Having started their journey in Ushuaia, Argentina, in September, Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor’s latest instalment of the Long Way series has come to an end in Los Angeles.
While many expected their journey to take them to the very top of Alaska we can’t say we’re surprised that the boys have opted to wrap it up this side of the new year and spend a well-earned Christmas with their families. And with temperatures in Anchorage currently sitting in the negative with snow on the way it’s a little cold to be motorcycling through North America.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6EVSGuBVnL/
Going electric
The big news of the trip was the team’s decision to tackle South America on the electric Harley Davidson LiveWire. Met with a mixed response on social media, the choice was always going to be controversial.
Word from those at the finish line is that the boys managed to cover around 120-180 miles a day in South America, no doubt hindered by the bike’s 70 mile highway range and the need to search for charging points.
We can already sense a few raised eyebrows at the daily mileage, but with plenty of long stops required to plug in we’re sure to see more adventures and encounters with locals off the bikes, something that has always been a highlight of the previous series.
Many were also concerned that the choice of bike could impact the team’s ability to go off-road. Having tackled Mongolia and the sands of Africa in the past it would be a shame to see the guys stick to the blacktop the whole way north.
However, while many details of the trip have been kept secret, it was inevitable that in the age of social media some images would find their way online. These suggest some preparation for off-road riding. Each bike has been kitted out with wired-spoked wheels, dual sport tyres, engine guards, skid plates and soft luggage.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2XVSxpB8V5/?utm_source=ig_embed
Hitting a TV near you
With no news yet on when the show will hit our screens, we’re hoping for a short wait.
The Long Way Down aired just two months after the team made it to Cape Town, so we could be looking at a screening as early as February. And as South America becomes a popular destination for adventure motorcyclists we’re sure even the skeptics will be tuning in to see the best of the continent.
With the electric revolution creeping into the world of adventure motorcycling it seems like the right time for the two who breathed life into the industry 15 years ago to look to the future, and we’re excited to see how they got on.
