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- Thread starter JohnnyBoxer
- Start date
19 years ago this year. 
They get a lot of stick from bikers, especially Charlie.
yes money was no object and they took a team with them.
but they still had lots of fun doing it, and i enjoyed too.
yes money was no object and they took a team with them.
but they still had lots of fun doing it, and i enjoyed too.
I enjoyed both the Long Way Round and Long Way Down videos.Yes I know there was criticism of both!!
I also became a fan of Claudio von Planta the cameraman on the third bike,came across as a really nice guy.
I also became a fan of Claudio von Planta the cameraman on the third bike,came across as a really nice guy.
he was the real star , only passing his test after they had left , and joining up with them later .
.... and they picked their own bikes up on the same roads that Sue and myself did. They cried and laughed on the same roads too
Power to their elbow I say. Good one Charley and Ewan
Power to their elbow I say. Good one Charley and Ewan
Before LWR I owned a R1150GS, not many about etc, after LWR....well the rest is history 
Great series and still the best one by far.
TD
Great series and still the best one by far.
TD
Long Way Round = KTM stupidity, one brands loss is another brands gain
Whenever I think of LWR (I also read their book, it’s brutal in even more detail on a certain orange bike brand) then my mind always goes to the genius Senior Management in KTM, who decided that it was a great idea publicly giving the middle finger to a super famous Star Wars actor who was making a film about travelling the world on motorbikes.
I mean, you couldn’t make it up. While the Einstein esque KTM managers were saying it was “impossible” and told Charlie + Ewan to piss off, the BMW boys jumped at the opportunity when given to them and threw stuff at them to help the journey. The boys wore BMW kit and bikes with all the foibles we love.
I mention Charlie a lot as in the book you get to see that Charlie was the day2day guy on prep, with Ewan to be fair coming in for big decisions and (rightly I think) focused on his busy acting career which let’s be very honest, is what enabled them to do the trip in the first place.
They had an extra vehicle etc but who cares. If any of us could do it, we would have jumped at the chance to do that kind of trip. Look at us, 20 years later and most bikers know about it.
Whenever I think of LWR (I also read their book, it’s brutal in even more detail on a certain orange bike brand) then my mind always goes to the genius Senior Management in KTM, who decided that it was a great idea publicly giving the middle finger to a super famous Star Wars actor who was making a film about travelling the world on motorbikes.
I mean, you couldn’t make it up. While the Einstein esque KTM managers were saying it was “impossible” and told Charlie + Ewan to piss off, the BMW boys jumped at the opportunity when given to them and threw stuff at them to help the journey. The boys wore BMW kit and bikes with all the foibles we love.
I mention Charlie a lot as in the book you get to see that Charlie was the day2day guy on prep, with Ewan to be fair coming in for big decisions and (rightly I think) focused on his busy acting career which let’s be very honest, is what enabled them to do the trip in the first place.
They had an extra vehicle etc but who cares. If any of us could do it, we would have jumped at the chance to do that kind of trip. Look at us, 20 years later and most bikers know about it.
I’ve got the DVDs somewhere, must dig them out and and give them a run.
Could say the same about my bike
Could say the same about my bike
I’ve been to two of Charlie’s talks , in that era . Standing room only; my dealer was packed like sardines. Wannabes from everywhere.
LWR started me with the GelandeStrasse.
LWR started me with the GelandeStrasse.
Funny to think that at some point someone would have said "if we plan a round the world motorbike trip do you think we could interest the media"?
The only yardstick prior to that was Mondo Enduro, filmed on a shoestring, so it probably wasn't a 'given'.
The only yardstick prior to that was Mondo Enduro, filmed on a shoestring, so it probably wasn't a 'given'.
Met Charlie at Garmisch BMW rally the year the HP2 was launched. Invited him to Princeton for the UKGSER annual bash. He asked what his fee would be - that was the end of the conversation!
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My understanding is that the pair wanted a large chunk of cash as well as bikes/kit etc. Quite likely not quite as Charlie and Ewan describe it in their version of what went on.
Snapped this a few years ago in the Transport Museum in Glasgow, can't remember who's bike it was or where the bikes ended up.
Still dig out the DVD every now and again and always enjoy watching it.
Still dig out the DVD every now and again and always enjoy watching it.
ThreeDawg
Registered user
FFS, how do you delete a post?
ThreeDawg
Registered user
Back then there weren't a whole load of adventurers making videos worth watching (even if youtube existed, which it didn't) and love 'em or hate 'em the C&E films are very profesional, something you could watch with your other half even if they were not massively into bikes. And maybe you could then persuade them to do more adventurous trips with you, or at least understand why you might want to do such a thing - Charlie and Ewen didn't die! Race to Dakar is my fave though.
Agreed - there’s always two sides to the story. However, the evidence on KTM is pretty damning on this case. Email confirming they didn’t believe it was possible to do the planned route so they didn’t want their bikes involved just in case…
They missed an opportunity as I think their 1050 and 1090 Adv bikes are great. However, the GS Adventure is king for me
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We'll never know whether they missed the opportunity or dodged a bullet I suppose. Publicity/the series showing a very unreliable KTM (if that were the case) may have been a disaster. My understanding was that the trip plan was quite basic when they'd approached KTM, a bit more filled out when they approached BMW. I think the 950 adv had just come out and KTM certainly didn't have the clout of BMW...hey ho. (I've never had a KTM, had several GS/GSAs)
I enjoyed the series (as did both my young daughters at the time), not watched it for years.
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