Long Way Home Goes Back to Basics

[advrider]

The trailer is out for Long Way Home, the fourth installment of what I like to call “Ewan and Charley’s Excellent Adventure.” Although the pair embraced the latest technology of electric motorcycles in their previous journey, this time, they’re doing precisely the opposite, mounting a pair of steeds from the 1970s. The premise is simple: a ride from Ewan McGregor’s home in Scotland to Charley Boorman’s home in England. The direct route wouldn’t be much of an adventure, though, so they’re taking a 10,000-mile detour to get there.

“We’ve never properly explored the countries on our own doorstep,” says McGregor in the series trailer. He’s right—the original Long Way Round blasted through familiar territory to begin the real adventure in Eastern Europe and beyond, Long Way Down focused on Africa, and Long Way Up took place exclusively in the Americas. This time, the pair leaves Scotland to tour Scandinavia, heads south through the Baltics, and then crosses continental Europe to get back to England two months later, crossing 17 countries in the process.

One huge change is that the pair will not be riding the latest and greatest hardware from BMW or Harley-Davidson. Instead, they’re riding vintage iron. McGregor chose a 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado. While Italian motorcycles, especially old ones, don’t have the greatest reputation for reliability, this model was designed specifically for police use and was considered one of the most reliable rides of its time. Meanwhile, Boorman returns to BMW, but with an R75/5 of similar vintage and also a reputation for reliability. Of course, today’s standards of reliability far surpass anything the 1970s could offer, and the bikes are 50 years old, so they are bound to add their own dose of character and drama to the story.

Photo: Apple TV+ / YouTube

Many of us, myself included, got our first taste of adventure motorcycling from the Long Way series, which inspired us to try it out for ourselves. It’s certainly responsible for the segment’s explosion in popularity. Plenty of people feel that Long Way Up was a turn in the wrong direction, with a focus on charging electric motorcycles in remote places (not to mention the bus fiasco) instead of the joy of the adventure itself.

“Last time we were on two electric bikes,” said Boorman in an interview with MCN. “They were the pinnacle of technology, but still, Long Way Up was very difficult at times. The idea this time around was to do something totally different – a new challenge – hence the old bikes.”

Hopefully, by removing technology from the equation, Long Way Home truly goes back to basics, with two good friends enjoying an excellent adventure together. The ten-part series premieres exclusively on Apple TV+ on May 9.

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