The Long Way Round...

[Method]

Just finished watching that film (if you can call it a film :S )...

Untill now my dream had been to get off my GS500 and get me a new, flashy, sports bike to show off to all my mates on... watching that film just made me realise what its all about! brought me back down to earth again and made me realise why i got into this in the first place, and why i took my full test. Was a realy inspiring dvd and made me smile constantly!

Its just brought me right back down and made me appreciate the bike i have, and the freedom it gives me... truely amazing!

anyone else seen it? and had a kind of sureal spiritual uplifting because of it?
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CBT Aug '03 ... Gilera GSM 50 ... Honda NSR 125 Aug '04 ...
Full Test Dec 04... Suzuki GS500 Jan 05... Suzuki SV650 Mar 07... Gixxer 6 K5 May 08... Oh and my 'Rado
My Bikepics.com - No Brakes, No Gears... No Fear.

[Method]

or for that matter, has anyone been on a trip like that themselves?
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CBT Aug '03 ... Gilera GSM 50 ... Honda NSR 125 Aug '04 ...
Full Test Dec 04... Suzuki GS500 Jan 05... Suzuki SV650 Mar 07... Gixxer 6 K5 May 08... Oh and my 'Rado
My Bikepics.com - No Brakes, No Gears... No Fear.

[natv4]

I spent nearly a month last year travelling around europe by bike with a tent. 5000 miles of fun and friends.

Difficult times for sure, but those are the ones you remember the most (I REALLY HATE automatic french toilettes, REALLY!).

You also meet loads of interesting people; probably the best part of the trip ... you realise that people are not all that different.

You will notice things about places that people fail to describe; in Venice you are nearly deafened by footsteps.

You have adventures; I passed a police car in Italy whilst on the wrong side of the road, double the speed limit (i was filtering and trying to make camp before night, my bad)...so instead of stopping when they put lights on and followed, I sprinted, darted through a break in traffic, took a side road, then another, full throttle all the way. Hid bike on a pedestrian area, behind a bin. I have never been so scared. Got away with it, such a buzz. Would probably leave that one next time. Didn't leave town for 2 hours, then changed clothes and rode very very sensibly.

You see things that make you sad; prostitutes in windows in Czech Republic.

And things that amaze you; any of the many mountain ranges, alps, pyrenes, massif ... lakes, rivers etc.

Worth every penny, every second. I'm off to see eastern Europe this year. Then America, the world etc.....

Do It! You will only regret not trying. (sorry for such a long post, I feel very passionate about this topic) BTW - despite what people say, good on Charlie and Ewan, Hope they film their next one, its fun to dream.
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Travelling around the world...a bit at a time. Where am I now? / Visit my BLOG
Bike: Blue Honda VFR800fi (*NEW*) Mileage: 22k Countries visited: GB/F/D/CZ/PL/E/I/B/A/HR/H/Rus/E/MA
West Europe...2004, East Europe...2005, Russia/France...2006, Morocco...2007

[kaillum]

sat and watched it with the wife.. she decided that she didnt want a short break in April and a holiday in the sun in July.. She's taking her DAS test in April (instead of going to Amsterday ) and we've just booked the ferrrys for July for 2 bike and 2 people to Ireland..

Got the route planned, anti-clockwise round the coast, just under 2000 miles...

and if that goes well we're gonna do Milan in November for the Bike Show....

All because of that bloody DVD!!

[Method]

that post was great it just so happens im thinking of doing some kind of trip soon and your post has just made me even more determined!
____________________
CBT Aug '03 ... Gilera GSM 50 ... Honda NSR 125 Aug '04 ...
Full Test Dec 04... Suzuki GS500 Jan 05... Suzuki SV650 Mar 07... Gixxer 6 K5 May 08... Oh and my 'Rado
My Bikepics.com - No Brakes, No Gears... No Fear.

[ratcliffe]

I've got a weeks holiday at the end of July, and I am planning on booking one of the speedferries 50 quid crossings, and just heading on out into Europe and seeing how far I get before I have to come back... 9 days in total. Not all that long, but a good first trip.
Inspired by LWR really, although I had been wanting to do it for years, but never had the courage.
Rosie wants to get her wheels onto some foreign climes

[Gti]

[G]

Have a look at what some of the people that have done this on a lower budget hgave done. Much more impressive, in my opinion.


My parents had travelled accross Afrika on various bikes before I was born. Including the Kalahari deserst and various mountains.

Wouldn't mind repeating their last trip to Botswana (where I was born) at some point.

[Keith]

I thought the adventure was also pretty influential and plan to do some european riding this year. Nothing major, just out and about for a while.

I read an article about Long Way Round in the local paper a few weeks back. It said that the GS adventure has never sold so well before Ewan and Charley's adventure, said the main reason why they were bought was to travel.

At the end of their documentary, I like the way he says that anything can be done if you put your mind to it, riding a bike around the world can be done and they only hope they have influenced people to do something similar. I planned to travel before I seen the programme, but that just made me want to even more! Roll on 18th birthday!
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Aprilia RSV Mille R Edwards Replica - Aprilia RS250 - Suzuki GSXR600 Supersport Race Bike

[mr.z]

Before even wanting a bike i wanted to travel... this i'd mentioned several time to my girlfriend much to her annoyance/upseting, suggestions she came with me werent popular either

Though since siting on my girlfriend and makeing her watch (after the first episode she was intregued enough to watch it all the way through) she has now decided that she wants to go with! allthough on one bike..

The GS DID sell very big in the usa, but now it sells more, quite a big following in the states, very big, very comfy, heated seats???...

Bmws are more or less the standard adventure touring bike, https://www.ultimatejourney.com/motorcycles.html (have a look at the photos as well!)

But then a couple went arround the world TWICE on a 1981 cx500.. personaly i'd do a full rebuild first but it wold do it all quite happly for £2000 of work no problem...
Two guys brought second hand transalp 400s and went 20/30 thousand miles on them...

I suppose its hard to drop everything and just bugger off, especially if you have a house/job/kids/dog/cat to worry about... i'm just dieing to go before theres that to worry about...


https://www.ultimatejourney.com/T.RTWbikes3.JPG
Round the world on a bike? there bloody loads of em!
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[G]

The last bike my parents had used (which my mum still has) was a BMW R60 (normal road bike style).

However this was got for it's simplicity.
It's an air cooled twin with the horizontally opposed cylinders sticking out. Less fluids to piss out and go wrong. Easy access to cylinders, a spare one if one goes down, but not lots of cylinders to go wrong.
Also had a kickstart fitted.

The new GS's seemed a bit too complex, was suitably amused when their power brakes failed.

Personally I would be looking at a leccy start enduro with a kickstart.

[mr.z]

[stinkwheel]

[Villers]

...or just make a shed load of money making films (enough so that you think you are better than everyone else and no longer have to buy things) then piss and moan to the likes of KTM and BMW for a free bike (then chuck your toy out of the pram when KTM wont give you one). Do same with other useful companies like Snap-on etc. Get a god knows how many man support crew with two four by fours. And then at the end of it all say something really ridiculous like 'I hope this encourages other people to do the same'.

Apart from the first and last episode it was brilliant, an excellent insight into all the places they passed through and a testament to their will to continue. I was a little dissapointed that america only lasted 1 episode though.

I think Ewan shone through as a great character, whereas that charlie guy seemed a little strange to me.

If you have their money, their fame and more front than blackpool. Get a free bike, a load of free gear, a free support crew and some cars for them and set off! you'll enjoy it!

Sorry for the bitter post but all that begging pissed me off!

[Bendy]

Why pay yourself when you can get someone else to?

Modern capitilism, my good buddy.

[mr.z]

Not only that, you simply can't buy advertising like that, 4 bikes is absolutely bugger all compared to how much business it got bmw, or would have got ktm... not to mention sonic, snap on, touratech e.t.c.

If you read the book the ktm consultant sounds like an absolute twunt, i'm not supprised they were angry...

[Toady]

[DustBuster]

Good series, actually inspired me to get back to the bikes. Got 2 now. . Brought back memories of me doing Lands End to John O`Groats when i was 17 on my Honda VT250. Was supposed to be going with a bunch of mates but they all got back with there birds and i didn`t so i went on my todd.

Heres a great link for anybody interested in travelling RTW or just reading about other peoples travels. Lots of info on there regarding equipment, routes, paperwork etc. Have a look.

https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/
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Take your time....and enjoy

[mr.z]

Theres also a meeting this year in derbyshire, literally a 15minute pootle arround the corner to me, should be interesting, gong to help out with a rideout possibly, should be good
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[Scotsman37]

Yeah, I remember that programme and it was good too. It was funny seeing them saying out loud what they thought of KTM in turning them down and their rep talking bull shit when he only did part of the journey which they were about to embark on.

Thank goodness former Russian military goods vehicles that got them across deep rivers and the ingenuity of the people of Mongolia knowing how to strip & rebuild bike engines to get them going again !

Oh yes, the problem with BMW bike's frame breaking was due to the overloading of the bike as confirmed by the guy at MCS, Renfrew. At least the trio realised this later on and dumped loads of stuff at one stage to lighten the load....!

[Major_Grooves]

I loved the book, and have watched most of the series but haven't got around to watching that last one.

Got Charlie's autograph at Ally Pally. He looked quite bored.

Oh look there's a link to buy the Long Way Round in my signature!
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About me|@Major_Grooves|My company|Digg|Flickr

[stinkwheel]

[-Ali-]

any of you seen easy riders the series on discovery channel, thats great was planning to go somewhere this summer, but dunno whether the 50 would get a bit annoying, b ut definately doing one when i get my 250

[stinkwheel]

I once saw a couple of Dutch kids on those mad wee pedal and pop mopeds they ride over there. They both had tents on the back and were up near Inverness
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[natv4]