The hype was definitely bigger over here. I was mistaken for Ewan a few times in western Kazakstan. A foreigner on a BMW, so it must be that guy we saw on TV!
Where are you guys in the UK at the moment? Is this the final destination?
Sean

I was doing some grocery shopping the other day at my local Tesco. Not a very big branch either. They had 5 different books on sale. One was "The long way around". Presently I'm threatening people who want to send it me as a gift, to disown them.
ChrisB

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TheBrightStuffDotCom

Dear David and Cheryl,
Perhaps they just see the bike and look for point of common interest and are not to know every other punter you've met has said the same thing?
Similarly, as a Scot in Australia a few years back I got loads of Aussies slagging off the English to me assuming I'd agree. I tell ya, that got old f*cking quick.
matt

Seann,
We are staying at Sutton Coldfield near Birmingham. Go to Ireland in 2 weeks then back here....then back to Europe in September...then back here.( You see it is free(family) where we are staying at the moment.) Would then like to ship bikes to USA and spend a bit of time in that part of the world before going back to Australia. But the money is fast slipping away here in the UK so will just have to see how it lasts...that is the final decider....money.or lack of it!

From the Gas Gas site.

Charley Boorman (Long Way Round) trains with GAS GAS 7 Jun 2005

-Charley Boorman, Ewan McGregors partner in the popular 'Long Way Round' World trip on the BMW bikes has now agreed his next adventure, "THE DAKAR RALLY" !

Charley will compete the Dakar alongside rally specialist Simon Pavey again supported by BMW. Simon is the man that has the job of training and 'molding' Charley into a 'Rally Rider'.
A full documentry TV series has been agreed togther with a book and DVD deal about his next adventure.

Realising the Dakar is going to be a massive challenge, he needs to spend as much time as possible from now until the Rally, riding and training with Simon etc.
As BMW do not make a small, lightweight 2 stroke Enduro bike, Si approached me to see if GAS GAS would be interested in supporting Charley with GAS GAS Enduro bikes to train on.
Naturally i jumped at the chance to help Charley out, after having a huge amount of respect for what he and Ewan achieved with Long Way Round and hopefully to get some good publicity for GAS GAS !"

Charley had his debut GAS GAS ride at the recent "MOTUL, W.O.R race" nr. Ashbourne last Sunday and was duly impressed with his new EC300.

Good luck guys!

You lot think you get it bad..

At least you don't share the same name. How many times have I heard someone say to me "Oh just like Ewan McGregor.." when I tell them I'm traveling europe solo by bike..

Mind you the thought of wangling a free trip down the pan american highway sounds appealing. Wonder if there's a media opening for a two Ewan team..

reading the book (if you can wade through it's depressing pages, repeatedly bleating on about being homesick or tired) will prove your theory about advertising over content. the DVD is better as at least you can admire the scenery!

if you want to read a properly good book then have a look at www.plymouth-dakar.com (oh alright it is mine, I admit it, but people say it's a good read and the funds go to a good cause)!

andy

toyota landcruiser h60
landrover101 ambie/camper
morris minor traveller

Holy moly - am I in trouble?! As you all may have guessed it was me that deleted my topic - I thought it had wound itself out and I love deleting anything (a bit too much in fact, deleted all my websites the other day...).
Still, it seems The Return of the Ewan is well on the way.

Talking about being irritated by the LWR effect, as if we are following ther lead - that quote above I used on the back of AMH5 (from their book) was described as an 'endorsement' by a recent review of AMH5 - and so it was assumed that AMH5 must be worthwhile. Galling.
We're all at it tho': at the BMF Rally every TTech pannier on their stand had stickers "Touratech saved my life! Ewan M"

Del Boy

I got asked a couple times if I was Scottish in Oz. It was a funny change of pace from asking if I was Canadian. Next time out, I'm wearing a t-shirt that says in the 6 UN languages: "Sorry our president is an idiot. I didn't vote for him."



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Random attempts have
been made at RTW on
a '65 Ducati 250cc

Bugger Dave, we are getting more like them....(americans)... every day after all, or was it just the amount of Scotch being drunk!

Being probobly the last person on the planet to read the mighty tome "Long Way Round" due mainly to my hectic social life I now feel empowered to add my sixpennyworth.

Don't actors swear a lot.

Ride safe, Mike

Just thought someone here might be interested to know,
In India, Discovery Travel and Living (The lifestyle channel of the Discovery Channel) are showing a 5 part series on the Ride by Ewan McGregor and his friend : The long way around!
Every day this week at 9 PM.
It is also being advertised quite heavily in Newspapers and the like, guess this will pump up the interest in RIDING among Indians!
Red Bull

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Ride far, ride safe , ride often,,,...
http://theroyalenfieldbullet.blogspot.com/
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hari_iyer_s/my_photos

Reb Bull I appreciate your enthusiasm, are you an american by chance?

I know motorcycle travel has reached the mainstream, since my 68 year old mother, who is clueless about bikes, bought me the Long Way Round DVD for Christmas. I finally got around to watching it. I was prepared to hate it, but really thought it was far better than nearly all of the drivel on tv. Sure they had a big budget and a secretarial staff, but they still screwed up their paperwork and fell in the mud like the rest of us. Adventure means something different to each of us. Ride your own ride.

hello,
there s a 70 road movies festival nowdays in paris, around the "easy rider" film.
http://www.forumdesimages.net/fr/index.php
with very nice "classic" movies, some around motorbiking stories (but not ewan's).