Hopefully just riding dirt bikes with mates. But now, some 18 months later, Charley is back in the saddle, pursuing adventure with more enthusiasm than ever before. In the case of Mr McGregor and Mr Boorman, it was a freak accident during a European trip that acted as the trigger for a long-overdue reunion. You could get a quiet little electric trials bike and ride around in your back yard and no would would know until they saw your head pop up above the fence when you did a jump. Up In The Air! Charley and I talk a lot about it, about how you hear people who should really know better dismissing electric-powered vehicles. He had shattered his left tibia and fibula and broken his right ankle and wrist. Its very rare that you get that period of time to hang out with your best buddy and ride motorbikes. Boorman hit a wall and then bounced along the pavement three times. I write about motorcycles, ebikes, cars, trucks and mobility tech. has broken his leg ina collision with a car while attending the media launch of the new Triumph Explorer in Portugal. As an aside, I could watch Charley Boorman layer up (please put this on TikTok) all day. Weve joined selected affiliate programs which will allow us to place advertisements for select motorcycle and motorcycle-related product retailers on the site. The start was nearly delayed after Boorman, frustrated by an official at Gatwick Airport, made an off-the-cuff comment regarding bombs and was detained for questioning. You seemed genuinely surprised that everyone knew who you were. I would hate to sit there at 90 and think I wished Id done more. [6] In June 2019, it was reported that Boorman confirmed that the filming of a third installment would begin "in a few months". From abseiling down Cape Town's iconic Table Mountain, to learning how to rodeo in Canada, prepare for a non They last about four days each and we will do them over long weekends. He answered many of the questions posted in by you, our readers, including his next trip wth Star Wars star Ewan McGregor, his regrets, riding tips and more. The new Irish Sea Border: What does it mean? Published: Monday, 8th May 2017 at 10:40 am, Long Way Round's Charley Boorman: Even if I lost my leg, I would never give up motorcycling. The riding I like most is a mountainous bit of tarmac through the forest. CB: Certainly those first few weeks had a steep learning curve. Well, that's easy, that's a no brainer. The truth is you just have to have a go. Weve joined selected affiliate programs which will allow us to place advertisements for select motorcycle and motorcycle-related product retailers on the site. Whatever is happening in north Africa has nothing to do with whats happening in southern Africa. I realized we share something that I dont share with anyone else. Update 2moro. They crossed Scotland, England, France, Italy, and Sicily before making their way across Africa through Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, and finally, South Africa. The Long Way motorcycle adventurer As the only spare had been fitted to McGregor's bike, von Planta rode in a support vehicle while his bike was sent ahead for repair. For other uses, see, "Ewan McGregor secures sponsorship deal for South American road trip", "Long Way Up is go! Discovery Company. The book abounds with bikes trashed and accidents endured, including the time Boorman rode 400km in the Dakar Rally with broken hands. I'd had a lot of surgeryboth my legs were smashed up, my right hand had broken bones. People should at least wear a helmet, gloves and ankle riding boots. On 6 August 2018, Boorman tweeted a tease that the Long Way Up, a trip from Tierra del Fuego to Alaska, would happen "if all goes well". Harley just nailed it. Charley also gave us the inside scoop on what it was like to travel from the tip of South America to Los Angeles on electric Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and what plans he and Ewan have for their next adventure. Let me just say that this trip exceeded every one of my expectations. I have a crash there. Charley is a much-loved and frequent visitor to Australia where he leads Outback tours with Compass Expeditions. EW: [Laughs] You just have to ride, people just have to have a go. Previous iterations of the episodic documentary series were Long Way Round, an eastward journey from London to New York City in 2004, and Long Way Down, a southward odyssey from John o Groats in Scotland to Cape Town in South Africa, in 2007. And then we just got used to it and we began to understand how far we could go and how far we could push the parameters and you kind of like all of our trips, eventually you just settled into it. My agent said why dont you use your recovery time to start writing a book about your life, your bikes and your crash, starting where youre sitting on the tarmac thinking what has just happened?. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The simple act of watching Ewan and Charley put a map on a wall and trace the route was enough to give this viewer some serious travel Stendhal syndrome I needed to order an actual map (and did). That was a dodgy one. The television series began broadcast on BBC Two on 28 October 2007,[3] with clips also shown online. Half of the road stays in the shade. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. In 2019, Ewan and Charlie reunited 12 years after 'Long Way Down', this time hoping to journey from the city of Ushuaia at the southernmost tip of South America to Los Angeles, U.S.A; a journey of over 13,000-miles. Live your life and do some fun stuff. WebCharley Boorman, adventurer, motorbike enthusiast and no. Ever wonder what it's like to be riding with Charley Boorman? He smiled and nodded his head. When he came to rest, as he casually puts it, my leg was all flippy-floppy, bending in the wrong places and in the wrong direction. But, in February last year, Charley was involved in motorcycle accident while in Portugal for the launch of the Triumph Tiger Explorer so bad that he almost lost his left leg. Charley (50), the son of acclaimed film director, John Boorman, is on the mend and back on the bikes, but here the journeyman recalls some of the scariest moments in his life. wBW providessubjective opinionsand information on hard-to-find and unique motorcycling products. Long Way Down is a television series and book documenting a motorcycle journey undertaken in 2007 by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, from John o' Groats in Scotland through eighteen countries in Europe and Africa to Cape Town in South Africa. New book 'Atlas of Extinct Countries' explores the places that fell off the map. Which is fitting, because according to numerous reports, the pair have ditched their all-conquering BMW GS Adventure dual-sport machines for something a bit more radical: Harley-Davidsons new all-electric Livewire motorcycles. 2. Enjoy this party classic with an updated RT twist - fun for all the family! The Mayor of London is not doing bikes any favours. Within the first three episodes of this series, the duo visit: Parque Pingino Rey in Tierra del Fuego, Chile, at the tip of South America. Updated JAG: How do we get people more interested in motorcycles? Ewans always had a loose relationship with Moto Guzzi (hes currently an ambassador) so theres no conflict there. And that happens regularly. Even though it was touch and goI thought Id lose a legbut that seemed ok but I kept thinking, you know what, I just want to get back on the motorbike. They took the Channel Tunnel to France and rode south to Italy. Im just going to crack on., Try 12 issues for 1 today - never miss an issue. WebLong Way Round: Created by David Alexanian, Charley Boorman, Russ Malkin, Ewan McGregor. I mean you could cross America back and forth on an electric motorcycle without any worries as there are so many fast chargers now. When he came to rest, as he casually puts it, my leg was all flippy-floppy, bending in the wrong places and By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. He grew up on an estate in the Wicklow mountains his dad had bought on a whim, and also on film sets, making his debut in his fathers brutal 1972 thriller Deliverance, aged six. Please send Charley your best wishes via Twitter. Every 20 minutes, you were just about to crash. How do we get someone more interested in EVs and becoming a better eco steward while still being, you know, a total degenerate biker? I was just coming out the hotel in the morning and was passing a car when the driver decided to turn down a lane. See our review policies for more information. In the opener, he sees icebergs; tries screeching; visits the graves of Titanic victims; and encounters a tidal bore. Thankfully because of Charley's accident, that meant he was housebound for some time, so whenever I was in London, that meant I was able to see him. Then Charley had a very bad accident, a motorcycle accident in Portugal, and it was a very difficult recovery. Riding a prototype electric Harley-Davidson LiveWire through the Calchaqu Valley in northwest Argentina, the actor and avid motorcyclist Ewan McGregor waxes poetic into a microphone inside his helmet. Badar enjoys driving cars, writing about cars, watching movies and anime about cars; basically, he loves cars! Ive ordered a nurses uniform always wanted one. You really feel the ground because there's no mechanical vibration between you and the ground - there's no mechanical movement, other than this the electric engine which is spinning around and so you can really feel the road. Talking about the sights along the way, and what really stood out for them on this particular journey, McGregor sites the landscape of the Atacama Desert in Chile as spectacular, and he goes on to talk about getting to see Machu Picchu. It was sort of like a dream come true., Boorman recalls riding by a solar farm in Costa Rica and knocking on the fence to ask to check it out. But if I could have ridden with anybody Id have loved to have ridden with Lawrence of Arabia on a Brough Superior. I just red the first time about the crash. Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman will film in coming months", "Charley Boorman confirms the Long Way Up will take place within months", "Apple TV+ now includes all classic Fraggle Rock episodes, orders full season reboot [update: official]", Right to the Edge: Sydney to Tokyo by Any Means, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Long_Way_Down&oldid=1110182313, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Galaxy British Book Award 2008- Best Popular Non Fiction, This page was last edited on 14 September 2022, at 02:52. Smiling, looking forward 2 getting home. Long Way Uppremieres on Apple TV on Friday 18 September. In 2016, Charley met with a serious accident when test riding with motorbike journalists in Portugal where he broke both his legs. I thought to myself, this is crazy. Von Planta says he was riding too closely and fell while avoiding a collision; he was shaken but uninjured. For me, off-road riding is one of the purest forms of riding and I particularly like sand. Holiday? Charley saw it as a means to hang out with interesting people and earn money to buy motorbikes, and doesnt miss it at all. I think its too difficult and expensive to get your licence now. This time around, Ewan and Charley ride their upgraded BMW R1200GS Adventure bikes from John o'Groats, Scotland over 15,000-miles all the way to Cape Town, South Africa. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. I first met him in London at a restaurant. Electric bikes are brilliant. It could generate 105 horsepower, 86 pound-feet of torque, and had a top speed of 110 mph. They let us in and let us plug in our bikes as they showed us around and explained how everything worked. Im one of the founding members here and ever since we started weve been trying to get people active about issues with We Ride London. It's a dangerous hairpin trail on this treacherous road and I went up in winter. The Facebook posts appear to show the bikes are clearly being ridden off pavement, and it doesnt look like theres knobbies mounted on the rims (yet). He is still close to his father, who is 84 and walks with sticks: when Charley was on crutches, they looked like twins, he says. You could just keep riding your bike not knowing where you're going on forever and If it wasn't for the people that you love at home, that would be an interesting way of life. The scenery is breathtaking, and while the relationship between McGregor and Boorman is the predominant one, seeing how this group navigates the trip, together and separately, is also powerful stuff. They decided the Long Way Up would be an electric voyage a way to see the world without aiding its decay. Its really touching me, and what I was looking for in terms of feeling closer to the world, the Earth, appreciating the beauty of it as we ride along.. 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The video series was a hit both with riders and non-riders (celebrity helps) and it resulted in a well-received 2008 sequel, Long Way Down, which saw the pair ride from their homes in England to Cape Town on the southern tip of Africa. Im self-employed so getting a job is my biggest challenge. [7][8], On 27 May 2020, it was announced that the series Long Way Up would premiere on Apple TV+.[9]. Im working away from home on average about five to seven months a year but my wife knows Ive always travelled, even when I was doing films. [4] I have earphones in them and I can listen to podcasts and books. In Malawi, they visited care centres for children orphaned by AIDS. "I did the Dakar Rally (10,000km from Lisbon to Dakar, Senegal) in 2006, which is one of the most dangerous off-road races in the world and broke both my hands. And those beginning few weeks were super cold. Motorcycle adventurer Charley Boorman has bared all for Motorbike Writer readers, including his backside! News updates will happen by Twitter, through @biketruck his long-time friend Billy Ward. After visiting the pyramids, they boarded a ferry to Sudan, continued into Ethiopia and then into Kenya, where they crossed the equator. . I usually go back the way we came with them so they can experience it as well. I was overtaking a car on my motorbike when it clipped me, sending me careering into a wall. Can you put an off-road suspension on it? ", "The latest accident in Portugal was pretty scary. 10 Of The Greatest V-Twin Motorcycle Engines Of All Time, This Custom Harley-Davidson Softail Slim Invokes Some Serious American Chopper Nostalgia, 10 Reasons Why Harley-Davidson Is A Great Motorcycle Company. EW: It'd been over 12 years since we did The Long Way Down, our trip down through the African continent back in 2007. Although the American crew members were barred from entering Libya, this was anticipated ahead of their arrival. Great story. What we hadn't realized is how much the weather actually affects these electric vehicles. When I broke my legs badly I sat there for a little while and thought what if Id just left the hotel a little later But the reality is that its happened and there is nothing you can do. I broke both legs, which is why I ended up lying in bed for three months. Id love to the do Simpson Desert. Did you encounter any technical issues? Having ridden with Ewan McGregor all the way round the world, and on an extraordinary trip through Africa, he is now taking on Canada, South Africa and the USA. Their daughters - Doone and Kinvara, 21 and 20 are both at university, but Doone also had to be flown home last year after breaking her jaw on a skiing trip. You hear stories about the horror crashes of the Dakar Rally, which is a long 16-day race, and about people getting lost in the desert, and they're all true. And they just did. McGregor and von Planta also came off and damaged their bikes' bodywork, with von Planta involved in the more serious incident on a motorway in South Africa. Motorcycle adventurer Charley Boorman has bared all for Motorbike Writer readers, including his backside! TV presenter and adventurer Charley Boorman, who motorbiked around the world with his pal Ewan McGregor for the series Long Way Round and Long Way Down, has had plenty of scrapes in his time. A bike tour with my wife. Having ridden with Ewan McGregor all the way round the world, and on an extraordinary trip through Africa, he is now taking on Canada, South Africa and the USA. WebInspired by their UNICEF visits to Africa, they knew they had to go back and experience this extraordinary continent in more depth. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Probably if theres a villain to be named in this epic saga, it is the search for power to keep both e-bikes and vehicles properly charged between stops. We have just heard that well-known and loved motorcycle traveller. You may opt-out by. I mean, one time it was so cold outside that the batteries would just turn off and they wouldnt charge. [Chuckles]. Ive never really had any regrets. Initially, they wanted to undertake the journey on KTM motorcycles, but the Austrian company refused to provide them with their motorbikes, fearing that they'd fail the trip. But now Im ok and starting to do some dirt riding again so Im super excited for our two trips there later this year. WebWild at Heart Season 6 Episode 4. We took their LiveWire bike and we said Look, can you make it into a dual sports bike for us? When it's extremely cold, you know, the batteries don't perform as well. Learn more about us. I had three big casts on three limbs of my body and I was feeling really, really, really very sorry for myself and thinking, if only I had this, or only I had done that. (The places these two bunk overnight, at least in the first three episodes, are hardly five-star. I live in Los Angeles and I drive an EV with what seems like 90 percent of the people in here and range is something I think about all the time. You might think the gods are trying to tell the Boormans something about hazardous pursuits, but when we meet, Charleys leg is nearly healed (he invites me to feel a screw that has worked loose beneath the skin) and hes planning to resume his bike safaris in Africa in August, go on a speaking tour to promote the book, then try to put the Darien Gap TV project back together. We have just heard that well-known and loved motorcycle travellerCharley Boormanhas broken his leg ina collision with a car while attending the media launch of the new Triumph Explorer in Portugal. Co-director of photography Jimmy Simak also acted as music supervisor and soundtrack producer for the series. Obi-Wan Kenobi was right, you know: That is a major twist. So we had to sort of do all of our testing and learning on how to manage that battery system while we were doing the trip in sub-zero temperatures. The thing I remember most was flying through the air and seeing the pavement and wall and thinking, 'This is going to hurt'. You can unsubscribe at any time. With the limited range of both the bikes and the Rivianapart from bringing backup generators like you guys did, how does the average motorcyclist enjoy a cross country trip on an electric motorcycle when the technology is still on the fringe? Dunno, I havent told em, he says cheerfully. We were lucky because we were right at the crest of that adventure travel wave. Here are some facts about the 'Long Way' series and what Ewan and Charley are up to today. Send him yor best. You know, helmet on and no one knows who you are. So, why has it taken more than a decade for the pair to reunite for a motorcycle adventure? Then Ewan was in town when I was in town and he came over and stayed for a while and we started talking and as Ewan said, we had kind of drifted apart a little bit, just because we're on different sides of the pond. I think people are very dismissive. Each bike weighed about 505 pounds. The original broadcast dates in the United Kingdom were: In the final pages of the Long Way Down book, there is a mention of "Long Way To Go"; however, this is not the intended title for a third series but a reference to the continual support that UNICEF needs for its work. Ewan McGregor: Really once you've experienced that sort of adventure travel like weve done, it's sort of in you. Our reviews are hands-on, detailed, and unbiased. :) Really, its a -big- shock and so, just to drop a comment; & once again, all the best!! I was on a bed pan for god knows how long and I just wanted to go to a regular toilet. Its A Honda!: Automakers Pursue VTOL Dreams, These Are The 12 Greenest Cars In The U.S. For 2023, reportedly begun production of the third entry. Ewan McGregor and his wingman, Brit TV personality Charley Boorman, have reportedly begun production of the third entry in their popular Long Way motorcycle road You have to drive a car, but you choose to ride a motorbike or a horse, or climb a mountain, he explains. Portions of Boormans recovery from the horrific accident are shown in the first episode of Long Way Down. These snippets show how dedicated Boorman was to getting back on the bike and how important it was for him to do this third trip. (Charley crashed on a Triumph launch in Spain a couple of years ago.). WebEwan McGregor and Charley Boorman are getting back on their motorcycles for a new adventure in Apple TV+'s "Long Way Up".