His motorcycle was substantially damaged, and the footage of the rest of the journey to Cape Agulhas appears only to include support vehicle and helmet cam footage, suggesting that Von Planta's motorcycle was no longer used. By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. The quality of road surfaces throughout east Africa were surprisingly smooth, but sections were rough, bumpy or had sandy terrain, with some travel through a small river and mud wallow. It really is close now. Drifting apart from your mates can be a sad fact of life as you get older. WebCharley Boorman has been riding motorcycles since he was seven years old. I think absolutely its definitely the right thing to do if youre living in London. S02E01 Cape Town January 9, 2013; Channel 5 (UK) Charley begins in Cape Town and abseils from the Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. 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. His German mother, Christel, died a few years ago. Once youve been around the world and down its length on a motorcycle, there really isnt anywhere left to go but up. [4] Charley is a much-loved and frequent visitor to Australia where he leads Outback tours with Compass Expeditions. It's a dangerous hairpin trail on this treacherous road and I went up in winter. The visuals satisfy an increasingly unbearable wanderlust that has become more acute during this year of coronavirus lockdown. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for Long Way Round - Complete TV Series DVD Ewan McGregor Charley Boorman at the best online prices at eBay! [Chuckles]. Talking about the uncertainty of keeping the bikes charged in these remote places, Boorman recalls a story about getting this amazing charge out of a very dodgy plug in a youth hostile. Each bike weighed about 505 pounds. In 2016, Charley met with a serious accident when test riding with motorbike journalists in Portugal where he broke both his legs. 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. And we had to do all of our training on a trip because our bikes were prototypes and they were delivered at the very last minute. He has worked in numerous Hollywood movies such as the Star Wars prequel trilogy, the Trainspotting series (1996, 2017), Christopher Robin (2018), Doctor Sleep (2019), Pinocchio (2022), and many more projects. It was assumed this would become a regular occurrence while travelling through Africa. And because the Long Way Up route terminates in Los Angeles, where McGregor lives, his 13,000 mile journey ended on his own driveway. You seemed genuinely surprised that everyone knew who you were. wBW providessubjective opinionsand information on hard-to-find and unique motorcycling products. Update 2moro. Three bikes were used in Long Way Down with Ewan, Charley and cameraman Claudio Von Plata each riding one, Long Way Up took about 100 days to complete as they rode from Ushuaia to Los Angeles, The crew traveled from their base in Shepherd's Bush, London to John o'Groats at the northern tip of Scotland to begin their journey. Please send Charley your best wishes via Twitter. As an aside, I could watch Charley Boorman layer up (please put this on TikTok) all day. I remember being petrified. Billy Ward. Or if you live in Europe, pop over to Morocco for some of the best off-road riding. But its definitely the way forward. Forbes.com has reached out to Harley-Davidson for comment on the news. 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. Here's what 'long way' series' stars Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman have been doing today. You have to drive a car, but you choose to ride a motorbike or a horse, or climb a mountain, he explains. Long Way Down - Wikipedia Harley-Davidson provided them with their prototype LiveWire motorcycles that had a range of around 146 miles with its 15.5-kWh battery. You know, helmet on and no one knows who you are. He also did a follow-up to the show in 2009 called 'Right To The Edge: By Any Means' where he traveled from Sydney to Tokyo following the Pacific Rim. Technology, performance and design delivered to your inbox. Charley had just returned from a Compass Expeditions Did you encounter any technical issues? This documentary series follows actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman on a motorcycle trip around the world. Discovery Company. That was sort of a wake-up call to me that we mustn't let this friendshipthis very special relationship to medrift. The bikes had a 1,130cc engine and a six-speed gearbox that was good for 85 horsepower and 75 pound-feet of torque. JAG: Charley, you were in quite a few different wrecks over the years. Harley just nailed it. So far, theres no word on when the new series will be released. Personally, I got into a pretty bad wreck years ago, outside of Mugello on a Ducati and since then, I've kind of had the yips whenever I got on the bike. The result is my recent book the Long Way Back. Every time we found somewhere to plug that bike in was like a little mini-triumph, said McGregor. CB: You can really talk to each other, like Ewan and I did because there is no engine noise, so you can really hear the people you ride with. [7][8], On 27 May 2020, it was announced that the series Long Way Up would premiere on Apple TV+.[9]. Motorcycle adventurer Charley Boorman has bared all for Motorbike Writer readers, including his backside! The team took four days to ride from John o' Groats back to London, via the McGregor family home in Crieff and the Silverstone racetrack, where they camped in the middle of the circuit. I didnt do very well in school, but I got As in daydreaming, so I would spend a lot of time daydreaming about Machu Picchu, like it was this mythical place that Id never see. Ahead of that, The Drive had a chance to talk to McGregor and Boorman about their trip. I first met him in London at a restaurant. But I did perfect the wheelchair wheelie with a lot of pain. The torque is unbelievable, its fun to be sort of silent and it's just a different riding experience. Will update U., The funny man followed up with:@charleyboorman is now in surgery but was in good spirits before going in. All Rights Reserved. To let that friendship dwindle or drift, I realized, was a mistake. That's very confidence-inspiring riding the canyons on an electric bike, as we both found out here riding in LA. Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman take on South America With the right planning, of course. Related: 2021 BMW R1250 GS & GS Adventure. Ive never really had any regrets. Charley Boorman bares all for our readers - Motorbike Writer Billy writes on his Twitter account: CB had accident today in Portugal @ Global launch of Triumph Explorer. 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. 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. 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.. 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. By all reports, the Triumph ambassador has had surgeryin hospital and isdoing OK. 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. It just seemed to be a better fit with what I was doing with The Bike Shed. Can you put a screen on it? Is the Honda CRF300L the best beginner trail bike? Weve been talking about it a long-time and if the stars align we will do something like a Long Way up from Tierra Del Fuego to Alaska in the next couple of years. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 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. ", "I remember Ewan and I were on the side of the road in Long Way Round (a TV series in which they rode 32,000km around the world) in the Ukraine or Kazakhstan and a white Lada stopped and these two big guys got out and started walking towards us. The following year, Charley and Ewan did another motorcycle adventure trip, this time known as Long Way Down, where they travelled from Scotland to Cape Town, And then we got to visit it., Sacred Valley of the Incas -- see Machu Picchu and so much more in Peru, When they arrived the UNESCO Heritage Site, recounts McGregor, it was shrouded in cloud. Disappointment set in, Wed come on a day where youre not going to see anything, McGregor says. . I think its too difficult and expensive to get your licence now. Extreme Frontiers Traversing through cities, mountains, deserts, and snow, they documented their trips using special helmet cameras whilst riding their bikes, had a cameraman ride on his own bike accompany them, and had a production crew that provided them with additional support and rendezvoused with them at border crossings. Boorman hit a wall and then bounced along the pavement three times. The Long Way motorcycle adventurer You're looking at your GPS for the actual mileage left and you're looking at your bike which is telling you the projected mileage based on within the parameters that it's experiencing at that point in time and you're trying to keep those fingers together, so it adds a certain element of artistry to it. I did a movie wth my father called The Emerald Forest in South America, but thats the only time Ive been. Ewans always had a loose relationship with Moto Guzzi (hes currently an ambassador) so theres no conflict there. Charley will be leading a pack of Adventure In fact, I borrowed (wife) Olivias scooter to go to the shops because I couldnt change gears with the cage around my leg. Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman reunite to ride 13,000 miles from Tierra del Fuego to Los Angeles in the Apple TV+ show "Long Way Up" -- the third journey I found Africa's landscapes stunning to the eye, it's people vibrant and welcoming, it's food diverse and exotic, and it's history fascinating and complex. On the Late Show with David Letterman (17 February 2010), McGregor said he was not planning another trip, because he found it difficult to be away from his family for such a long time, but he also mentioned wanting to do a trip from South to North America. It was six months before I could walk on one leg. (The places these two bunk overnight, at least in the first three episodes, are hardly five-star. Billy writes on his Twitter account: CB had accident today in Portugal @ Global launch of Triumph Explorer.In hospital but OK. I really thought, 'S***, he's going to kill us'. WebCharley Boorman, adventurer, motorbike enthusiast and no. I love them all. I was just coming out the hotel in the morning and was passing a car when the driver decided to turn down a lane. 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 let us in and let us plug in our bikes as they showed us around and explained how everything worked. Then Charley had a very bad accident, a motorcycle accident in Portugal, and it was a very difficult recovery. Because of congestion and over-population, scooters and motorbikes should be a big part of the solution but we just need to get people to be more aware and positive towards bikes. When one of the crew gets an awful bout of altitude sickness, near Salta in Argentina on their way to ride Tren a las Nubes (Train to the Clouds), McGregors concern is visceral. In June 2015, McGregor indicated that the long-discussed South American trip was still at the planning stage, but he expected that an excursion through Baja California Peninsula would take place first. Boorman was then badly injured in a motorcycle crash in 2016 but eventually recovered. He had shattered his left tibia and fibula and broken his right ankle and wrist. John thought acting might help his dyslexic son to express himself. And so we found each other again and decided to do this trip.. Salta in northwest Argentina to take the Tren a las Nubes (Train to the Clouds) one of the highest in the world at almost 14,000 feet. Will How do we get someone more interested in EVs and becoming a better eco steward while still being, you know, a total degenerate biker? The support team with the production crew followed them in custom-built Rivian R1S all-electric SUVs. Charley Boorman is riding again after his major motorcycle crash in 2016 and ready for his big African adventure later this year. WebDoubleTree by Hilton Cape Town, Upper Eastside Hotel will once again host Charley Boorman for this years Motorcycle Adventure that begins and ends in Cape Town, South Africa. Riding electric, it's just a mindset and you know from driving an electric car in LA, then you know what it is. Charley had just returned from a Compass Expeditions tour of Tasmania when we caught up with him this week at The Bike Shed in London, where he is one of 31 founding members. Charley Boorman - Wikipedia 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 our bikes were being charged directly by the sun., In the end, after three months on the road, both men were ready to end the trip, though Boorman says, You always talk about the possibility of another one, so youve got that in your head, so its not so bad that this ones finished., Theres an arc, these trips that weve done, says McGregor. I just love seeing Mother Nature like this, watching the land change as we go by. I love to show people that they can have a great tour in Africa and there is some great food, great wine and the people are so lovely. 2. For me, off-road riding is one of the purest forms of riding and I particularly like sand. McGregor and Boorman gave the adventure or ADV riding segment a huge boost in 2004 with their original series Long Way Round, in which the pair rode heavily loaded BMW GS adventure bikes around the world the long way from England through Russia, including Siberia, capturing their adventures on video using action cameras, and by including Swiss photographer (and rider), Claudio von Planta, who also rode a kitted BMW during the project. The two friends will travel through such places as Siberia, The Long Way Up production crew hooked up with an electric SUV startup, Rivian, to supply new prototype pickup trucks designed to take on every terrain. We were lucky because we were right at the crest of that adventure travel wave. You can plug the bike in and it's going to give you more than 100 miles in town and you just have a go. People look at it as one country, but its actually so diverse and so big. Its to do with the freedom you have.. EW: [Laughs] You just have to ride, people just have to have a go. 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. Charley Boorman We *truly* wish him all the best and are hoping for a full (!) What do his doctors think about that? I love the fact that they ride bikes. But after exploring in different directions for a time, the two reunited, and then the clouds parted to reveal Machu Picchu, says McGregor. WebEwan McGregor and Charley Boorman are getting back on their motorcycles for a new adventure in Apple TV+'s "Long Way Up". The new Irish Sea Border: What does it mean? I don't want to give anything away, but one of the funniest moments of the trip as a viewer was that time in Ecuador when you basically couldn't leave a restaurant because of how many people wanted to see you. Revealed: First photos and premiere date of Long Way Up. I broke both my legs, broke and dislocated my right ankle and smashed my left tibia and fibula. He was appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2013 for his outstanding contributions to the world of dramatics and his charity work. 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. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. wBW providessubjective opinionsand information on hard-to-find and unique motorcycling products. 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. This form collects your contact information. But if I could have ridden with anybody Id have loved to have ridden with Lawrence of Arabia on a Brough Superior. 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. Its also a handy guide to the world of motorcycling, where everyone knows everyone, and they all obsess about cylinders and paint jobs and regard broken bones as part of the ride. During this time, he got an acting job on The Serpents Kiss in 1997, where he met McGregor, and they talked about bikes, because thats what bikers do, and cooked up the idea of a 19,000-mile, two-wheeled journey from London to New York that became 2004s Long Way Round a TV series, book and DVD. Charley Boorman Didn't think you were that famous? Let me just say that this trip exceeded every one of my expectations. So we had to bring them inside, where it wasn't actually that much warmer, so we also had to put blankets on top of the bikes to warm them up and get them charging again. And then I obviously had to have the second one, the second accident, where I really smashed myself up in South Africa. Boorman at last year's Chelsea Flower Show. Charley and I talk a lot about it, about how you hear people who should really know better dismissing electric-powered vehicles. recovery, on all fronts!.. The Mayor of London is not doing bikes any favours. 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 and Charley Boorman ride again on Long Way Up The Perito Moreno glacier in Argentinas Los Glaciares National Park, which rises above turquoise glacial waters. ", "Being in trouble with the wife [he has been married to Olivia for 27 years, with whom he has two daughters] is always scary. I just red the first time about the crash. How did you persevere and decide, I'm going to do this? Related: Youve Never Seen A Harley-Davidson LiveWire Like This. Long Way Down at the Lagoon Beach Hotel on August 4, 2007 in Cape Town, South Africa. I was on a bed pan for god knows how long and I just wanted to go to a regular toilet. Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor stop in Bolivia on their electric Harley- Davidson LiveWires. I just love it as a way of life. They rode their BMWs through Belgium, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, a large portion of Mongolia and Russia, the Road of Bones, Alaska, Canada and finally, the U.S.A.