As an experienced overland motorcyclist myself, I’ve been watching the new series of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman “the Long Way Up” to give you my honest opinion.
Should I Watch Long Way Up? Yes, I think you should watch. It is a stunning piece of entertainment to be enjoyed by anyone who likes travel, beautiful scenery and a good motorcycle story. The landscapes of South and Central America will make your jaw drop while narrated by witty Charley and Ewan and their lovely accents.
What is this third season in the Long Way series about, which bikes are the boys riding and what were some of their biggest mistakes made?
A third season in the Long Way series
The third season in the Long Way series is called Long Way Up. Since the first season was called Long Way Round and the second Long Way down, there were not many directions left for the men to travel. So the series had to be called the Long Way Up and the only continent that was yet untouched by the duo was South America. That was their biggest reason to start the trip at the most Southern point on the continent, Tierra del Fuego. Most travellers slowly make their way down the Pan American Highway but since the series couldn’t be called Long Way Down 2, they decided to travel up.
In 100 days, about 3,5 months they rode the 13,000 miles / 21.000 kilometres from Ushuaia to Los Angeles, meaning they rode 130 miles / 210 kilometres a day. This is quite fast for an overland adventure getting them into all kinds of trouble along the way. If you want to learn anything from this documentary about overlanding, it should be “Don’t travel on a schedule!”.
The view from the handlebars
Many riders are (since the first series aired) complaining about how the trip is not real, with so many support vehicles and a gigantic crew taking away some of the hurdles solo travellers face on a similar trip. And though it is true, they hire fixers and local producers to help out with border crossings you should not forget that they are also creating a tv series. They will have to apply for filming permits and such in every country and the documentation list for this is sometimes endless. That is why I didn’t bother and just traveled on a tourist visa because I’m “just” filming for my youtube channel anyway. For me, it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment watching this series. Every adventure is different and everyone has a different style of travel anyway so getting a sneak peak into their journey is refreshing. And I’ve never been to South America so I’m keeping my eyes open for adding some destinations to my bucket list.
Which motorcycles are used in The Long Way Up?
Motorcycles is what Charley and Ewan became friends over, so even though they are both getting older, this trip had to be done on bikes. They easily could have done the trip on the good old BMWs that took them on the adventure last times, but both riders are no longer supported by the brand so they went looking for new motorcycles and a new challenge.
Ewan convinced Charley that their newest trip should be done on electric motorcycles and so the team went out to look for a bike that would suit their needs. Their biggest struggle became to find a bike with a decent range. I would have expected KTM or Zero to be the winners in the race for the first electric motorcycle to ride across South America, but somehow Harley Davidson came in as number one.
The orange Harley Davidson LiveWire prototype edition
So which bikes are they riding in Long Way Up? Charley and Ewan are riding the Harley Davidson LiveWire. Not the hardcore offroad bike you would expect from two experienced travellers, but apparently the only model with the range required and/or brand that is willing to work with them.
The choice of bike determines much of the journey as we can see in the first three episodes. It is a different kind of adventure compared to their Africa journey, but then again you cannot compare South America and Africa in the first place. The choice for electric bikes ensures that they cannot stray too far off the beaten track or civilisation because every night they need to find a place to charge.
It gives a whole different dynamic to the trip, charging at cafes and parking up in random hotel lobbies along the way. I’ve also parked my motorcycle inside a hotel lobby more then once, I laughed out loud at the familiarity of such a scene.
By the way, I’m really impressed by Rivian, the company who provided the electric backup vehicles, when they installed hundreds of quick charge points throughout South and Central America in such a short time. I think it was a great way for the boys to meet some of the locals and talk to them about their view of the future.
I enjoyed watching the struggles of traveling on electric bikes especially in such harsh conditions, the Patagonian winter. It was almost like Charley and Ewan had done a big trip before and were complete beginners in the overlanding business. Luckily they got the hang of it eventually and with every mile ridden North, the temperatures mellowed and the range and the struggle to charge got reduced eventually getting a range of about 130 miles / 210 kilometres on one charge.
“ I do these trips and then I come home with 100 of photographs of my bike. “ Ewan McGregor
Same my friend, me too!
For two street bikes they hold up very well on the offroad sections the men encounter along the way. The clearance doesn’t look like it would be enough, but we don’t see the bikes running into any issues. Halfway through the series, Ewan admits that he is more of a street rider anyways so most of the miles are done on tarmac.
Riding in Bolivia, no tarmac in sight
The choice of bike determines the style of the trip but I applaud them for choosing such a different angle of travel. It makes for an entertaining series. Maybe not the hardcore expedition some would have liked to see, but an enjoyable piece of entertainment on a Friday night in lockdown.
Which route did they take on the Long Way Up?
The route the men travel in the Long Way Up series starts in Argentina and end in Los Angeles, USA. On average they travel 150 miles / 240 kilometres a day through 13 countries. From Argentina to Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and the USA.
For most of the journey the team is following the Andes, the longest continental mountain range in the world. It ensures that you as a viewer are treated to some spectacular scenery. The film crew got a little excited flying the drones so you will see a lot of amazing drone shot to give you a different perspective you would get from the bike. If you’ve been to these places before, it is going to be a feast of recognition.
Even if you have no love for motorcycles, the scenery will give any travel enthusiast a new entry on their bucket list. Definitely a reason to watch this series.
I've mapped out their route in Google Maps based on the town names they share in the series. You can click and drag to look at the details. Check it out in the interactive map below.
What are the biggest mistakes made in the Long Way Up?
Riding in the dark is a rookie mistake they should not have made
It is incredibly dangerous for so many reasons. You cannot see anything, no potholes in the road, no animals crossing the road. Other road users who don’t have lights and/or drive drunk especially in the night. There is just not any reason you should ride at night, it’s not worth it and I can’t believe they keep risking it while they have a family waiting for them to come home.Traveling on a strict schedule is the reason for most of their mistakes
Apparently Ewan has such a busy schedule that it has taken them 10 years to plan this trip and he only managed to get a 100 days off so the trip has to happen within this time frame. I can understand the logic, but most of their big mistakes are made because of this tight schedule. The pressure to meet deadlines ruins the ability to be spontaneous and as we’ve seen it comprises their safety along the way.- Riding without gloves, Charley I’m talking to you!
ALTATT means All the Gear, all the Time! You cannot predict what happens, an accident can occur at any time and by the sound of it he has experienced it and lived to tell the tale. It is particularly bad in episode 7 and I had to close my eyes a few times. I’m not sure why he would risk losing the use of his hands. - Towing a motorcycle without a rope is crazy dangerous
In Argentina Ewan runs out of juice while they try to catch a ferry. Towing it seems like a quick solution to make it on time. Just the way they do it is cringeworthy. Just use a rope. Don’t tie it to the bike but wrap it around a foot peg and put your foot on it. This is the safest way to tow a motorcycle. - Riding in the middle of a corrugated track, always ride on the side.
Not much more to say, except most of the time you’ll find that the least corrugated section is on the side of the track. Keep you hand on the throttle and let the bike move underneath you. It ain’t gonna be fun. - Get out of your car on a slope without a parking break…. Dave!
I mean…. I know things sometimes get hectic on a big trip like this, but you are the driver and there is a guy sitting in the back of your pickup filming. This is something you cannot let slip, you should be incredibly happy that nobody got hurt nor that the car wasn’t damaged to a point it could no longer drive in such a remote area.
Here are some other facts about the long way up that might interest you
What gear is used in Long Way Up?
- Arai helmets
- Bellstaff outerwear - jackets & pants
- Harley Davidson rain gear
- Sidi motorcycle boots
- Wolfmann luggage - soft panniers and roll bags
- Garmin Zumo GPS Unit
- Quad Lock phone Handlebar Mount
- Sony action camera on the side of the helmets
- GoPro action camera
- MSR tents
What bike is Claudio von Planta riding in Long Way Up?
A Harley Davidson 1200 Sportster XL. The reason why Claudio is riding a petrol bike and not an electric is not explained in the series. My best guess is that HD was only able to produce 2 prototypes in time for the trip and they therefor provided him with a petrol motorcycle instead.
That time when Claudio ran out of petrol in the middle of nowhere.
How many episodes of long way up are there?
The third series of Long Way, called Up contains 11 episodes
- Preparations
- Ushuaia
- Southern Patagonia
- The Andes
- From the Atacama desert to Bolivia
- Bolivia
- Peru
- Ecuador & Colombia
- Colombia, Panama & Costa Rica
- Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatamala & Mexico
- From Oaxaca to LA
When was long way up filmed?
September 2019 - December 2019
What does the backup crew of Long Way up Look like?
The backup crew on Long Way Up consists of
- Two electric Rivian R1T pick-up trucks which have 650km of range
- Two Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4WD vans
- Ford F350 pickup truck.
Switching from hard to soft luggage
No-one talks about it, but in the thirteen years between the first and the third series a lot has changed in the adventure motorcycle community. A significant change I noticed is that the men switched from aluminium panniers to soft luggage, a swap I have been promoting from the beginning of my career. I’m not sure why the team decided on soft luggage but I assume their main reason has been weight reduction to increase the range of the electric bikes. Added bonus in their cases is the extra crash safety the soft luggage comes with because there is no risk of breaking your leg by getting it stuck between a metal pannier and the ground.
Leave a comment down below
Have you watched the series, let me know how you liked it!
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