HARDKNOTT v APPLECROSS PASS.

Those roads look like a motorway compared to roads in west Ireland.
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2cv said:
Hardknott, 200bhp hardly noticed a hill!

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I used to Drive Zantia estates Bill.
Great motors, I remember the keyboard were you had to put in your 4 digit code before starting the engine. Only ever had to replace two suspension spheres in all my years of driving them. They were excellent value if you bought them a year old.
 
Fisherman said:
I used to Drive Zantia estates Bill.
Great motors, I remember the keyboard were you had to put in your 4 digit code before starting the engine. Only ever had to replace two suspension spheres in all my years of driving them. They were excellent value if you bought them a year old.
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Still got mine after 21 years and 150000 miles. Still runs and looks like new. It doesn’t get much use now and I sometimes think I should sell it, but that changes every time it gets a run.
Recent pic

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Did both on this yonks ago, pee'd all over the jab bikes, just chuck it in gear and it will drive up a wall.
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Mtbcol said:
Morning all.
We've just returned from a trip that included a drive up (and down of course 😁) the Hardknott pass. We have a Transit medium height, mwb and we did struggle a bit in some of the hairpins (front wheel spins) due to it being front wheel drive and light on the front due to the steepness of the road and tightness of the bends....causing several beads if perspiration on my brow!😁. Question is, we are thinking about the NC500 in October ish, using the Applecross pass, and wondered if anyone has done both if these passes and can say if they are the same or one is worse than the other etc. so we can use an alternative route if necessary as Mrs. A is none to keen to repeat the experience 😁.

Thanks all

Colin. 🙂👍
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Having done both, admittedly in a car, I'd say that neither are a problem for a reasonably proficient driver.
Any issues are likely going to be due to idiots (both directions) that you might meet and you can't plan ahead for that!
It can often help on the hairpins if you can swing out on to the other side of the road but that's not always possible if there's another vehicle coming the other way unless of course you want to become one of the idiots yourself.
 
dunfillin said:
Having done both, admittedly in a car, I'd say that neither are a problem for a reasonably proficient driver.
Any issues are likely going to be due to idiots (both directions) that you might meet and you can't plan ahead for that!
It can often help on the hairpins if you can swing out on to the other side of the road but that's not always possible if there's another vehicle coming the other way unless of course you want to become one of the idiots yourself.
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Thanks dunfillin. I work on a PTS Ambulance so all good on the driving aspect, it was more the vehicle capabilities and putting my wife's mind at rest that the Apple cross would not be worse. Your right, you cannot account for the ever increasing amount of idiot drivers. I see these several times a day at work 😁👍
 
dunfillin said:
Having done both, admittedly in a car, I'd say that neither are a problem for a reasonably proficient driver.
Any issues are likely going to be due to idiots (both directions) that you might meet and you can't plan ahead for that!
It can often help on the hairpins if you can swing out on to the other side of the road but that's not always possible if there's another vehicle coming the other way unless of course you want to become one of the idiots yourself.
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I think before you can comment on what it would be like for a motorhome you need to drive a motorhome in those places, and if you do not swing out then you WILL lose traction as it would lift a wheel due to the very uneven surface on the inside of steep or hairpin bends, not to mention the inside rear wheel going off the road.
 
I've done Applecross in a 100mph gale and light snow. Not to be recommended.

Not sure why it wasn't closed but it was shortly afterwards.
 
winks said:
I know that this is Western Ireland but it looks very like the road down to Tor Head. Bit of wheel spin coming back up when we were there a few years ago.

Cheers

H
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Tor head is to small a road for vans, esp mine, nice run though and on into ballycastle past the old army wireless station on the hill right.
 
dunfillin said:
Can't remember what it's like on Hardknott but the road is quite wide at the hairpin bends on the Bealach.
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The only really sticky bit is just above the roman fort going west to east. Used to go up there on my bike as a kid and sit and watch the clutches burning on 1960's cars. Happy days.

Cheers

H
 
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