There’s not much motorcycling content on the TV these days as cable’s Motor Trend network has gone to an all-cars format and Motoamerca racing is soon to wrap up another season. We just took in some very good news on that front as the intrepid team of Ewan MacGregor and Charlie Boorman have announced another documentary series based on their globe-trotting two-wheeled adventures. The pair who rode around the world and into the hearts of millions of viewers with the original “Long Way Round” series in 2004 are heading back onto the road for a new, 10-part adventure series, that will follow the pair as they ride vintage motorcycles on a 10,000-mile journey from London, England through some of the remotest parts of Eastern Europe.
“It has been such a pleasure to get back on the road on motorcycles with my best friend Ewan,” Boorman recently said. “We’ve talked about doing this trip on old bikes since the last one. Traveling around Scandinavia and Europe has been a blast on our beautiful bikes.” The series will be broadcast on the Apple TV streaming network and finds them tackling strenuous, 250-mile days in the saddles of Boorman’s antique BMW Boxer twin and Ewan riding a refurbished Moto Guzzi California twin.
Episode One will find the two lifelong friends and serious biking enthusiasts riding from Ewan’s home in rural Scotland to Charley’s home in England. Rather than take the direct route though, they will cross the North Sea and ride up through Scandinavia, to the Artic Circle. This will be the fourth documentary journey the team has embarked on, having ridden a pair of BMW R1200Gs adventure bikes in the first series, followed by a sequel with 2007’s “Long Way Down” that saw them reach the tip of the Agrican continent after a grueling trek across the Sahara Desert. Just four years back, they rode through some of the roughest terrain of South and Central America in “Long Way Up” aboard two of Harley-Davidson’s Live Wire electric motorcycles, which presented some crazy, unbelievable technical challenges.
If you’ve yet to watch any of the series they’re arguably the best and most engaging motorcycle documentaries we’ve yet seen. The motorcycles and the bonds of friendship enjoyed by the two men are stretched to the limit as they press on through some of the roughest roads and most interesting places on the planet. Enjoying what’s commonly called “immersion travel” the pair eat with local tribespeople, live rough in tents and whatever accommodations they’re offered and generally live life to the fullest. We’re not alone in praising the “Long Way” series as the original broadcast helped propel BMW’s GS 1200 to the top-selling spot in Europe for several years. I challenge anyone on two wheels to complete one of these series without considering a long-distance ride of their own, whether it be across a continent or just to your favorite riding destination.
The entire journey will cover some 15 countries, exploring some of the best roads on the continent along the way, the press release promises. Keep an eye on Apple TV listings and enjoy a fascinating ride from the comfort of your sofa.
