As an aside, I could watch Charley Boorman layer up (please put this on TikTok) all day. I really hope Charley and Ewan do ride together soon in another adventure. WebHome / Uncategorized / charley boorman accident south africa 2018. santos executive team. I usually go back the way we came with them so they can experience it as well. McGregor's wife, Eve, who learned to ride only for the journey, joined them partway and took several falls on sandy terrain in Malawi and Zambia, apparently without injury. So we had to sort of do all of our testing and learning on how to manage that battery system while we were doing the trip in sub-zero temperatures. Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor stop in Bolivia on their electric Harley- Davidson LiveWires. By all reports, the Triumph ambassador has had surgeryin hospital and isdoing OK. I mean you could cross America back and forth on an electric motorcycle without any worries as there are so many fast chargers now. This documentary series follows actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman on a motorcycle trip around the world. Billy Ward. Can you do this, that and the other?" We have a series of challenges throughout our lives. This time around, Ewan and Charley ride their upgraded BMW R1200GS Adventure bikes from John o'Groats, Scotland over 15,000-miles all the way to Cape Town, South Africa. Were also starting to do short tours to Spain with The Bike Shed, mianly on hipster bikes like the T120s and Thruxtons. "I did the Dakar Rally (10,000km from Lisbon to Dakar, Senegal) in 2006, which is one of the most dangerous off-road races in the world and broke both my hands. When James isnt riding motorbikes, he can usually be found reading or writing about them. We have just heard that well-known and loved motorcycle traveller. Live your life and do some fun stuff. Charley saw it as a means to hang out with interesting people and earn money to buy motorbikes, and doesnt miss it at all. The book and TV show enabled me to do the Dakar and the other tours and books and shows, so it really changed my life. Im amazed when Charley Boorman walks to the door of his west London home. The television series began broadcast on BBC Two on 28 October 2007,[3] with clips also shown online. So far, theres no word on when the new series will be released. What we hadn't realized is how much the weather actually affects these electric vehicles. Billy writes on his Twitter account: CB had accident today in Portugal @ Global launch of Triumph Explorer.In hospital but OK. They had pretty much changed their whole fleet and they wanted to show me. From abseiling down Cape Town's iconic Table Mountain, to learning how to rodeo in Canada, prepare for a non However, American producer David Alexanian and cameraman Jimmy Simak were unable to obtain the necessary entry visas and were forced to fly from Tunisia to Egypt. Because of congestion and over-population, scooters and motorbikes should be a big part of the solution but we just need to get people to be more aware and positive towards bikes. Learn more about us. And thats where my daughter found me! ", "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. according to a post on popular off-road riding site ADVPulse. That makes it very complicated and I dont understand how people are so tribal about it. And those beginning few weeks were super cold. And thats when the real magic begins. Somehow, we slid into a ditch and the car stopped. Ewan and I didnt really know what we were doing. 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. Charley Boorman suffered a serious injury after coming off his motorbike in Portugal It has now been over a year since the horror scene, which happened on his way to a media launch of the new Triumph Explorer. The 50-year-old added: It has been a long journey to get here. Take a LiveWire around your city and youll just have such a laugh. I just recently completed a 5000 km ride through South Africa, Namibia, and Zambia with Charley Boorman. The godforsaken charging. I wish you all the best, Charlie. WebEwan McGregor, Charley Boorman, Robert Uhlig (co-author) It started as a daydream. WATCH: Ewan McGregor in action on the Moto Guzzi V85 TT, but will he take it on the Long Way Up? And then I obviously had to have the second one, the second accident, where I really smashed myself up in South Africa. Co-director of photography Jimmy Simak also acted as music supervisor and soundtrack producer for the series. It felt like my whole body had been jarred. The first one (Long Way Down) because it was all new. Once youve been around the world and down its length on a motorcycle, there really isnt anywhere left to go but up.So it goes with Ewan McGregor and Charley Olivia matches lonely elderly people with tenants who provide company or help, and suddenly found herself also dealing with a husband who couldnt manage the lavatory alone. They crossed Scotland, England, France, Italy, and Sicily before making their way across Africa through Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, and finally, South Africa. To let that friendship dwindle or drift, I realized, was a mistake. You can plug the bike in and it's going to give you more than 100 miles in town and you just have a go. However, although delays of a few hours were common, there were few significant problems at crossing points as they travelled further south. It was assumed this would become a regular occurrence while travelling through Africa. He has worked in numerous Hollywood movies such as the Star Wars prequel trilogy, the Trainspotting series (1996, 2017), Christopher Robin (2018), Doctor Sleep (2019), Pinocchio (2022), and many more projects. Great story. I love to show people that they can have a great tour in Africa and there is some great food, great wine and the people are so lovely. My agent said why dont you use your recovery time to start writing a book about your life, your bikes and your crash, starting where youre sitting on the tarmac thinking what has just happened?. But once you were able to charge the bikes with the Rivians, that seemed to be a total game-changer for the trip. The final leg took them through Zambia, Namibia, Botswana and into South Africa. I think absolutely its definitely the right thing to do if youre living in London. No, not THAT twist. WebThis is Charleys touring show with of an added update regards his accident last year how it happened and how the recovery is going. Whatever is happening in north Africa has nothing to do with whats happening in southern Africa. 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. In June 2015, McGregor indicated that the long-discussed South American trip was still at the planning stage, but he expected that an excursion through Baja California Peninsula would take place first. And that happens regularly. Im not a big fan of regrets. In 2004, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman embarked on a journey to bike across 12 countries and 19 time zones in 115 days. 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.. He then broke his hip riding a Vespa whilst still in recovery. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. WebFind many great new & used options and get the best deals for Long Way Round - Complete TV Series DVD Ewan McGregor Charley Boorman at the best online prices at eBay! (The places these two bunk overnight, at least in the first three episodes, are hardly five-star. We need to be a bit more friendly toward each other and look at what the cycling industry has done with their lobbying. It just seemed to be a better fit with what I was doing with The Bike Shed. They rode their BMWs through Belgium, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, a large portion of Mongolia and Russia, the Road of Bones, Alaska, Canada and finally, the U.S.A. It was sort of like a dream come true., Boorman recalls riding by a solar farm in Costa Rica and knocking on the fence to ask to check it out. EM: You just have to change your mindset. There were moments towards the end of this trip that I said to Charley, that I could do this forever, I feel like I could keep going. 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Its also a handy guide to the world of motorcycling, where everyone knows everyone, and they all obsess about cylinders and paint jobs and regard broken bones as part of the ride. But they arrived in Ushuaia after we did. He smiled and nodded his head. Scottish star Mr McGregor, 49, first rose to prominence in Danny Boyles cult classic Trainspotting and subsequently starred in blockbusters including Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker and DC I do owe quite a lot of thanks to him for that.. I have earphones in them and I can listen to podcasts and books. Here's What Ewan McGregor And Charley Boorman Are Up To Today, all 3 of which you can watch on Apple TV+, Youve Never Seen A Harley-Davidson LiveWire Like This, Charley met with a serious accident when test riding with motorbike journalists in Portugal. A Mercedes clipped the Triumph he was riding in Portugal. [1] They were accompanied by the same key team members from Long Way Round, including cameraman and director of photography Claudio Von Planta and cameraman Jimmy Simak (who also oversaw music supervision and soundtrack production), and producers Russ Malkin and David Alexanian. The soundtrack features music drawn substantially from the catalogue of Real World Records, which produced the accompanying album. I said can you give me a hand? and she just shook her head and said no. It's a dangerous hairpin trail on this treacherous road and I went up in winter. The two friends will travel through such places as Siberia, Id love to the do Simpson Desert. Shots posted as recently as September 14th on the Facebook fan page Long Way Everywhere appear to show Ewan and team on the road with the Livewire bikes, charging them up as they go. I put the question to Charley during the making of the latest issue ofAdventure Bike Ridermagazine (issue 59). Ive ridden quite a few and a friend came along on the recent (Compass Expeditions) Tassie tour on a Zero (electric motorcycle). I think its too difficult and expensive to get your licence now. It was a surprise though, it's not an everyday occurrence for me! Charley (50), the son of acclaimed film director, John Boorman, is on the mend and back on the bikes, but here the journeyman recalls some of the scariest moments in his life. However, given the pairs typical journeys through distant lands where it might be a challenge to find gasoline or food, let alone a Level II electric vehicle charger, its suspected the sprinter vans might be ferrying generators for the Livewire bikes, which will need to top up about every 100 miles under favorable conditions. The two pals are back for their third globe-spanning motorcycle adventureand we sat down with them to talk about it. He had shattered his left tibia and fibula and broken his right ankle and wrist. The new Irish Sea Border: What does it mean? Related: Youve Never Seen A Harley-Davidson LiveWire Like This. You have to drive a car, but you choose to ride a motorbike or a horse, or climb a mountain, he explains. Send him yor best. The trip, well-planned as it was, does not get off to an easy start, owing to unseasonably cold weather (it was the worst winter in since 1994 this time last year), as well as the trial of using vehicles that had yet to be tested in such conditions. All Rights Reserved. How the Rivian pickups are involved is unclear, but they would certainly jibe nicely with the EV theme of the new show. Riding a prototype electric Harley-Davidson LiveWire through the Calchaqu Valley in northwest Argentina, the actor and avid motorcyclist Ewan McGregor waxes poetic into a microphone inside his helmet. South America. That meant electric bikes (Harley-Davidson supplied prototypes) that could withstand myriad environments snow, ice, altitude, wind, rain and very few charging stations. But now Im ok and starting to do some dirt riding again so Im super excited for our two trips there later this year. The son of renowned film director John Boorman, he grew up on a farm in Ireland and used to ride through the fields on his first motorbike and took part in schoolboy motor cross and Enduro races. Ive pretty much broken everything but you cant fix your head. That was a one-off, because of Star Wars. I love them all. Ive never really had any regrets. Holiday? I live in Los Angeles and I drive an EV with what seems like 90 percent of the people in here and range is something I think about all the time. It's such fun to ride and they are so fast. They also decided to travel with medic Dai Jones, cameraman and security officer Jim Foster, and various "fixers"local guides and interpreters. Believe me, thats raelly great. Dealing with things such as insane cold meant moving bikes indoors overnight and wearing all the clothes. Ewan McGregor, besides being an actor, has been an activist and the ambassador for UNICEF UK since 2004. Maybe when Im too old to do the adventures and TV shows Ill have these tours to keep me occupied. The result is my recent book the Long Way Back. Youre sort of ready for it to end. Then I noticed the guy beside me and then he wasn't in a very good way at all and it was at that moment that I kind of realized that actually, these are just some broken bones and I'll get through this. I write about motorcycles, ebikes, cars, trucks and mobility tech. Rivian also installed charging stations along the more desolate parts of the route. Our reviews are hands-on, detailed, and unbiased. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Charley is a much-loved and frequent visitor to Australia where he leads Outback tours with Compass Expeditions. You join the family theyve created under these particular conditions, and you feel how much they all mean to one another. The torque is unbelievable, its fun to be sort of silent and it's just a different riding experience. Charley had a terrible accident and was very badly injured. Long Way Down is a television series and book documenting a motorcycle journey undertaken in 2007 by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, from John o' Groats in Scotland through eighteen countries in Europe and Africa to Cape Town in South Africa. I got clipped and the bad thing is I hit a wall. 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. has broken his leg ina collision with a car while attending the media launch of the new Triumph Explorer in Portugal. See our privacy policy for details on how we manage your data. I agreeI do not agree. When it's extremely cold, you know, the batteries don't perform as well. It comes to its conclusion.. Upon arrival in Tunisia, the team bribed the local authorities with a few bottles of vodka to aid their passage into the country. The European leg ended in Sicily, where they caught a ferry to Tunisia. recovery, on all fronts!.. This is a BETA experience. 1 bestselling author is back! But now, some 18 months later, Charley is back in the saddle, pursuing adventure with more enthusiasm than ever before. Bikes, cars and trucks all race at the same time. Not just get on a bike again, but go basically 13,000 miles on an electric motorcycle? In Uganda, they met former child soldiers of the Lord's Resistance Army and saw the work being done to rehabilitate them. Boorman was then badly injured in a motorcycle crash in 2016 but eventually recovered. He is still close to his father, who is 84 and walks with sticks: when Charley was on crutches, they looked like twins, he says. 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 In the DVD extras, while preparing the bikes for cargo, Ewan McGregor refers to a possible future trip in South America, perhaps called Long Way Up. Personally, I got into a pretty bad wreck years ago, outside of Mugello on a Ducati and since then, I've kind of had the yips whenever I got on the bike. With the limited range of both the bikes and the Rivianapart from bringing backup generators like you guys did, how does the average motorcyclist enjoy a cross country trip on an electric motorcycle when the technology is still on the fringe? But its definitely the way forward. He didnt see the funny side. But we just picked up from where we left off, and we're just having a laugh again and then, of course, we started talking about motorbikes and then we started thinking, well, what about that long way up? But, in February last year, Charley was involved in motorcycle accident while in Portugal for the launch of the Triumph Tiger Explorer so bad that he almost lost his left leg. JAG: Charley, you were in quite a few different wrecks over the years. If I'm at work or I'm sitting there between takes, or I am sitting in my trailer or whatever, I find myself daydreaming about a ribbon of road coming at me from somewhere. All Rights Reserved. I fell off that as well. Theyre already talking about making it harder. Update lata., Endingwith: Charley Update: OK, hes come round after op. Charley will be leading a pack of Adventure 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. Did you encounter any technical issues? Charley had just returned from a Compass Expeditions tour of Tasmania when we caught up with him this week at The Bike Shed in London, where he is one of 31 founding members. I was just coming out the hotel in the morning and was passing a car when the driver decided to turn down a lane. From abseiling down Cape Town's iconic Table Mountain, to learning how to rodeo in Canada, prepare for a non How long did it really take for you two to become comfortable with the EV element of the trip in real-time, as opposed to episode time? I'd had a lot of surgeryboth my legs were smashed up, my right hand had broken bones. ", "I remember taking a 4x4 up the Sani Pass in South Africa, which goes up into Lesotho. You may opt-out by. Ewans always had a loose relationship with Moto Guzzi (hes currently an ambassador) so theres no conflict there. You've got apps that let you know as soon as you get three-quarters empty, you just hit a button and it takes you to an EV charger you can fast-charge easily. 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. 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. During this time, he got an acting job on The Serpents Kiss in 1997, where he met McGregor, and they talked about bikes, because thats what bikers do, and cooked up the idea of a 19,000-mile, two-wheeled journey from London to New York that became 2004s Long Way Round a TV series, book and DVD. Having explored much of Europe and most recently Thailand on two wheels, hes now got his sights set on exploring more of the world by motorcycle. The journey started on 12 May and finished on 4 August 2007. You could just keep riding your bike not knowing where you're going on forever and If it wasn't for the people that you love at home, that would be an interesting way of life.