2 minute read
THE LA ST WORD
Long Way Up - my humble review of the much hyped Ewan McGregor/Charley Boorman new series....
Cindy Bennett, Member #4170
I did thoroughly enjoy both Long Way Around and Long Way Down, and while I get that they are fully supported by a large crew (which often draws a lot of criticism) – I don’t feel this diminishes the sense of wonder and larrikin-ship these 2 exhibit. They have provided inspiration for many of us common folk to adventure on 2 wheels, and I am sure BMW are still thanking their lucky stars that KTM bailed on providing bikes for the first “Long Way” adventure.
Therefore I was very keen to see the next instalment, Long Way Up - with Ewan and Charley riding from Ushuaia to Los Angeles. For probably the past year there have been posts on rider forums about the show, from dissecting the bikes of choice – electric Harley’s – to more critics bemoaning that it’s not a real adventure being followed by a film crew and support vehicles.
Having now watched the first 3 episodes on Apple TV, I am really enjoying the journey so far. While I thought the electric Harleys were an odd choice, I understand the social-consciousness urge to be seen to be eco-friendly and promoting renewable technologies. Maybe they are just 20 or so years too early, given the fact that at the end of episode 3 they have been on the road 2 weeks and travelled about 1500 miles! Regular top-ups by a diesel fired generator truck also don’t really align with the “green” flavour. But what I was watching the show for was the epic South and Central American scenery. Having travelled a small bit of Chile and Argentina, and wanting to see more - we had a 104 day trip planned for 2021 (obviously not happening now), so seeing magnificent Patagonia filmed in such vivid detail is a delight. Though maybe slightly bittersweet.
So, in conclusion I am a fan of the show so far and enjoy the easy camaraderie of Ewan and Charley as well as the high production quality of the visuals. The choice of bike is a minor aspect which brings home the “long way” that electric bike manufacturers have to travel to make them a solid choice for adventure motorcyclists wanting to travel more than about 150km in a day. Maybe if you are a city commuter and can plug in at both home and work it may be a viable choice…
