Your Most Challenging MOTORCYCLE Ride

[Dickyboy]

Pillion from Newcastle upon Tyne to Nottingham with a rucksack on my back, had to stop every 30 miles or so to relieve the pain.

[Bustaspoke]

Pillion to Le Mans for the 1986 24hr race.My 250LC was in bits so I got a lift on the back of my mates Yamaha V twin custom thing.
It was the coldest Le Mans 24hr in years & the teams were going into Le Mans buying thermals.On the way home it started sleeting & I was stupid enough not to bring my waterproofs.My mate was alright,as he was wearing decent gear but I was in a bit of a state by the time we got back up here,chilled to the bone & my hands were black from the dye in my gloves running.It took a few days to get over that one.

[Rockburner]

I've been trying to think...

When I was a student, 2nd year I think, I tried to ride my TL600 Ducati down to Exeter from Reading in early January (before heated anything). IIRC I got to Andover and thought "fuck this" after the 15th near-deadly slide on ice and snow. I just about made it home before it got dark (and even fucking colder).

I've only ever given up on one other occasion: Early on in VD days I tried to attend 3 parties in one weekend: IIRC the first was a riotous piss up Friday night in somewhere oop norf, the 2nd a Saturday night extravaganza in the Midlands, and the 3rd was a Sunday afternoon thing in London. By the time I was riding down the M40 on Sunday midday I was so fucking knackered (and closer to home than anywhere else) I took the safe option and headed home for some much needed kip.


The ride that seemed the longest was coming home from the 100th Anniversary TT weekend, I booked late and ended up on the very late return ferry (can't remember if it was to Liverpool or Heysham), which docks at about 3am. I then tried to beat the sunset back to home (near Littlehampton on the South Coast). I made it home, but again was so knackered I fell into bed and completely missed the thing I was wanting to get home for!

[MingtheMerciless]

12th October 2000, I'd had my ZX9R E1 about a week, probably less than a 100 miles on the clock due to work so still running it in and I hadn't had a bike for a few years so was still remembering how to ride.

Trains were FUBAR so set off from Eastbourne for work in Croydon at about 0530, it was raining, by Hailsham about 5 miles up the road it'd turned biblical so stopped under a BMW dealerships large overhanging roof to put my wet gear onsie on over my jacket and leathers, whilst I was struggling to get it over my jacket a scaffolding van stopped to pick up one of their mates who was waiting under the same roof and they laughed and called me mad when they asked me where I was going.

Got going again, couldn't really see where I was going as it was raining so hard, despite the excellent lights on the bike. Got to Uckfield bypass and realised the puddles were huge, I didn't know the river had burst its banks and was flooding the A22 badly, as I'm going over the Uck river Bridge the water came over my toes and up my calves but I managed to get across.

The rest of the journey was like that and it wasn't until I got to work (very cold and wet) that I realised how bad the flooding was.

[wheelnut]

In terms of riding, probably hardnott pass, 2 up with camping gear, on a BH Monday on a bike I struggled to reach the floor on.

The issue wasn’t the road itself, that was fine, it was oncoming traffic with no passing places. I just bullied my way past everyone. If I had to stop on some of those off camber roads I would have had an issue.

[Trinity765]

Sydney to Adelaide to watch the Australian grand prix was a long day in the saddle. It was 1989, I was riding a 600 Tenere. It took two days each way.

That sounds awful.

[Lutin]

In terms of riding, probably hardnott pass, 2 up with camping gear, on a BH Monday on a bike I struggled to reach the floor on.

The issue wasn’t the road itself, that was fine, it was oncoming traffic with no passing places. I just bullied my way past everyone. If I had to stop on some of those off camber roads I would have had an issue.

Yep, two up on the Hardknot Pass. Entering a down hill hairpin a cyclist, coming up, crossed the road in front of me and then promptly fell off. Was really worried that I'd clipped him but the chap riding behind me said he'd come a cropper on the gravel at the side of the road. I wasn't the first of the group, so what he was doing crossing in front of me heaven knows?

[Docca]

Two stand out as equally challenging for different reasons.

1. Buell in Wales. After shops closed. Everything fell off the bike (gear lever, pedal etc). Gingerly pulled over and knocked on a random door. Happened to be a mechanic. Got the bike working, but then the heavens opened. Biblical rain and I gingerly tip-toed around wales for 5 hours until I got to my hotel.

2. TL1000S France. Was staying in Limoges and decided to ride to the Millau viaduct. In a day and back- dead easy on a direct route. Except I chose windy. 11 hours riding. Lovely roads but was pretty broken.


Came off in Thailand and Greece - that was just painful rather than a challenging ride.

[Whysub]

Riding my Yamaha 125cc X-Vity scooter from Essex to Bitov in Czechia in May 2016.

The challenging bit had to be riding on the unrestricted stretches of the Autobahn's through Germany, with its 60mph flat out speed really showing how fast some cars were going, their wake really pushing me off line.

It had a 110mpg fuel consumption, but it only did 85 miles to the tank, which gave me range anxiety years before EV's made that popular.

It was an experience, and not one I will ever repeat.

[Cousin Jack]

Probably on a trip back from the Alps. On the peage, pulled into St Quentein service area, filled up the VFR and went to move off the pumps to a parking area 10 yards in front of me. Weather was sunshine but a massive storm had just passed through and most of the cars were leaking water all over the shiny concrete slab to mix with the diesel already there.
Still not sure how or why but bike went down with my foot underneath it. And it hurt like fuck! A couple of bikers rushed over, lifted the bike and helped me up. Anyway 10 minutes later foot was still hurting and the bike won't start, and since we are still technically on the peage I had to call out the French m'way contractor. Bike eventually fixed, wife advised I am late and having bike issues, and I set off for home still with a VERY painful left foot. I can barely stand on it, can't walk, and of course I need to change gear with it. Eventually get home around 11 pm and finally take off my boot to reveal a black foot. Next day the NHS tell me I have3 broken metatarsals and put my leg and foot in a backslab.

[Taipan]

Dispatching on a cx500 and got the offer of a distance job to Wrexham. A couple of the lads said there was a road from the m6 to Wrexham that was a lovely road, undulations, gentle bends and just a nice ride, and it was, even on the cx. However, when i came home it got dark and cold, very cold and then it rained, really heavily. I was shivering and couldn't see anything because of the bad spray. In the end I tucked in behind a lorry and stayed dangerously close to it for as long as possible. I repeated this with various HGVs and made stops at every services. It was stupid and beyond dangerous, and i should have gone to a hotel. It was my first and last long-distance ride on a bike.

[MyLittleStudPony]

We rode to Tirana, Albania that one time. From the UK. Which had its challenges for me. But The Hair Piece Thief came as well and I think he'd only passed his bike test (via Direct Access) and bought his first bike a few weeks before hand. So it was a bit of a baptism of fire for him.

Anyway, we delivered the bomb.

[Mr Moofo]

Once did Zürich to Aix en Provence , via Neuchatel and loads and loads of passes in 30 degree heat, on a GSA with my wife on the back. 1500 kms in three days - inc Grand St Bernard , Col d’Iseran, col d Bonnette and a few others.
I was absolutely knackered

[Trinity765]

In terms of riding, probably hardnott pass, 2 up with camping gear, on a BH Monday on a bike I struggled to reach the floor on.

The issue wasn’t the road itself, that was fine, it was oncoming traffic with no passing places. I just bullied my way past everyone. If I had to stop on some of those off camber roads I would have had an issue.

Yep, two up on the Hardknot Pass. Entering a down hill hairpin a cyclist, coming up, crossed the road in front of me and then promptly fell off. Was really worried that I'd clipped him but the chap riding behind me said he'd come a cropper on the gravel at the side of the road. I wasn't the first of the group, so what he was doing crossing in front of me heaven knows?

Hardknot is fine if you get a clear run. I've done it on my own a few times and always go really early in the morning to avoid the inevitable road blocks that you get when it's busy. Once, I came to a stop behind a campervan and the bike started sliding backwards, downhill with the wheels locked. I had one of those occasional moments where I thought "I don't know what to do. This wasn't covered in the training".

[Horse]

... the bike started sliding backwards, downhill with the wheels locked. I had one of those occasional moments where I thought "I don't know what to do. This wasn't covered in the training".

What happened?

Even with off-road riding, IIRC the advice is to stall the engine - that's not much use if there's no grip

[Trinity765]

... the bike started sliding backwards, downhill with the wheels locked. I had one of those occasional moments where I thought "I don't know what to do. This wasn't covered in the training".

What happened?

Even with off-road riding, IIRC the advice is to stall the engine - that's not much use if there's no grip

I screamed. Something like "Help me!". A bystander ran to my aid and stuck his foot under my back wheel - enough for me to relax, breathe and pull away again. Being a shorty, I was mostly consumed with not dropping the bike in front of the growing crowd. I'm more experienced now and would have anticipated it and not stopped where I did (the worse possible place).

[The Spin Doctor]

Edinburgh to Lincoln. First of September if I remember right. I was on my 400-F. Set off from Glencoe in beautiful early sun, and looped north round the Nevis range, then south to Edinburgh. By that time the sky had clouded over and the wind was picking up rapidly. Riding through the southern uplands it started raining and by the time I crossed the border back into England, it was torrential and a full-on gale. Riding through Tow Law, the wind funnelled down a gap in the buildings and blew me clean out of my lane into the other lane. I just avoiding hitting the kerb. The wind down the A1 was unbelievable and the rain just kept coming down. The Trent was flooded and there were caravans floating out to see. Finally the rain stopped in Lincolnshire, and as I turned the corner around the Wash, the wind suddenly dropped and the setting sun appeared. By the time I got to Sheringham in Norfolk it was a lovely calm late evening. The people I was meeting couldn't believe I was soaked to the skin. It was apparently the tail0end of a Hurricane.

[Horse]

The Trent was flooded and there were caravans floating out to see.

Definitely sounds worth going to see

I was soaked to the skin.

Oooh ... Not 'challenging', I found it hilarious

Heading along the M4. Absolute downpour, all lanes doing 50 mph.

August - the rain was warm! And my gear decided to give up. At the point when it soaked inside, down into my boots and reached my feet, I was riding along laughing

[Count Steer]

I think mine was riding back from Sarf Lunnon to North Wales after a Christmas visit.

Ii was cold. It was wet. At one point, early on, my overtrousers failed and dumped, what felt like, the contents of an ice bucket onto my goolies.

Eventually got onto the last lap - in the dark - and the fog descended. At one point I was travelling slowly and wandering from side to side trying to find a cat's eye or two.

Got home, winched the wife off the back, stuck the bike in the garage and legged it to the pub in time for last orders/3 pints.

Oh, ps...just reminded wife about it and she remembered thinking I was falling asleep when I was weaving about looking for cat's eyes and that I didn't have the strength left to get the bike on the centre stand at the end. Also that her boots leaked.

[The Spin Doctor]

I was soaked to the skin.

Oooh ... Not 'challenging', I found it hilarious

It was only 10 c. I was freezing.