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. The support team with the production crew followed them in custom-built Rivian R1S all-electric SUVs. Update lata., Endingwith: Charley Update: OK, hes come round after op. 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, This form collects your contact information. Then I was in a wheelchair for ages. 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. What do his doctors think about that? 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. (Photo by Michelly Rall/WireImage), How A Finicky Fiat Helped Lead To The Creation Of The Leatherman Multitool, Five Great Motorcycles Rolling Our Way For 2023, Formula Ones New Medical Car Is The Aston Martin DBX707, Garmin DriveCam 76 Review: Finally, A GPS Device With A Built-In Dash Camera, UVEye Provides Automotive MRI For Car Service Customers, Dealers, Review: 2023 Nissan Leaf Remains A Great Inexpensive Electric, Look! (Charley crashed on a Triumph launch in Spain a couple of years ago.). As I approached I heard him say, So, Olivia, youre a beautiful girl, do you want to come to Australia with me?. Boorman was involved in a serious accident whilst test riding a motorbike with journalists in Portugal in 2016. I've crashed a lot in the past. The torque is unbelievable, its fun to be sort of silent and it's just a different riding experience. 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. appreciated. JAG: Charley, you were in quite a few different wrecks over the years. 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. The final leg took them through Zambia, Namibia, Botswana and into South Africa. The first trip in the series was shot in the year 2004, when they set out on a 19,000-mile journey from London to New York City on BMW R1150GS Adventure bikes. I get in trouble with her for silly things - but I can't talk about them. Electric bikes are brilliant. That was sort of a wake-up call to me that we mustn't let this friendshipthis very special relationship to medrift. Im self-employed so getting a job is my biggest challenge. I mean you could cross America back and forth on an electric motorcycle without any worries as there are so many fast chargers now. 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). WebCharley Boorman, adventurer, motorbike enthusiast and no. WebCharley Boorman's South African Adventure: With Charley Boorman. 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. The thing I remember most was flying through the air and seeing the pavement and wall and thinking, 'This is going to hurt'. 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. 1:41 PM EDT, Thu September 17, 2020, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman take on a 13,000-mile e-bike journey in the Apple TV+ series, "Long Way Up.". The title song was performed by Welsh group Stereophonics and is identical to the Long Way Round theme, with the lyric "round" replaced with "down". I love the fact that they ride bikes. 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. Sponsors, including Triumph, kept him afloat, but as well as pain and frustration, he faced crashing boredom. 2023 Cable News Network. 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. (One quick note: this interview has been edited for clarity, and it's also a lot better when you read McGregors copy in his Scottish burr.). Ewan McGregor: Really once you've experienced that sort of adventure travel like weve done, it's sort of in you. Was smiling and joking before he seen the needle!, And: Awaiting return from surgery. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Id love to the do Simpson Desert. But if I could have ridden with anybody Id have loved to have ridden with Lawrence of Arabia on a Brough Superior. Did you encounter any technical issues? That was a dodgy one. Ive pretty much broken everything but you cant fix your head. The truth is you just have to have a go. Also, insurance is very expensive and bike theft is a big issue. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. I write about motorcycles, ebikes, cars, trucks and mobility tech. It doesn't happen to me that often, you know, to be sort of holed up in a restaurant with a mob outside. Husqvarna announces Norden 901 Expedition for 2023, New Tnr 700 versions for 2023 announced by Yamaha, Ride this incredible route through the Lake District, Discover the best motorcycle routes in Northern Spain, See Charleys Long Way Round BMW R 1150 GSA on your next ride-out, The first trailer for Long Way Up is here, Long Way Up: Ewan reveals the challenges of riding an electric bike, Watch: Riding on the frontlines in war-torn Iraq, Charley Boorman tweet sparks new TV series excitement. 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 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. After visiting the pyramids, they boarded a ferry to Sudan, continued into Ethiopia and then into Kenya, where they crossed the equator. But once you were able to charge the bikes with the Rivians, that seemed to be a total game-changer for the trip. Obi-Wan Kenobi was right, you know: That is a major twist. Once it became a little warmer, the batteries became much more friendly and we got more distance out of it. In fact, I borrowed (wife) Olivias scooter to go to the shops because I couldnt change gears with the cage around my leg. He didnt see the funny side. The two have been close friends since meeting on the set of the 1997 film, The Serpents Kiss which must be watched, if only for the wig work. Is the Honda CRF300L the best beginner trail bike? 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. You know, helmet on and no one knows who you are. 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. 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. I just love seeing Mother Nature like this, watching the land change as we go by. I taped him on the shoulder and said, I dont think my wife wants to go to Australia with you but I do. He looked me up and down and simply said No and then walked off. 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. EW: [Laughs] You just have to ride, people just have to have a go. With that one, I don't remember anything. Dealing with things such as insane cold meant moving bikes indoors overnight and wearing all the clothes. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, reading fiction books, watching movies, and spending time with his pet cats and dogs. The journey ended at Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of the continent, from where they were accompanied to Cape Town by a phalanx of bikers, similar to their arrival in New York on the Long Way Round. That was the case for Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, who ended their last biking adventure 13 years ago at the end of the Long Way Downtelevision series. Technology, performance and design delivered to your inbox. Charley will be leading a pack of Adventure 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. John Boorman often cast his children in his films as well as Telsche, who became a writer, and Katrine, now an actor and producer, Charley has a twin sister, Daisy, and three stepsiblings from his fathers second marriage. And they just did. 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. Learn more about us. 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. Related: 2021 BMW R1250 GS & GS Adventure. Im lucky enough to have a few. 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. Not just get on a bike again, but go basically 13,000 miles on an electric motorcycle? 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. Then I noticed the guy beside me and then he wasn't in a very good way at all and it was at that moment that I kind of realized that actually, these are just some broken bones and I'll get through this. But now, some 18 months later, Charley is back in the saddle, pursuing adventure with more enthusiasm than ever before. Holiday? WebCharley Boorman, adventurer, motorbike enthusiast and no. 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. I did a movie wth my father called The Emerald Forest in South America, but thats the only time Ive been. CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 04: Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman mark the finish line of The [+] Long Way Down at the Lagoon Beach Hotel on August 4, 2007 in Cape Town, South Africa. The first one (Long Way Down) because it was all new. 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. I was on a bed pan for god knows how long and I just wanted to go to a regular toilet. The problem is that riders are very individual and not part of the scene or a club. Maybe when Im too old to do the adventures and TV shows Ill have these tours to keep me occupied. You join the family theyve created under these particular conditions, and you feel how much they all mean to one another. Apparently, after completing two epic motorbike adventures, the two felt they needed an additional challenge. And then theres the charging. The bone came out of my skin. Related: Youve Never Seen A Harley-Davidson LiveWire Like This. From Kenya, they rode to Uganda and then Rwanda, where they had an audience with President Paul Kagame. Rivian also installed charging stations along the more desolate parts of the route. Will update U., The funny man followed up with:@charleyboorman is now in surgery but was in good spirits before going in. I consent to allow Adventure Bike Rider to collect my contact information (required), I would like to receive competitions, exclusive offers and other promotional emails from Adventure Bike Rider, I understand that I can unsubscribe at any time. They crossed 13 countries, namely Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, and the U.S.A. When you stop at traffic lights, you can hear people talking as they're walking down the pavement, it's a fantastic experience. 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. After being released without charge, he took a later flight to Inverness, and the journey began as scheduled. The team anticipated problems at the various borders crossings, particularly in Africa. [1] They were accompanied by the same key team members from Long Way Round, including cameraman and director of photography Claudio Von Planta and cameraman Jimmy Simak (who also oversaw music supervision and soundtrack production), and producers Russ Malkin and David Alexanian. Can you raise it? I was just coming out the hotel in the morning and was passing a car when the driver decided to turn down a lane. You may opt-out by. Im too stupid to be anything other than open about my life. See our review policies for more information. Id love to ride with (princes) Harry and William. 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. That was my therapy, to get back on the motorbike. I was overtaking a car on my motorbike when it clipped me, sending me careering into a wall. I remember having the door open and contemplating whether I'd have to jump. Both men received some off-road riding instruction before departure and came through to finish the ride, though not without various struggles. Charley had a terrible accident and was very badly injured. From abseiling down Cape Town's iconic Table Mountain, to learning how to rodeo in Canada, prepare for a non We took their LiveWire bike and we said Look, can you make it into a dual sports bike for us? 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. And so we found each other again and decided to do this trip.. 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 When he came to rest, as he casually puts it, my leg was all flippy-floppy, bending in the wrong places and I just find myself thinking about it a lot. 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. Its to do with the freedom you have.. Hopefully just riding dirt bikes with mates. (The places these two bunk overnight, at least in the first three episodes, are hardly five-star. In 2016, Charley met with a serious accident when test riding with motorbike journalists in Portugal where he broke both his legs. But they arrived in Ushuaia after we did. This time, McGregor and Boorman are making it even harder on themselves, taking a pair of electric Harley-Davidson LiveWire motorcycles transformed into dual-sport adventure bikes and a pair of Rivian RT1 electric pickup trucks from Ushuaia in the southernmost tip of Argentina, up through South America, Central America, into Mexico, and ending in Los Angeles, California. However, the pair undertook the journey on fully electric motorcycles, something which had never been done before. But we just picked up from where we left off, and we're just having a laugh again and then, of course, we started talking about motorbikes and then we started thinking, well, what about that long way up? Badar enjoys driving cars, writing about cars, watching movies and anime about cars; basically, he loves cars! 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. 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. They took the Channel Tunnel to France and rode south to Italy. 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. Having explored much of Europe and most recently Thailand on two wheels, hes now got his sights set on exploring more of the world by motorcycle. That was a one-off, because of Star Wars. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much More importantly, the pair hopes the show will give people a new appreciation for where electric vehicle technology is at this moment, and the kinds of eco-conscious adventures that are already possible in far-flung areas of our increasingly fragile environment. Please send Charley your best wishes via Twitter. A division of A07 Online Media, LLC. It could generate 105 horsepower, 86 pound-feet of torque, and had a top speed of 110 mph. S02E01 Cape Town January 9, 2013; Channel 5 (UK) Charley begins in Cape Town and abseils from the WebLong Way Round: Created by David Alexanian, Charley Boorman, Russ Malkin, Ewan McGregor. Out in the country you would need a hybrid or something to get more range. We chatted to Jody Ocker who is currently traversing Africa with Charley! Although the American crew members were barred from entering Libya, this was anticipated ahead of their arrival. The book abounds with bikes trashed and accidents endured, including the time Boorman rode 400km in the Dakar Rally with broken hands. It was a surprise though, it's not an everyday occurrence for me! 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". I do owe quite a lot of thanks to him for that.. JAG: When it comes to the electric bikes, there seemed to be a lot of range anxiety at the beginning of the trip for you two. Revealed: First photos and premiere date of Long Way Up. 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. 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? wBW providessubjective opinionsand information on hard-to-find and unique motorcycling products. Charley, besides being an avid motorcycle enthusiast, is an actor, TV presenter, and travel writer. Harley just nailed it. A bike tour with my wife. 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. From abseiling down Cape Town's iconic Table Mountain, to learning how to rodeo in Canada, prepare for a non In Uganda, they met former child soldiers of the Lord's Resistance Army and saw the work being done to rehabilitate them. I rode all the way to my front door from Ushuaia it was a pleasure, that.. 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. JAG: The crazy part was it wasnt only the bikes, you guys had the Rivian pickups too. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I thought Id broken my hip just for the sake of going down the shops! Both McGregor and Boorman had visited such centres in Africa previously. As an aside, I could watch Charley Boorman layer up (please put this on TikTok) all day. Ive never really had any regrets. ", "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 really thought, 'S***, he's going to kill us'. 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. Its what we've left that behind for other people to use, which is cool. He was last seen starring as Obi Wan Kenobi in Disney+ original series Obi Wan Kenobi in 2022. What we hadn't realized is how much the weather actually affects these electric vehicles. Travel back by ADAC. This documentary series follows actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman on a motorcycle trip around the world. [5] In March 2017, during a Reddit AMA, Ewan said there were "no plans at the moment" to do a third installment of the series. Click here to read more about his African tours. It just seemed to be a better fit with what I was doing with The Bike Shed. Billy Ward. The television series began broadcast on BBC Two on 28 October 2007,[3] with clips also shown online. 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. ", "Being in trouble with the wife [he has been married to Olivia for 27 years, with whom he has two daughters] is always scary. CB: Certainly those first few weeks had a steep learning curve. He was in a wheelchair for a while before recuperating and getting back on the motorbike. Smiling, looking forward 2 getting home. This article is about the TV documentary series. Take a LiveWire around your city and youll just have such a laugh. Updated We were lucky, we had assistance from Rivian. 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. (Photo by Michelly Rall/WireImage). 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. 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. Shots posted as recently as September 14th on the Facebook fan page Long Way Everywhere appear to show Ewan and team on the road with the Livewire bikes, charging them up as they go. Ive ordered a nurses uniform always wanted one. [4] I love them all. Update 2moro. 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, How did you persevere and decide, I'm going to do this? 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. 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. And that happens regularly. She likes riding (pillon passenger) too, after she start doing it, the first time with me. He did lose a lot of work: a planned TV show about a bike trip through the perilous Darien Gap in Central America that had taken a year to plan, and commercial tours with bike fans in Australia and Africa, a lucrative offshoot of his celebrity. 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. Oha! The first episode of Long Way Up is all preparation and planning, which was incredibly fun to follow. Use your recovery as the spine of the book. A Mercedes clipped the Triumph he was riding in Portugal. Charley had just returned from a Compass Expeditions Weve joined selected affiliate programs which will allow us to place advertisements for select motorcycle and motorcycle-related product retailers on the site. This path of chargers on the route still exists, and its our Long Way Up legacy. 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. Ive ridden quite a few and a friend came along on the recent (Compass Expeditions) Tassie tour on a Zero (electric motorcycle). 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. Long Way Down at the Lagoon Beach Hotel on August 4, 2007 in Cape Town, South Africa. People should at least wear a helmet, gloves and ankle riding boots. However, American producer David Alexanian and cameraman Jimmy Simak were unable to obtain the necessary entry visas and were forced to fly from Tunisia to Egypt. Series 6, Episode 4. British adventurer Charley Boorman treks across Canada and discovers what makes the country amazing. I just love it as a way of life. JAG: How do we get people more interested in motorcycles? Essentially the bottom of my leg was hanging off, only held on by the calf muscle. 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. It comes to its conclusion.. And then I obviously had to have the second one, the second accident, where I really smashed myself up in South Africa. 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. 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. They last about four days each and we will do them over long weekends. We'd sort of slightly drifted apart just because Id moved to America, Charley was very busy and whenever I was in Britain, he seemed to be away on one of his bike trips and making another show and I kept missing him. They let us in and let us plug in our bikes as they showed us around and explained how everything worked. 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. Ewan and I didnt really know what we were doing. They also decided to travel with medic Dai Jones, cameraman and security officer Jim Foster, and various "fixers"local guides and interpreters. Moped narrowly avoids 70mph train at level crossing, Tom Sizemore: The Hollywood hardman who fell from grace, Calm weekend will turn to freezing as snow and ice warnings issued, Hong Kong activists convicted over failure to comply with security law, Actor Tom Sizemore dies after career tarnished by scandals. [Chuckles]. ", "I remember taking a 4x4 up the Sani Pass in South Africa, which goes up into Lesotho. Live your life and do some fun stuff. All good. I wish you all the best, Charlie. South America. 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.