I don't feel making a motorcycle trip must involve hardship and suffering to gather redemtion for ones fantasy. Is a motorcycle trip a form of pennace or just an enjoyable vacation. It seems to me its a cliquey thing amongst some bikers as to who had it the toughest. The reality is, outside the motorcycle community, 99.99999% of the people on planet earth never even heard of Long Way Round and dare say will ever watch it. Economics, politcal upheaval, and foolishness by travellers will increase attacks by bandits. I could care less about Long Way Round and have yet to watch. I just hope my next trip is the usual. I'll have a good time, meet interesting people, and enjoy the culture of the country I'm in. I think some people should climb down off their crosses. Best of luck to you on you trip and have a safe and enjoyable New Year.

Thanx Bossies. Didn't feel that Smitty's remark really warranted a reply, but thanx anyway.

Smitty, yes, you are probably right. If they phoned me, I probably would've jumped at the opportunity, I mean, who wouldn't?!

Thing is, they didn't, and that is why I am still saving up to go on my trip! And in here lies my point:

I don't have a problem with them doing any kind of a trip. The problem I have is how they commercially exploit their fame to draw attention to their trip in order to get sponsorships, free bikes etc. And my real problem is then that I get classified, same as millions of other celebrity worshippers, as somebody who is following a fad simply because a famous guy is doing it!

Well now. I must admit that at first I did not think it would be much of an adventure to travel with a couple of backup trucks and a sat phone with speed dial direct to BMW...but
after a couple of (heated) discusion on the subject I calmed down and thought about it.
Crossing any border with that circus must have been a mess, then riding 800lb bikes through that terrain would have had me second guessing my sanity...
Of course this was all BEFORE I even saw a tv episode of the journey.
Now I have seen a few bits of the programs, and the entire final one.
I liked the show,and am looking forward to seeing it all. Near the end the guys are wondering what the hell they are going to do when the ride is over(like alot of us)
They are hooked now, with Charlie riding in the Dakar and Ewan probably madly planning the next trip. Good on them.
When I meet them on the road I will buy the first round of beer, then Ewan can break out that BMW expense card ...
Cheers

firstly, I'm coming round to the idea of really dreaming about doing the Dakar. So I'm not having a go here....but,

'Boorman is doing the rally "for the common man" and has no ambitions to become a racing legend'

This has to be the funniest/lame-est sentence I've read in a long time. This was MCN (in the UK) writing about C Boorman's latest project (the Dakar on a BM 650).

maybe it's just funny after a few bottles of wine...

In the PD - it appears that Mr. Boorman has dropped out after stage 5. He doesn't show in the results of stage 6. On the Official PD website, there's no page of withdrawals, DNF's or DNS's so hard to say what happened, but you don't have poor Charlie to kick around anymore.

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quastdog
Seattle, Washington USA
F650GSDakar
R1150GS

Charles has a broken finger and cant go on any more.

Actor riding round the world
Actor having a go at Professional racing

what next...Prime Minister???

Why not Prime Minister, we yanks elected Ronald Reagan as President of the US and Arnold Schwarzenegger as Governor of California. Interesting things happen when you have actors acting as politicians.

where are you ? chapter o.

in front of my computer, reading longwayround, the bmw r 1200 gs adventure paris dakar in the garage.

I have a confession to make: while I don't have a back-up truck, I do have almost every bit of kit ever made. I have GPS and PDA, chain-oiler, heated clothes, cigar lighter, a small steel cylinder I chill cans in (!)...I carry spares of everything, the best tools, a handful of sim-cards for the phone, heaps of cash in various currencies...I usually eat in restaurants or in stalls by the roadside, rarely cook (even though I have an expensive gas cooker)...I sleep outside when it's on sand or there are no hotels about otherwise it's a hot bath and tv for me...if I have too big a problem on the road the bike would go on a truck and I'd fly home. Guess I'm just a small-scale Ewan. I've done plenty of the roughing it, but hell I like doing it the comfortable way too. Especially with a wife and son waiting for me to return from some crazy ride.

I'm not sure there's a black and white on this issue. You could say anyone who can admit to having any of the above gear is cheating - but then anyone with an engine in their bike could also be accused of the same thing!

I like it any way I can get it.

cheers
Brett

>>>In the PD - it appears that Mr. Boorman has dropped out after stage 5.

Was that Big Thursday? looked a heck of a day - the first (only?) real desert stage... Hate to be smug but out on 5 days was bang on a mini bet I made.
Terrible news about Andy Caldecott. It's no joke that race but I guess CB and Co got the TV show.

Ch