(Quote)
I think they should be invited to the next HU meeting to give us all a talk on how to do a trip down Africa.

B

These are probably the 2 best posts on here, Well said chaps, to even get in touch to enquire if they would come to a HU meet it would most likely be a premium rate number to call.It would be great to have Boorman there, fill him up with baked beans and let him light his farts and hopefully blow his fking head off

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'He who laughs last, was too slow to get the joke'
Never confuse the map with the journey.

I ride a lot, both on and off road - and appreciate other people who actually get out there, do it and share their experiences, even if they do get a lot of support.

I enjoyed the Long Way Round and the Race to Dakar, if for no other reason that it showed me things I wouldn't otherwise of seen, like Mongolia, the Road of Bones and just how tough the Dakar really is.

I agree that both Ewan and Charley enjoyed an unprecedented level of support, that I for one would not have enjoyed, but their time was limited and they were making a 'main stream' television program.

So lets be straight; WE are not the intended audience for either Long Way Round or the Long Way Down, it is aimed at the more ordinary man in the street, who may just dreaming of doing what we take for granted.

While on one hand I understand some of the more damming comment being made in this thread - about how easy they had it; but on the other hand, you don’t have to watch program! You could always turn over and watch Eastenders, I know what I would rather watch.

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http://www.moto-andalucia.com

well put, Smokin. I'd still like to take the piss out of them though, if you don't mind, It's a sport. I like sports !

One thing that is very different and better about LWD from LWR is that they are not BSing about the support vehicles. In LWR they say that they "only met at borders".. and anyone who knows anything about cameras and bikes knows that 70-80% of the shots where taken from a vehicle mounted platform..meaning that the two 4X4 where with them all the time. Also proven when the truck rolled and they "were 100s of miles away and only making 40 miles a day".. and yet in the next cut they were there as the medic was fixing them up.. :confused1:

LWD is "more" real... they admit the support is there 90% of the time, and are not trying to make it out that E and C are "going it alone". That was my biggest gripe.. The show is a tele show.. it is as real of an adventure as star-trek or dr who. Just based on bikes not space. I dont particularly like it.. I want to see some of the countries that they are riding though ... not CB's arse. but that is the formate they chose, so i watch if i have nothing else to do.

I in particular feel sad for them.. I dont know if they could/would do it on there own.. but they are riding though some amazing places at light speed. they are experiencing all the bad of traveling with out any of the good. They are just actors on this show, not travelers.. How would any of us feel about going though tunisia in 2 days.. FFS i spent 2 days in Duoga (the roman city up north) alone. and a day in eljem.. they spent what 15min in both.. (and they are what 5 hours ride apart).. so very very sad...

I am not sure who this show is aimed at not bike travelers, it is not a travel show ala Mike Palin. But whom ever it is aimed at it is hitting the mark. I have never been in touch with "normal society" doubt i ever will be. this is just an other example.

People say the the ride is squeezed between EM's movies, hence the speed they go though places. Well If i had the opportunity to travel slowly at a the cost of a multi million dollar movie.. i would pick travel slowly.. but this is me, i would rather live my life and remember that time we did anything.... over remember that movie i made that made XX dollars...

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2000 Africa Twin
http://two-up-ona-twin.blogspot.com

This it true too...

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2000 Africa Twin
http://two-up-ona-twin.blogspot.com

Ah!
didn't realize they are going to fly back, I wonder if they will make a film of it and call it 'Short Way Up'..........

I think of this as aspirational tellie for the armchair adventurer, nothign more nothing less. It's not supposed to be educational nor a guide to the coutries they're travelling through it's the story of some blokes going off and having fun (mostly). Think of it like that and it's OK as long as you don't mind the blokes.

Mind you I did imagine this post the other day on the HUBB.

Hi, I've been watching Long Way Down on the Tv and it's got me into the idea of adventure motorbiking. So I did some searches with Google and found this place, looks like lots of good info and friendly people. Found this thread though, and now I'm wondering if my little trip would count as an adventure in the eyes of all the condescending, snooty-nosed tw*ts whining about Charlie and Ewan.

But like I said, I only imagined in in my most cynical of moments.

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I'm suprised we haven't seen this post here....

"Hi, me and a mate have been lurking on here for a few years now and are currently on our second big trip. We're trying to find some solitude in Africa as an escape from the rat race. However, we're being followed by two really annoying blokes in 4x4's. Do you have any suggestions of how we can loose them and start living our dream ?"

Ah ! that will be me and Tedmagnum, we're only doing some research for the BBC.......

Im taking my little tank next time..

I hear that Africa is "One big country and full of AIDS".

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Find R1150GS R1200GS EWAN MCGREGOR LONG WAY DOWN on eBay within, BMW, Motorcycles Scooters, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 10-Dec-07 10:24:55 GMT)


I saw this and thought of you guys- go on, make a GS'er happy this Christmas. Its only £2,500!

Sorry, I'm not laughing my arse off... really I'm not. Nope.

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Mike


www.singapore-scotland.blogspot.com
www.argentina-alaska.blogspot.com
My little Vid: India/Pakistan

BMW R1150GS
Suzuki DR650 SE: Ride it like ya stole it. Oh, somebody just did...

Thats one of the worst things iv ever seen !!

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Honestly Ted, if you weren't about to fritter your money away on silly bike trips, you would realise what a great investment opportunity this could be. I mean, just think, now the LWD is on air, the value of a Ewan numberplate can only go up, right??

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Mike


www.singapore-scotland.blogspot.com
www.argentina-alaska.blogspot.com
My little Vid: India/Pakistan

BMW R1150GS
Suzuki DR650 SE: Ride it like ya stole it. Oh, somebody just did...

We won't get the LWD TV series here in Australia for a while. They are currently showing a re-run of LWR on one network. So I bought the LWD book. It has already been discounted at one big outlet from AU$35 to AU$25. I have covered two-thirds of the book and for the first third, both Charlie and Ewan continually complain about being rushed. Both are quite pi$$ed-off about not spending enough time in each country and having to stick to a schedule. This even causes a lot of tension in their larger group. Was this featured in the TV series?

Earlier they did the visit to Rachel House (in Scotland, for terminally ill kids), then a Kenya detour on Riders for Health. I am now up to where they are in Ethiopia/Eritrea and things have settled a bit. The focus at this point is UNICEF and land-mines killing and disfiguring people (especially children). These things seem to be a significant aspect of the whole trip. In fact, it was an earlier UNICEF visit to Africa, and MotoGP exposure to Riders for Health, that inspired the LWD trip. Not much has been said in this thread about these humanitarian aspects being part of it all.
Cheers

Hi,

For people like myself that are not in the UK and own a PC, and if you are able to follow some very easy steps, this is the way to download an episode of the Long Way Down.

1. Download and install Vuze by Azureus - High Definition Movies and Videos You might have to install Java as well.

2. Then fire up this search long way down torrent - Google Search=

3. Save whichever link you want to the desktop.

4. Double click on the newly Downloaded Torrent Link

5. Wait until it's down

6. Watch the Episode and Laugh


If you have problems with the above then I'm sorry but you shouldn't be riding a motorbike, as it's 1,000,000 times easier to do.

Lee