I really hope Charley and Ewan do ride together soon in another adventure. Charley is a much-loved and frequent visitor to Australia where he leads Outback tours with Compass Expeditions. You dont have to do a six-month motorcycle adventure, just a day can be an adventure. Let me just say that this trip exceeded every one of my expectations. Actors, best friends, and lifelong motorbike enthusiasts Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman are perhaps best known in the automotive community for their 'Long Way' series all 3 of which you can watch on Apple TV+ of long-distance motorbike trips across various continents. I wish you all the best, Charlie. 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. No, not THAT twist. He has his own YouTube channel where he posts videos on motorbikes. I thought Id broken my hip just for the sake of going down the shops! 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. I would hate to sit there at 90 and think I wished Id done more. You seemed genuinely surprised that everyone knew who you were. The bikes had a 1,130cc engine and a six-speed gearbox that was good for 85 horsepower and 75 pound-feet of torque. The new Irish Sea Border: What does it mean? Weve joined selected affiliate programs which will allow us to place advertisements for select motorcycle and motorcycle-related product retailers on the site. Technology, performance and design delivered to your inbox. And thats when the real magic begins. This one: Ewan McGregor (aka the young Obi-Wan in the Star Wars prequels and soon a new back-story Disney series) and his wingman, Brit TV personality Charley Boorman, have reportedly begun production of the third entry in their popular Long Way motorcycle road trip TV series, and are set to travel from the southern reaches of South America and ride the long way up to the United States. He has a deep passion for and vast knowledge about JDM cars. 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). In a video interview with CNN Travel, McGregor explained, We drifted apart somewhat. I did a movie wth my father called The Emerald Forest in South America, but thats the only time Ive been. The son of renowned film director John Boorman, he grew up on a farm in Ireland and used to ride through the fields on his first motorbike and took part in schoolboy motor cross and Enduro races. 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. Then I was in a wheelchair for ages. The soundtrack features music drawn substantially from the catalogue of Real World Records, which produced the accompanying album. People look at it as one country, but its actually so diverse and so big. She likes riding (pillon passenger) too, after she start doing it, the first time with me. 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. A Warner Bros. there really isnt anywhere left to go but up, and a pair of Rivian RT1 electric pickup trucks. The first episode of Long Way Up is all preparation and planning, which was incredibly fun to follow. 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. Ahead of that, The Drive had a chance to talk to McGregor and Boorman about their trip. In fact, I borrowed (wife) Olivias scooter to go to the shops because I couldnt change gears with the cage around my leg. By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. Can you put an off-road suspension on it? The two pals are back for their third globe-spanning motorcycle adventureand we sat down with them to talk about it. South Africa. Im crazy about bike riding for now 39 years. Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman take on South America 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. As with their previous trip, and Boorman's Race to Dakar, Russ Malkin's company Big Earth produced the series. 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. Enjoy this party classic with an updated RT twist - fun for all the family! Poring over a map of the world at home one quiet Saturday afternoon, Ewan McGregor - actor and self-confessed bike nut - noticed that it was possible to ride all the way round the world, with just one short hop across the Bering Strait from Russia to Alaska. Here are some facts about the 'Long Way' series and what Ewan and Charley are up to today. 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. They last about four days each and we will do them over long weekends. 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. British adventurer Charley Boorman treks across Canada and discovers what makes the country amazing. (Photo by Michelly Rall/WireImage). :) Really, its a -big- shock and so, just to drop a comment; & once again, all the best!! 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. That makes it very complicated and I dont understand how people are so tribal about it. From Kenya, they rode to Uganda and then Rwanda, where they had an audience with President Paul Kagame. A bit of separation is not a bad thing and I always try to schedule trips while the kids are at school. Motorcycle adventurer Charley Boorman has bared all for Motorbike Writer readers, including his backside! 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 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. I understand why they ride bikes: One, because they love it and two because it gives them anonymity. . Nite!. In 2016, Charley met with a serious accident when test riding with motorbike journalists in Portugal where he broke both his legs. I just find myself thinking about it a lot. So it goes with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman and their third globe-trotting adventure, a follow-up to the epic journeys documented in 2004s The Long Way Round and 2007s The Long Way Down. Will update U., The funny man followed up with:@charleyboorman is now in surgery but was in good spirits before going in. The series was added to Apple TV+ on 18 September 2020 along with the first iteration Long Way Round (2004) and sequel Long Way Up (2020). He smiled and nodded his head. We *truly* wish him all the best and are hoping for a full (!) The answer was the pair drifted apart over the past decade and its only thanks to two broken legs and a barbecue that they reunited for their latest adventure, Id love to ride with (princes) Harry and William. Ewan McGregor, besides being an actor, has been an activist and the ambassador for UNICEF UK since 2004. Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman ride again on Long Way Up He had shattered his left tibia and fibula and broken his right ankle and wrist. Ive never really had any regrets. A year ago, the 50-year-old who started out as a child actor in his father Johns films and gained a second bite at stardom on television as Ewan McGregors motorcycling partner in the Long Way adventure travel series suffered a horrific bike crash. 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. Never did I think I would not ride again. All Rights Reserved. So I pulled my pants down and swung my legs around, missed the toilet and ended up wedged between the toilet and the wall. All these vehicles are all frontier tech and you both seemed pretty damn worried during the first couple of episodes. When you stop at traffic lights, you can hear people talking as they're walking down the pavement, it's a fantastic experience. Rivian also installed charging stations along the more desolate parts of the route. In one of my classrooms when I was at school, there was a poster of Machu Picchu. I was on a bed pan for god knows how long and I just wanted to go to a regular toilet. They rode the BMW R1200GS Adventure, the successor to the R1150GS Adventure bikes in Long Way Round.[2]. For Long Way Up, which debuts globally on Apple TV+ on September 18 with the first three episodes, McGregor and Boorman reunite to ride 13,000 miles from Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, to Los Angeles, California. Its been more than a decade since Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman rode triumphantly into Cape Town at the end of a journey that saw them travel the length of Africa on their BMW R 1200 GS Adventure motorcycles. From abseiling down Cape Town's iconic Table Mountain, to learning how to rodeo in Canada, prepare for a non Send him yor best. 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 have a shed about 20 minutes from home where I have a dirt bike, the T120 custom, a Beta 400, a motocross bike, a sportsbike and what am I up to? But once you were able to charge the bikes with the Rivians, that seemed to be a total game-changer for the trip. Last year, he was involved in a horrific accident in Portugal, in which he nearly lost his leg, when he was clipped on his motorbike by a car and ended up slamming into a wall. Each bike weighed about 505 pounds. Web Charley Boorman Africa Touring Hear it from Charley During August to October Im leading a whole bunch of bikers on an incredible trip from Cape Town to Victoria Falls and In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, reading fiction books, watching movies, and spending time with his pet cats and dogs. 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. 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I was just coming back from the bathroom and he was sitting in my chair chatting up my wife. Long Way Back is an account of Boormans recovery, and also the story of his life, touching on his dyslexia (he takes great pride in having a literary agent), the death of his older sister Telsche from ovarian cancer at the age of 38 in 1997, and his own loss of a testicle to cancer in 2010. Bikes, cars and trucks all race at the same time. I was overtaking a car on my motorbike when it clipped me, sending me careering into a wall. With the right planning, of course. I think its too difficult and expensive to get your licence now. 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. See our review policies for more information. Jon Alain Guzik: Youve been around and down, why decide to go up this time? The book abounds with bikes trashed and accidents endured, including the time Boorman rode 400km in the Dakar Rally with broken hands. 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. Revealed: First photos and premiere date of Long Way Up. WebWild at Heart Season 6 Episode 4. Hope Charley is doing OK. Id love to see Tiffany Coates standing in for him rather than his engagements having to be cancelled. It is a follow-up to the Long Way Round of 2004, when the pair rode east from London to New York via Eurasia and North America. Boormans first thought when he was told he might lose his leg was: Well, at least I can still ride he knows an amputee stunt rider who uses a magnet to keep his artificial limb on his bikes foot peg, you see. They had pretty much changed their whole fleet and they wanted to show me. 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. Holiday? I write about motorcycles, ebikes, cars, trucks and mobility tech. 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. I just red the first time about the crash. However, although delays of a few hours were common, there were few significant problems at crossing points as they travelled further south. A Mercedes clipped the Triumph he was riding in Portugal. The team travelled from their base in Shepherd's Bush, London, to John o' Groats at the northern tip of Scotland to begin their journey. Here's What Ewan McGregor And Charley Boorman Are Up To Today, all 3 of which you can watch on Apple TV+, Youve Never Seen A Harley-Davidson LiveWire Like This, Charley met with a serious accident when test riding with motorbike journalists in Portugal. 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. 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. I usually go back the way we came with them so they can experience it as well. 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. How did you persevere and decide, I'm going to do this? Fill in your details below to join the weekly Adventure Bike Rider Bulletin and get the latest adventure motorcycling news delivered right to your inbox. Travel back by ADAC. There were moments towards the end of this trip that I said to Charley, that I could do this forever, I feel like I could keep going. The trip, well-planned as it was, does not get off to an easy start, owing to unseasonably cold weather (it was the worst winter in since 1994 this time last year), as well as the trial of using vehicles that had yet to be tested in such conditions. Ewan McGregor rode home with an undiagnosed broken leg after a crash in London, while he and Boorman were planning their second odyssey, Long Way Down, and Boorman tells me horrific stories of the likes of comedian Ross Noble (another mate) tweeting pictures of injuries from wipeouts. Weve joined selected affiliate programs which will allow us to place advertisements for select motorcycle and motorcycle-related product retailers on the site. ", "The latest accident in Portugal was pretty scary. It comes to its conclusion.. 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. Update 2moro. But I did perfect the wheelchair wheelie with a lot of pain. [Chuckles]. I said can you give me a hand? and she just shook her head and said no. McGregor's wife, Eve, who learned to ride only for the journey, joined them partway and took several falls on sandy terrain in Malawi and Zambia, apparently without injury. Although the American crew members were barred from entering Libya, this was anticipated ahead of their arrival. It really is close now. His German mother, Christel, died a few years ago. Sponsors, including Triumph, kept him afloat, but as well as pain and frustration, he faced crashing boredom. I rode all the way to my front door from Ushuaia it was a pleasure, that.. He was last seen starring as Obi Wan Kenobi in Disney+ original series Obi Wan Kenobi in 2022. So far, theres no word on when the new series will be released. Long Way Round For me, off-road riding is one of the purest forms of riding and I particularly like sand. I'd had a lot of surgeryboth my legs were smashed up, my right hand had broken bones. ", "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. I fell off that as well. Can you change the seat? I put the question to Charley during the making of the latest issue ofAdventure Bike Ridermagazine (issue 59). WATCH: Ewan McGregor in action on the Moto Guzzi V85 TT, but will he take it on the Long Way Up? Can you do this, that and the other?" Charley Boorman is riding again after his major motorcycle crash in 2016 and ready for his big African adventure later this year. It is a follow-up to the Long Way Round of 2004, when the pair rode east from London to New York via Eurasia and North America. WebCharley Boorman, adventurer, motorbike enthusiast and no. 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.. 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. The Perito Moreno glacier in Argentinas Los Glaciares National Park, which rises above turquoise glacial waters. But once they start to put real mileage between themselves and Ushuaia, a relatively predictable rhythm sets in that propels the journey forward with fewer headaches and anxieties. Charley saw it as a means to hang out with interesting people and earn money to buy motorbikes, and doesnt miss it at all. Its to do with the freedom you have.. The European leg ended in Sicily, where they caught a ferry to Tunisia. 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 Boorman 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? Theyll have to make it all the way up first. It was exactly what the doctor ordered.. Riding electric, it's just a mindset and you know from driving an electric car in LA, then you know what it is. HotCars covers all things automotive: the latest auto news and informative reviews on the car, pickup truck and motorcycle industries. And because the Long Way Up route terminates in Los Angeles, where McGregor lives, his 13,000 mile journey ended on his own driveway. Up In The Air! The visuals satisfy an increasingly unbearable wanderlust that has become more acute during this year of coronavirus lockdown. When it's extremely cold, you know, the batteries don't perform as well. It appears he will be tagging along on this ride as well as he appears with McGregor in one Facebook image. Re-watching By Any Means for the 20th time at the moment. That was my therapy, to get back on the motorbike. That was a one-off, because of Star Wars. With Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman, David Alexanian, Russ Malkin. The book and TV show enabled me to do the Dakar and the other tours and books and shows, so it really changed my life. With equity release you could access a lump-sum of tax-free cash which can be used to enhance your retirement income, make home improvements, or even enjoy a memorable holiday. The support team with the production crew followed them in custom-built Rivian R1S all-electric SUVs. I mean you could cross America back and forth on an electric motorcycle without any worries as there are so many fast chargers now. I was just unlucky because if you break one leg you can continue to walk on the other one, but I broke both and I was in bed for five months. When I was getting a little bit better, and Ewan came to London to stay with me we started chatting about that third trip that we really wanted to do. Didn't think you were that famous? The Long Way motorcycle adventurer WebThis is Charleys touring show with of an added update regards his accident last year how it happened and how the recovery is going. If I'm at work or I'm sitting there between takes, or I am sitting in my trailer or whatever, I find myself daydreaming about a ribbon of road coming at me from somewhere. Ive ridden quite a few and a friend came along on the recent (Compass Expeditions) Tassie tour on a Zero (electric motorcycle). The team anticipated problems at the various borders crossings, particularly in Africa. 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. EM: You just have to change your mindset. JAG: Why the long pause between the trips and the shows? After being released without charge, he took a later flight to Inverness, and the journey began as scheduled. Billy writes on his Twitter account: CB had accident today in Portugal @ Global launch of Triumph Explorer. He was in a wheelchair for a while before recuperating and getting back on the motorbike. 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. How do we get someone more interested in EVs and becoming a better eco steward while still being, you know, a total degenerate biker? In the opener, he sees icebergs; tries screeching; visits the graves of Titanic victims; and encounters a tidal bore. But when you and your best friend are the two most recognisable faces in adventure biking, people start to ask questions when you havent been seen together in a while. The result is my recent book the Long Way Back. [6] In June 2019, it was reported that Boorman confirmed that the filming of a third installment would begin "in a few months". Theyre already talking about making it harder. Scottish star Mr McGregor, 49, first rose to prominence in Danny Boyles cult classic Trainspotting and subsequently starred in blockbusters including Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker and DC 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. And that happens regularly. 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. It was a surprise though, it's not an everyday occurrence for me! 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. All Rights Reserved. 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 at the Lagoon Beach Hotel on August 4, 2007 in Cape Town, South Africa. I first met him in London at a restaurant. . Africa Touring Hear it from Charley Charley Boorman if you're if your daily commute is less than 100 miles, which let's face it, most of us don't ride more than 100 miles a day on our bikes. His close friend and partner on the road Charley Boorman, a fellow actor turned journeyman writer and TV presenter is similarly moved by the scenery. In Uganda, they met former child soldiers of the Lord's Resistance Army and saw the work being done to rehabilitate them.