seen several Hardknott Pass videos from motorcyclists. This one have some of the best views from the route. For the first time I want to ride there myself. Thank you for sharing!

[@WiltshireMan]

I hope you are able to get to ride this wonderful road :)

[@charlesfulcrum3170]

Furthermore, your choice of music and it’s matching to the beautiful scenery is a joyous.

[@hendrilombok7760]

Wow.. This episode gave me big smile from the start of the Video, feels like being there traveling awesome scenery in a tight hill /mountain road. Thank's for sharing the history of Roman too.. 👍

[@hartley383]

Ive ridden in many places and i still think Hardknott is one of the trickiest roads ive ridden, and as you said, the little Himalayan took it all in its stride. So glad you decided to do this trip on Chug. Yet again, really enjoying this tour. Nice work Sandy.

[@johnpenny2328]

Great stuff Sandy. I think the Himalayan has proved itself worldwide.

[@flightschoolbooking]

Well done to both of you I reckon! I’m just up the road from you in Tetbury and I also have a Himalayan, called Pepe. Years back I rode the Hardknott Pass with a pillion and luggage. On a 1987 CBR600. I found it hard going up those left hand hairpins, the front wheel getting very light. But we all survived!

[@gordonmonaghan133]

WIMP! Back in the day a mate and I went over Hardknott Pass on push bikes. Mind you, that is all we did, push the bloody things all the way to the top!

[@IgorSher63]

Thank you so much. Scotland is an amazing country. There is nothing to compare with. I have long returned to my homeland, to my wonderful Ukraine, but I consider Great Britain my second home.

[@barryconway]

"Up you go, Chug". Yes! Well done, Chug! Well done both of you! I'm sure that the Mighty Strom would have done it with ease, but I"m equally sure that you'll have fond memories of Chug's efforts on these rides.

[@walkerhjk]

Way back in 1955, I had a new 350cc Ariel Red Hunter and spent a lot of time in the Lake District. I well remember riding all these passes, you have really caught the steepness of these roads, they were a 1st gear climb for me on a fully loaded bike. The RE Himalayan may be an inexpensive bike, it is not 'cheap' it's a very capable machine and able to go anywhere on road or off road. Somewhat short on power but lots of torque to pull you through difficult terrain - just watch Noraly 'Itchy Boots' who rode from India to the Netherlands on one and the length of South AMerica until she got caught by Covid in Peru and repatriated home, She had to leave her REH in Peru and at present is touring Europe on a Honda CB500X

[@adrianbrown01]

Those views are unbelievable, and good ol Chug made it up there. That road on the way down looked atrocious. Another great video. Bring on the next one.

[@WHuds01]

Good old Chug The Royal Enfield Himalayan Nice bike It seems to be enjoying the journey as yourself And the rest of us are ! The Himalayan getting a work out was what is was designed for in my opinion Great for everyday use and especially ridgeways,

[@doingstuffoutdoors3002]

I think it's scarier coming down than going up....when ya feel the brakes fading in a fully loaded land rover towing a big trailer....fun though.. that was a cracking video..gave a real good impression of how bad it is..👍👍

[@rollingthunder45]

Chug is a friend for life, just goes to show, you don't need a 1/3rd of a ton of BMW GS to tour on, well done!

[@drdoolittle5724]

Nice one - see it virtually every day but never 'done' it yet, live on the IOM so hopefully one day hey! Your aerial exploits back down South put a smile on my face, I lived down that way once and flew everything apart from your 'umbrella' and long may I keep it that way! Keep up the excellent vlogs, thanks.

[@DavidHarbottle]

I did these same passes on Monday (14th Sept). It was great to relive every turn with you Sandy. On Monday it was sunny, windless, very warm, and quite remarkably almost car free while I went over :-). My 3 day adventure, from home (Cheshire), through the Yorkshire national parks, Lakes, then return via as many national parks as was sensible to divert through was absolutely stunning, and was inspired by watching your videos (I'm a relatively new motorcyclist). Thank you!

[@motohobo]

Nice. Good for you and good old Chug! I've grown quite fond of Chug already and look forward to more of his adventures through the British countryside. Cheers

[@sscbkr48]

Great intro.. like the start of an espionage thriller.. Hey, It's chug and the Wiltshire man! What great scenery. REH approved.

[@bushlore21]

Enjoyed the views!!🙌 Chug did amazing! Very impressive indeed!!👍 Way to go Chug!! 😊Your skill set on the bike is spot on!! Stay safe, you’re doing a fine job Sandy!! Fine job!! 👊

[@jimmydemetriou7847]

Brilliant, almost felt I was a passenger on the bike.

[@mudmuppet100]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane Sandy it’s been a joy to accompany you on the high passes

[@johnhorner769]

Those 2 cycles were going well. That's the beauty of a motorcycle, you can actually share the journey together in ways that you never could in a car.

[@codfishknives8526]

Chug was the right choice for this trip Sandy. Lot less weight to maneuver than Strom. Good choice. Love the vids.

[@madgardener5820]

I was cursing that Jag until he let you pass. You both did well getting over that, don't forget that it is as much about the rider as it is the bike.

[@johnraby4214]

Why, he didn't do anything wrong. I've driven this exact route and it's extremely steep and narrow, should us car drivers pull over every time we see a motorbike in our mirrors?

[@diversionbob8482]

@@johnraby4214 All road users should allow quicker traffic to pass, pulling over and coming to a halt if required.

[@johnraby4214]

@@diversionbob8482 so if you're going up a 30% Hill that's possibly wet and someone comes behind you faster that what you are going you should pull over and let them pass! Talking out of your arse I'm afraid pal

[@diversionbob8482]

@@johnraby4214 Follow the rules and use your intelligence, if you've got any.

[@johnraby4214]

@@diversionbob8482 you might like to look at rule 169 of the highway code which states that slow moving vehicles such as goods vehicles, towing vehicles, tractors etc should pull over if safe to do so if a queue of vehicles is building up behind. That doesn't mean you should pull over for one motorbike. And it states,"if safe to do so". Stopping in that case on a very narrow extremely steep road may not be deemed safe to do so! I used to be a driving instructor!

[@MOOSEDOWNUNDER]

Fantastic effort Chug. Great landscape and views Sandy. Amazing.

[@heydenharrison143]

Well ridden Sandy.It is steeper than it appeared on the video,especially the hairpins! Good stuff mate.

[@north.by.northeast]

"Well done, Chug, " indeed. But also "very well done, Sandy."

[@clearprop]

Just amazing. I doubted Chug on this trip and I stand corrected. Well done to rider and machine. 👍👏

[@danmcneil7181]

Beautiful scenery and Chug once again earns gold stars for performance. Great video. Thanks,. Cheers, 👍🇨🇦

[@stephenszalay]

Fantastic video. More great scenery. Looking forward to the camping vids with the Jinx

[@AndyJarman]

Rode up this on a 24 gear touring pushbike. Never been the same ever since.

[@daveinwla6360]

LOL!

[@tonyb4259]

Chapeau fella!

[@kahoonaskid]

Good work Sandy. I did HardKnott on Kawasaki ZX6R Ninja. Scariest ride of my life.

[@stephencartwright5046]

Perfect "Chug" country. You get to see the world, and the bike isn't urging you ever onwards. Time to stand and stare. Loved these videos.

[@karinvankersen3521]

MAN N MACHINE IN PERFECT HARMONY😊😊😊😊😊 Thanks for a great video! hope you and Chug make lots of HAPPY RIDING MEMORIES TOGETHER!!! Karin 😊xxx

[@TheRamblingsofBry]

Sandy, that was breathtaking..literally!! Those views must be the best in the country... After doing that, every road now will seem so easy, although there are a few in Cornwall that are like a roller coaster ha ha.

[@WiltshireMan]

That travel charm you gave me works brilliant Bry. Not a hint of bother in 3500 miles since I've been carrying it:)

[@TheRamblingsofBry]

@@WiltshireMan Wonderful....safe travels mate!

[@kitten3ful]

Great videos Mr Wiltshire man I really enjoy your videos and the fact that you have so many differing interests many of them I also share. The passes you've ridden are unforgiving with not a lot of room for error. Well done!!

[@michaeljones5395]

Great video! Nice to see the scenery going through the pass. Some very harrowing terrain to negotiate. Good job!

[@BIG-K]

That was a stern test of both man and machine and you both passed with flying colours 👍

[@MrPianoKnee]

I fell out of my chair a few times while helping you lean on those curves. I had to downshift the video playback speed to .5. That helped. Once again, excellent production, Sandy. Great plug for Chug. The dealer owes you an upgraded seat, now, for sure.

[@Marbleheadjed]

The Hardknott pass is The Chugginators playground . Great riding and video . Cheers !

[@WiltshireMan]

LOL Chugginators:)

[@zw5509]

Good old Chug! Good camera work too. Used to ride, with my Mum, up the old A6 over the Shap, going back to Glasgow. Beautiful country, narrow roads and the fog sometimes. Thanks!

[@symy92]

Wow! Very impressive! Well done to Chug, and also to you!!

[@beemcbike]

Well done. You and Chug are giving us quite a ride. Keep on rattling 👍🇨🇭

[@drdoolittle5724]

Reminds me, have been over it but at 50' above ground E to W, on Round Britain rally in 91, the only gap in the cloud was there and plummeting back down towards St Bees fairly got the juices flowing! Amazing what a Rotax 503 with 2 up is capable of!!

[@franotoole2702]

Epic sceneary and journey sandy. Wouldnt mind takin the harley for a spin up that!! Finally getting around to binge watching these vids with my coffee on a sunday morning. Great way to start the day!!, going up the mountains myself this morning to take a few pics of my new bushcraft knife design. Similar sceneary to yours almost.

[@colinthornton1378]

Well done mate. I know how hard that is having done it on my GS. Chug is the perfect machine for that with its low down torque. The GS is a bit to heavy so I want to do it on my RV200 Suzuki Vanvan. Going to be next year now.

[@ClarkieBoy]

Well done Chugg and rider! Awesome roads and views too. Cheers!

[@mar0364]

I have to tell you why I enjoy Chug so much. On the Suzuki I know you’re going to make it. On Chug it’s truly an adventure.

[@byjingobob]

I am so pleased that you decided to take Chug on this adventure, I thought you would to be honest. It is doing what it was designed for on those mountain passes. I rode a classic RE in the mountains of Northern India and there was no where those bikes couldn't climb chugging along.

[@Team-fabulous]

Well done Sandy.. The Enfield was ideal for that.. I did it last year the other way round on my fully loaded Kawasaki GTR1400... I near soiled myself lolol

[@mooseyrambling5838]

Hi Sandy, Been following all the bike adventures of late. Excellent content and footage. Keep it up bud, Top marks and good bike sens & skills. It's good to see.

[@RICKYBAJWA1]

I am thrilled... Those bends man. You did quite well and Himalayan too, build for things like these.

[@WiltshireMan]

Thanks Ricky. The Himalayan did good

[@English.Andy1]

Ancient, Unspoiled landscape, beautiful thank you for taking me along Sandy

[@daveinwla6360]

"Unspoiled"? That landscape was undoubtedly well forested until Man showed up.

[@bobspence714]

" Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back." ...Himalayan ... And that made all the difference.

[@foxglove8836]

Brilliant ! Awesome bit of riding. Beautiful place awesome views and Bl----y good vlog. Thank you for sharing. take care.

[@terrygreen4338]

Hats off to you Sandy, I am impressed with chug, great video 👍🏍

[@salan3]

Not been over the pass for far too long. It was great to 'ride along with you'.

[@Dustypilgrim1]

Good on 'yer Chug... Full honours to the game little bugger, and a share to you Mr J' . Some of those bends and downhill hairpin slaloms looked like full on ffffffFFFFF'MEEEEE moments in the making ... Sod that with a bit of frost , or too much sheep-shhhh' . Great to get some reminders of the absolutely world class scenic views and almost desloate and even exquisitely bleak beauty this country has to offer. Great Ride Sandy . Travel Safe ...

[@WiltshireMan]

Cheers Will. I wouldn't want to do this road in winter

[@TheMendipman]

Brilliant! Well done Chug - and well done Sandy. Now you can ride anywhere. Noel

[@WiltshireMan]

Cheers Noel, you were right about the Sheep sh5t

[@SweeneyTTodd]

New subscriber here , Excellent series enjoying watching , looks like your Himalayan was in it's natural habitat there Nice riding Best regards Shaun

[@mischef18]

Excellent few videos of this trip bro, one thing I noticed was you had oncoming cars going up but only 2 pushbike riders going down till you stopped at the Roman fort plaque. You are right about the stunning views too. All the best

[@himydad1499]

Spectacular views! I was in the UK with the GS some years ago, but didn't visit the lake district. You just inspired me to cross the channel again and visit this area... with the Himy this time.

[@WiltshireMan]

When you come over let me know. Could meet up and ride some way with you or even join for some of the adventure:)

[@raywestwood2900]

What choice ??? Chug was always going to be good on those bends and she did not let you down. Well done and here is to next trip.

[@melodicsenior]

You (and Chug) handled those hairpins well! Very enjoyable, cheers

[@davebuts1921]

The Mighty "Chug" conquers all, you look like you enjoy your time mate, thanks for taking us along.

[@LozHarrop]

well done Sandy you handled it well. 10 yrs or so back I was camping with my mate nr penrith we decided to do all the passes on the way back home, mistake ! it was sunday lakes full of tourists and we rode up hardknott from the direction you went down, right where you said "crikey this is a steep one" I got stuck behind a car on my GS fully loaded with my mates tent on as well. the car was sat in the hairpin clutch screaming, smoke billowing from underneath, every time he pushed the clutch in he dropped back 2 foot, i couldnt go back there was a bumper to bumper tailback behind me, when he got 2 foot off my front wheel i was set to just bail off the bike, near wore my horn out. it was a cheek clenching 4 mins i tell ya. at that point one of the drivers behind me, got into his car and took it up over the 3 hairpins. I nearly kissed him ;-)

[@WiltshireMan]

Hi Loz, I can just imagine that. Yes a very nasty hairpin that one. Glad it ended well:)

[@LozHarrop]

@@WiltshireMan Ive been out today over the Trough of Bowland nice and quiet glorious day too, might run some of the footage on my next Vid sandy, If your up this way again call in for a stopover or brew ill ride the Lakes with you if you want company. It is nice to share the rides and experiences. Cheers.

[@WiltshireMan]

@@LozHarrop If I remember Loz I'll let you know. Makes a nice change to blow the workshop dust away:)

[@bsimpson6204]

6:56 This is the killer turn when you’re coming up the other way, it eats car clutches, the smell of them cooking wafts over the hills. My tips: Look ahead for descending traffic and confirm it will not be in your way when you get to the turn. Keep the revs up and in the power band and plan your route around the turn. DONT touch the clutch, DONT STOP because you will fall onto the falling side of the camber and you likely will go down.

[@tonyb4259]

Never mind that. What about the cyclists coming UP the other way. I believe that bend is classed as a 1 in 3!

[@lipsee100]

Yeah I know only too well ,,I rode up on my fully loaded BM R1200RT,stalled on that turn,,omg I must have worn half the clutch away trying to get moving again...

[@JohnSmith-pd1fz]

Once again a great ride for you both on the more interesting and certainly more challenging pass of the two. I remember that sharp turn into a downhill slope as the place where I almost lost the Minivan I was exploring Cumbria in some years ago. Small wheels, front wheel drive, muck on the road and all that!

[@philkeeley8830]

Beautiful scenery look forward to watching your videos , thank you for sharing your trips good old chug ride safe

[@malcolmherbert5127]

After doing those two passes, have a go at Porlock hill starting near Minehead in Somerset and ending in Lynmouth in Devon. You’ll really enjoy that ride.

[@bunnydaduk]

Great watch, when you said which bike I said the Himalayan. I think the Strom might have been a bit of a handful especially on the steeper twisty bits on Hardknott, I've seen a few people drop them there then your confidence is lost which can lead to more problems. I look forward to the next episode. When you get to Honister pass, whichever side you attack it from you need to get the revs up from the bottom to keep the momentum going because if you stall it you'll have problems to get going again due to the severity of the gradient ! Good luck

[@EnglishVeteran]

I used to use Hardknott Pass as a quick way to and from work when I was Freelancing from home near Penrith. My T4 coped pretty well but the biggest hassle was always tourists. Winter can be interesting and often very dangerous!

[@EnglishVeteran]

Des M. Not always. I use it.

[@SpiroZoren]

A lot steeper than it looked on the GoPro. It's worse in the other direction! Well done Sandy (& Chug)

[@Jaxs2]

Excellent just the bike for the job you are doing well Sandy great footage takecare as always 😊👍

[@charlesagibb6593]

Thank you Sandy and Chug, That trip would have been stressful on the mighty Strom ." Horses for courses". You picked the right tool for the job.The good point of having a Jag in front is he can't whack you in the arse!.

[@mickd6942]

Now I know how a couple walking in front of us got back to wasdalehead , they were in front of us all the way down from styhead tarn to seatoller then they realised their mistake , they had come the wrong way down , their car was at wasdale head , cue mega argument and a thirty mile taxi journey back to their car , thanks for taking us all along with you sandy, stunning scenery and some very hairy decents , as a none driver I don’t get to see these routs although I’ve done kirkstone on a bus lol

[@campfire52]

I believe that I voted for you to take the bigger bike (Strom) on this trip, but, I now have changed my mind on that. Chug is performing brilliantly and deserves to go on this trip with you. Those steep and narrow passages are making me nervous though. It surely requires the full attention to the road and what is out in front of you. You said you thought that you were an "average" skilled biker. I think that you shorted yourself my friend, I would rate you as far above average instead. I was very impressed. Another great video and I can't wait to see what is coming around the corners of the next video. Take care.

[@MrClogger100]

You were right in your choice of steed, chug was the horse for the course! Great video again Sandy.

[@Banditmanuk]

The last time I went over there a couple on a Tiger 800 had gone over the edge, unfortunately an air ambulance job. That blocked the road for over an hour. Definitely not a road for the inexperienced rider. The Roman fort is well worth the short walk up to it. Nice work Chug. 👍

[@Yorkshiremadmick]

Chug maned it up there. All your doubts should be blown away. Champion Chug. Scotland here he comes.

[@chrislaunders8283]

In the mid 90s I rode over here on my 650 Triumph chopper with 30" over springers , two up, no problems but I'm sure there were less potholes then. Brakes were a bit warm by the bottom !!

[@gerryg1056]

Happy memories for me. During the mid to late 1980s I marshalled on Motoring News road rallies and the R. L. Brown ran through south lakeland. The Wryenose and Hardknott passes were regulars. Taken at speed, at night, autumn conditions. Somewhere I have all the timings and plots as well as the results.

[@maalmiksa7409]

Wow that looked tricky. Say you glad you brought Chug

[@PARANOOB]

It's a Hardknott life.. nice views!

[@johnmortison5763]

That is a seriously weird road, but you and chug handled it brilliantly. Amazing scenery!

[@commonsense3222]

excellent Video shame the go-pro doesn't show the severity of the climbs and descents .I did this once om my BMW GS fully loaded going to a rally in Egremont and managed to get the front wheel off the road on a couple of the climbs so you did well ,looking forward to doing on it on my newly purchased Himalayan next year

[@peterdunning2952]

Roman fort well worth seeing. went up in my austin metro many years ago. took the gradient no prob,but mighty scary on them hairpins !

[@hazetheherd2214]

Brilliant ! Chug was so the right choice to take ,Strom would of been so out of place , I felt bit “iffy” went you went down the steep bit !! Well done both of you

[@DDan61]

Now that was a fun ride for me 😁 - beautiful land you have there my friend!

[@WiltshireMan]

Thanks Dan, The lake district is quite a distance away from where I live though

[@peterrouleau5992]

Nice video, Chugs exhaust is the reason we ride, not the music. Ride safe.

[@BrianthatiscalledBrian]

Another goody, Sandy. I'm looking forward to your meet up with the "rain man". 🙂👍😉

[@ellisc.foleyjr9778]

One thing is for certain, you need to be alert ! on those sharp blind curves. the cars are bad enough to contend with. but the wandering cows, and sheep, I'm really surprised you did not encounter one on the road itself. Well done Sandy. for both you and Chug. You both did a fine job on a very arduous road. Till the next part. da da dididi didididada!. de WA1RKS Ellis

[@FlyingHaggisFilms]

That was a challenge Sandy, brought back memories, although, I don't remember so many pot holes on the Hard not back in the seventies prior to the folly of privatisation. Great watch. Harry.

[@oscartravis5740]

I felt as many ooh and aahs on that journey as a fireworks display, really challenging stretch of road

[@WiltshireMan]

Challenging but also great fun

[@michaellilley6725]

Three Cheers for Chug and the Wiltshire man!!👏👏👏 What an epic journey, with epic scenery, epic background music ( something I usually don't approve of in MC videos) epic editing!! A truly Magical experience for the viewer, I can only imagine the deep felt feeling of satisfaction and achievement, of the man in the lead role?!! I was going to say Star, but that title has to go to "Chug"

[@tooyoungtobeold8756]

Nice video, thatnk you. Some of those turns are pretty tight. 5.00, that is some pot hole. I've done the pass a few times, in a Campervan and a sports car. Hit a rock with sports car near the fort. Chipped an alloy wheel.

[@gerrymcivor374]

Very impressive performance and quite scary looking in places.