LONG WAY ROUND AT THE NEC MOTORCYCLE SHOW
03 November 2004 - BMW Motorrad GB

After more than three exhausting months circumnavigating the globe, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman reached their destination of New York City at the end of July this year.

While riding across some of the most remote and hostile terrain on the planet, Ewan and Charley had to conquer the most exhausting challenge of their lives. Departing London in mid-April on two BMW R1150 GS Adventures, and three continents, fifteen countries and fifteen weeks later, the two friends rode the last few miles through the streets of Manhattan. A convoy of motorcyclists accompanied them as they headed towards Battery Park and the waiting media.

The two actors’ gruelling global odyssey – christened Long Way Round – saw McGregor and Boorman ride more than 20,000 miles through central Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberia, Alaska and Canada. A final US stage took them across Montana, Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and eventually into New York City.

BMW Motorrad Great Britain provided the two, all-terrain, R1150 GS Adventure motorcycles and contributed technical support, training, Navigator II satellite navigation, and safety riding equipment. Riders and machines were also equipped with Pentax digital cameras and communication equipment supplied and fitted by Sonic Communications of Birmingham.

Long Way Round has been made into a major television series and is being screened on Sky One (UK) channel on Monday at 9pm over seven weeks. The Long Way Round book based on the friends’ personal thoughts and experiences has been published by Time Warner Books (UK) and is available through major book retailers and at the NEC Show (Chaters Book Sellers stand R84, hall 6). McGregor and Boorman have filmed most of the programmes themselves by using hand-held cameras and state-of-the-art bike-mounted cameras. A third rider filmed the two actors at pre-arranged locations. Producers and creative directors David Alexanian (Elixir Films) and Russ Malkin (Image Wizard TV) have co-produced Long Way Round in collaboration with Ewan and Charley. A DVD on the series will be on sale in December and so will the soundtrack on a CD.

Despite his elation, Ewan McGregor was emotional about achieving a long held dream: “Now it’s come to an end I can hardly believe that we’ve made our dreams come true,” he said, “and although at times it’s been very, very tough, the people and places along the way have moved and touched me to the core. It has certainly been a ‘Long Way Round’ – but I’m glad to be home.”

Charley Boorman echoed his friend’s feelings: “The trip has been incredible… but it’s the people in all the countries that we’ve met that have made it so fantastic.”

Producers and creative directors David Alexanian and Russ Malkin were full of praise for the actors’ achievement: “They set themselves an incredibly tight timeframe of three months and it was down to the production team to ensure that they didn’t fall behind schedule. In certain cases there was terrain that we couldn’t have second-guessed and at times we really didn’t think they would succeed. It is a testament to their training, [the bikes], tenacity and endurance that they made it.”

Although both are dedicated and accomplished riders, the adventure has been a major test of endurance and friendship. When the predictable roads of Europe had been left behind, Ewan and Charley faced their toughest test by crossing the wild plains of central Asia. Fighting an almost daily mental and physical battle, Ewan and Charley faced increasingly hostile terrain in Kazakhstan and Mongolia – rock, debris and craters littered the roads often making them impassable. The further east the couple ventured, the more their daily progress risked falling behind schedule. Many remote areas had no roads, and despite the proven durability of the BMWs, the rocky and uneven terrain increased the risk of breakdowns or accidents.

Struggling through the hazardous swamp conditions of Siberia, Ewan and Charley discovered that many vital bridges had been destroyed by the extreme elements. Their daily struggles gradually became relentless and there was no let-up in the perilous conditions until they reached North America. There they faced new challenges: riding in sub zero temperatures, the real possibility of frostbite (which could have easily ended the trip), and the risk of being attacked by bears. Obtaining adequate food in remote areas became vital in order to combat exhaustion and maintain stamina.

In central Asia and Siberia they were sometimes days from the nearest settlement. It was imperative they did not stray too far off-route and that their exact location could be pinpointed to a few metres in the case of emergency – time would have been a critical factor in ensuring their safety. Having worked closely with Ewan and Charley, producers David Alexanian and Russ Malkin thoroughly planned the journey months in advance to ensure that the riders could be located at all times.

To prepare for every eventuality, Ewan and Charley underwent a rigorous training schedule before they left London. This included BMW’s Off-Road Skills training course, advanced survival skills (including self-defence); comprehensive first aid training so that they could carry out emergency medical aid (on each other); hostile environment training; and nutritional teaching to ensure they followed a diet (where possible) to maintain stamina.

www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk

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