The first TV series about an around the world motorcycle trip, called LONG WAY AROUND, made by actors Ewan McGregor (Star Wars, The Ghost Writer, etc) and his long time friend Charlie Boorman, is often credited as the reason the sales of BMW's big adventure motorcycles have exploded during the better part of the past decade.
The show was a real life drama about their trip, sometimes funny, often just fun, clearly inspiring to many, it showed the real hardships and the real friendship between these two men as they rode their motorcycles, often off-road, around the globe from London to London.
While Harley Davidson has seen sales drop roughly 8% per year, BMW has seen double digit sales increases yearly. Their big adventure bikes are unmistakable on the road with their opposing 2 twin cylinders laying flat and sticking out the sides of the motorcycle.
A couple years later they followed up with a series called LONG WAY DOWN, which ran from the tiny town of John O'Groats at the northern most tip of Scotland south to Cape Town, South Africa.
Word is now breaking that the duo will be doing a third in the series, possibly in 2019, called LONG WAY UP, starting in South America and terminating in Alaska. I'd presume it will be on TV in 2020 if they film it in 2019.
http://www.advpulse.com/adv-news/ewan-and-charleys-long-awaited-long-way-up-set-for-2019/
The show was a real life drama about their trip, sometimes funny, often just fun, clearly inspiring to many, it showed the real hardships and the real friendship between these two men as they rode their motorcycles, often off-road, around the globe from London to London.
While Harley Davidson has seen sales drop roughly 8% per year, BMW has seen double digit sales increases yearly. Their big adventure bikes are unmistakable on the road with their opposing 2 twin cylinders laying flat and sticking out the sides of the motorcycle.
A couple years later they followed up with a series called LONG WAY DOWN, which ran from the tiny town of John O'Groats at the northern most tip of Scotland south to Cape Town, South Africa.
Word is now breaking that the duo will be doing a third in the series, possibly in 2019, called LONG WAY UP, starting in South America and terminating in Alaska. I'd presume it will be on TV in 2020 if they film it in 2019.
http://www.advpulse.com/adv-news/ewan-and-charleys-long-awaited-long-way-up-set-for-2019/
Ewan and Charley’s Long-Awaited ‘Long Way Up’ Set for 2019?
Long-Awaited 'Long Way Up' TV series planned for the Americas.
For many the “Long Way Down” and “Long Way Round” series, following Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman on their round-the-world adventure tours, are the reason they started riding Adventure Motorcycles. Now after more than a decade since their last documentary series, the pair are planning a new expedition that will see them chasing their shadows through the Americas.
“We are very much in the early planning stages at the moment,” Boorman told MCN in a recent interview. “I’m scared to say too much in case I jinx it, but hopefully it is going to happen.”
The new TV series is set to be called ‘Long Way Up’ and according to Charley, they’ll be getting the old team back together with producer Russ Malkin and the rest of Long Way Round/Down film crew. The route hasn’t been locked-in yet but the journey will most likely start in the southernmost part of South America (Ushuaia, Argentina) and continue all the way up to the northernmost point of Alaska. An expedition that would cover about 15,000 miles and last several months.
Long way Up Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor Adventure Motorcycle
“It will definitely take a few months, South America is a beautiful continent to ride through so we won’t want to rush it,” said Boorman. “It will be work, but it will also be great fun and to do it with the old team of Ewan, Russ Malkin (the producer of the first two adventures), and the rest of the Long Way crew will be fantastic.”
The big question is what motorcycles would they take this time. Ewan and Charley used the BMW R1150GS Adventure for the “Long Way Round” and the R12000GS Adventure for the “Long Way Down”. However, Charley is currently brand ambassador for Triumph and Ewan for Moto Guzzi. With BMW set to reveal the new R1250GS for 2019, the white and blue marquee could potentially be their weapon of choice.
“We are all dead keen to make it happen so fingers crossed we will be able to do it in 2019. I honestly can’t wait.”