That was sort of a wake-up call to me that we mustn't let this friendshipthis very special relationship to medrift. JAG: Ewan, you're a big movie star, as I was pointing out to my daughter when we were watching the show. So we had to bring them inside, where it wasn't actually that much warmer, so we also had to put blankets on top of the bikes to warm them up and get them charging again. I said can you give me a hand? and she just shook her head and said no. But now, some 18 months later, Charley is back in the saddle, pursuing adventure with more enthusiasm than ever before. They traverse 13 countries, zigzagging between Argentina and Chile, then northward through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, up through Central America (Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala), then finally into Mexico and ending in Los Angeles, California. Its really touching me, and what I was looking for in terms of feeling closer to the world, the Earth, appreciating the beauty of it as we ride along.. Which is fitting, because according to numerous reports, the pair have ditched their all-conquering BMW GS Adventure dual-sport machines for something a bit more radical: Harley-Davidsons new all-electric Livewire motorcycles. I really hope Charley and Ewan do ride together soon in another adventure. LONG WAY ROUND -- Pictured: (l-r) Charley Boorman, Ewan McGregor -- Photo by: Sven [+] Arnstein/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank. The road through the Calchaqu Valley in northwest Argentina. Harley-Davidson provided them with their prototype LiveWire motorcycles that had a range of around 146 miles with its 15.5-kWh battery. In the opener, he sees icebergs; tries screeching; visits the graves of Titanic victims; and encounters a tidal bore. 1:41 PM EDT, Thu September 17, 2020, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman take on a 13,000-mile e-bike journey in the Apple TV+ series, "Long Way Up.". The title song was performed by Welsh group Stereophonics and is identical to the Long Way Round theme, with the lyric "round" replaced with "down". Its been more than a decade since Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman rode triumphantly into Cape Town at the end of a journey that saw them travel the length of Africa on their BMW R 1200 GS Adventure motorcycles. Thankfully because of Charley's accident, that meant he was housebound for some time, so whenever I was in London, that meant I was able to see him. TV presenter and adventurer Charley Boorman, who motorbiked around the world with his pal Ewan McGregor for the series Long Way Round and Long Way Down, has had plenty of scrapes in his time. Forbes.com has reached out to Harley-Davidson for comment on the news. [Chuckles]. Its great to have both, weve had a lot of fun on petrol bikes as well but your every day going bike when you live in a city has got to be electric now. The scenery is breathtaking, and while the relationship between McGregor and Boorman is the predominant one, seeing how this group navigates the trip, together and separately, is also powerful stuff. However, although delays of a few hours were common, there were few significant problems at crossing points as they travelled further south. Here's what 'long way' series' stars Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman have been doing today. WebLong Way Round: Created by David Alexanian, Charley Boorman, Russ Malkin, Ewan McGregor. Portions of Boormans recovery from the horrific accident are shown in the first episode of Long Way Down. These snippets show how dedicated Boorman was to getting back on the bike and how important it was for him to do this third trip. The torque is unbelievable, its fun to be sort of silent and it's just a different riding experience. I dont have anything to hide. Von Planta says he was riding too closely and fell while avoiding a collision; he was shaken but uninjured. Is the Honda CRF300L the best beginner trail bike? We turned the corner on this hairpin and just hit black ice. Horror crash: Charley is back on his bike after a horror smash last year Wed 19 Jul 2017 at 01:41 TV presenter and adventurer Charley Boorman, who motorbiked I broke both legs, which is why I ended up lying in bed for three months. wBW providessubjective opinionsand information on hard-to-find and unique motorcycling products. New book 'Atlas of Extinct Countries' explores the places that fell off the map. The support team with the production crew followed them in custom-built Rivian R1S all-electric SUVs. Actors, best friends, and lifelong motorbike enthusiasts Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman are perhaps best known in the automotive community for their 'Long Way' series all 3 of which you can watch on Apple TV+ of long-distance motorbike trips across various continents. I just find myself thinking about it a lot. WebCharley Boorman's South African Adventure: With Charley Boorman. I was overtaking a car on my motorbike when it clipped me, sending me careering into a wall. As I approached I heard him say, So, Olivia, youre a beautiful girl, do you want to come to Australia with me?. ), We sort of looked at each other, and walked away, and thought if were quiet, theyd keep on charging. This kind of thing happens a lot in a Long Way Up. . His German mother, Christel, died a few years ago. Never did I think I would not ride again. there really isnt anywhere left to go but up, and a pair of Rivian RT1 electric pickup trucks. (Charley crashed on a Triumph launch in Spain a couple of years ago.). My waterproofs because, you know, London and my Arai adventure helmet and my injection-moulded earplugs. I was just coming back from the bathroom and he was sitting in my chair chatting up my wife. WebHome / Uncategorized / charley boorman accident south africa 2018. santos executive team. Both men received some off-road riding instruction before departure and came through to finish the ride, though not without various struggles. 2023 Cable News Network. After visiting the pyramids, they boarded a ferry to Sudan, continued into Ethiopia and then into Kenya, where they crossed the equator. Every time we found somewhere to plug that bike in was like a little mini-triumph, said McGregor. Poring over a map of the world at home one quiet Saturday afternoon, Ewan McGregor - actor and self-confessed bike nut - noticed that it was possible to ride all the way round the world, with just one short hop across the Bering Strait from Russia to Alaska. In 2008, he did a show called 'By Any Means' where he traveled from County Wicklow, his hometown in Ireland, to Sydney, Australia using only appropriate public transport and flying whenever necessary. See our review policies for more information. Then this big truck came round the corner and it put them off. All Rights Reserved. They just got back in the car and drove off. That makes it very complicated and I dont understand how people are so tribal about it. All good. Let me just say that this trip exceeded every one of my expectations. CB: You can really talk to each other, like Ewan and I did because there is no engine noise, so you can really hear the people you ride with. Full Name Charley Boorman Occupation Actor and Television Personality Nationality British Birthplace Wimbledon, London, UK Birth Date Aug 23, 1966 Age 56 Years, 5 Months Co-creator of Documentary Series 'Long Way Round' with Ewan McGregor Charley Boorman | Biography Child Actor in Film 'Deliverance' He answered many of the questions posted in by you, our readers, including his next trip wth Star Wars star Ewan McGregor, his regrets, riding tips and more. I was just coming out the hotel in the morning and was passing a car when the driver decided to turn down a lane. So it goes with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman and their third globe-trotting adventure, a follow-up to the epic journeys documented in 2004s The Long Way Round and 2007s The Long Way Down. Click here to read more about his African tours. Sponsors, including Triumph, kept him afloat, but as well as pain and frustration, he faced crashing boredom. We *truly* wish him all the best and are hoping for a full (!) This path of chargers on the route still exists, and its our Long Way Up legacy. WATCH: Ewan McGregor in action on the Moto Guzzi V85 TT, but will he take it on the Long Way Up? He did lose a lot of work: a planned TV show about a bike trip through the perilous Darien Gap in Central America that had taken a year to plan, and commercial tours with bike fans in Australia and Africa, a lucrative offshoot of his celebrity. But after exploring in different directions for a time, the two reunited, and then the clouds parted to reveal Machu Picchu, says McGregor. WebCharley Boorman, adventurer, motorbike enthusiast and no. Charley Boorman is riding again after his major motorcycle crash in 2016 and ready for his big African adventure later this year. The truth is you just have to have a go. McGregor and von Planta also came off and damaged their bikes' bodywork, with von Planta involved in the more serious incident on a motorway in South Africa. Travel back by ADAC. She was cooking every meal, and bathing me, which would do my head in, Boorman says, but she is a saint, my wife, incredibly practical, and just gets on with it.. We looked to the back of their car and there was this young guy smiling at us with a gun in his hand and he was pointing it at us. Ewan McGregor: Really once you've experienced that sort of adventure travel like weve done, it's sort of in you. It was hours and hours and hours later that I actually woke up, but again, I wanted to get back on the motorbike. Boormans first thought when he was told he might lose his leg was: Well, at least I can still ride he knows an amputee stunt rider who uses a magnet to keep his artificial limb on his bikes foot peg, you see. Why now, after a 12-year hiatus, did the duo decide to return for a third run? But it was fun and everyone was very fun and very respectful and it was nice. They decided the Long Way Up would be an electric voyage a way to see the world without aiding its decay. So I pulled my pants down and swung my legs around, missed the toilet and ended up wedged between the toilet and the wall. I thought to myself, this is crazy. Maybe when Im too old to do the adventures and TV shows Ill have these tours to keep me occupied. WebDoubleTree by Hilton Cape Town, Upper Eastside Hotel will once again host Charley Boorman for this years Motorcycle Adventure that begins and ends in Cape Town, South Africa. But if I could have ridden with anybody Id have loved to have ridden with Lawrence of Arabia on a Brough Superior. Three bikes were used in Long Way Down with Ewan, Charley and cameraman Claudio Von Plata each riding one, Long Way Up took about 100 days to complete as they rode from Ushuaia to Los Angeles, The crew traveled from their base in Shepherd's Bush, London to John o'Groats at the northern tip of Scotland to begin their journey. if you're if your daily commute is less than 100 miles, which let's face it, most of us don't ride more than 100 miles a day on our bikes. Weve joined selected affiliate programs which will allow us to place advertisements for select motorcycle and motorcycle-related product retailers on the site. The new Irish Sea Border: What does it mean? It's a dangerous hairpin trail on this treacherous road and I went up in winter. EW: Well, that's never happened before. They went from there to Tanzania and then into Malawi, where they were joined by Ewan McGregor's wife Eve. The series was added to Apple TV+ on 18 September 2020 along with the first iteration Long Way Round (2004) and sequel Long Way Up (2020). He didnt see the funny side. In 2013, riders started their amazing journey based at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel. Can you raise it? The Long Way motorcycle adventurer Another interesting development: It appears electric pickup truck maker Rivian may also be in on the epic adventure, according to a post on popular off-road riding site ADVPulse. So, being a glass-half-full kind of person, he used the enforced year of recuperation to write a book. The two friends will travel through such places as Siberia, See our review policies for more information. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, reading fiction books, watching movies, and spending time with his pet cats and dogs. I have a shed about 20 minutes from home where I have a dirt bike, the T120 custom, a Beta 400, a motocross bike, a sportsbike and what am I up to? I ride full time now because of LWD and LWR. Were also starting to do short tours to Spain with The Bike Shed, mianly on hipster bikes like the T120s and Thruxtons. You might think the gods are trying to tell the Boormans something about hazardous pursuits, but when we meet, Charleys leg is nearly healed (he invites me to feel a screw that has worked loose beneath the skin) and hes planning to resume his bike safaris in Africa in August, go on a speaking tour to promote the book, then try to put the Darien Gap TV project back together. Talking about the sights along the way, and what really stood out for them on this particular journey, McGregor sites the landscape of the Atacama Desert in Chile as spectacular, and he goes on to talk about getting to see Machu Picchu. ", "The latest accident in Portugal was pretty scary. But when you and your best friend are the two most recognisable faces in adventure biking, people start to ask questions when you havent been seen together in a while. ", "Being in trouble with the wife [he has been married to Olivia for 27 years, with whom he has two daughters] is always scary. I love the fact that they ride bikes. ", "I remember Ewan and I were on the side of the road in Long Way Round (a TV series in which they rode 32,000km around the world) in the Ukraine or Kazakhstan and a white Lada stopped and these two big guys got out and started walking towards us. When one of the crew gets an awful bout of altitude sickness, near Salta in Argentina on their way to ride Tren a las Nubes (Train to the Clouds), McGregors concern is visceral. And thats where my daughter found me! What we hadn't realized is how much the weather actually affects these electric vehicles. See our privacy policy for details on how we manage your data. I wish you all the best, Charlie.