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Long Way Down starts Sunday, John-o-groats to Capetown

Started by dbninja , Oct 24 2007 08:22 pm

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#21 Sparra

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 12:11 am

QUOTE(bobalob5 @ Sun 28th Oct 2007, 04:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I have also heard they are now planning "the long way up" which will be the trans america highway from bottom cape of south america up to alaska.

Bob


There is already a show on Foxtel (The Ride : Alaska to Patagonia) with a group of about 7 people on BMWs riding from Alaska to the bottom of South America. Sorry Charlie and Ewan, somebody has beat you to it. Maybe that's why they are talking of doing it from the bottom up.
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#22 jht

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 12:25 am

QUOTE(Sparra @ Sun 28th Oct 2007, 11:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
There is already a show on Foxtel (The Ride : Alaska to Patagonia) with a group of about 7 people on BMWs riding from Alaska to the bottom of South America. Sorry Charlie and Ewan, somebody has beat you to it. Maybe that's why they are talking of doing it from the bottom up. That been done too! Go read The Road to Goblers Knob


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To do: Educate homo sap nav system to operate twisty + grabby things/ get ear plugs

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#23 dapleb

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 08:38 am

They have all been done many many years ago by people who have given everything they have for the experience....go visit www.horizonsunlimited.com
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#24 ChrisG

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 09:36 am

QUOTE(Hartside Man @ Sun 28th Oct 2007, 09:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I can see Charlie getting pissed off, when Eva joins them blink.gif


Same here! Not sure how much she's going to enjoy it either, 10 days riding through Africa with very little experience is going to be very hard work, unless they keep to decent roads which is going piss Charlie off even more.

At least Claudio still had his licence at the start of this one rotflmmfao.gif

I'd be interested to see what mods they made to the bikes, they said they were changing the shocks (so much for Adventurers being built for this kind of thing) but was it only that and some crash bars? Given the reliability issues people have had with the 1200's I wouldn't be suprised to see some problems.

I'm resisting buying the book until after I've watched the series on the grounds that books are always better so if I read it forst I'll be dissapointed in the TV series.

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#25 TonyDevil

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 11:50 am

if you want to see real people(7likely lads) doing it have a read/look at Mondo Enduro, they also did a book/TV series and that was over 10years ago and without backup good.gif
go along to a Horizons unlimited meeting you probably meet Austin Vince, one of the guys from Mondo.

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#26 ChrisG

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 12:04 pm

What was the bike Ewan was on? Sideways V twin so presumably a Guzi, long but quite pretty.

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#27 duibhce Kaelann

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 12:29 pm

QUOTE(ChrisG @ Mon 29th Oct 2007, 12:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
What was the bike Ewan was on? Sideways V twin so presumably a Guzi, long but quite pretty.


Moto Guzzi Griso. Might even have been a Griso V8, although I am not sure whether they are sold already...
Not quite to my taste, but still a nice bike.

Edited by duibhce Kaelann, 29 October 2007 - 12:32 pm.

Yamaha XJ600S Diversion '94
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#28 dwayne dibley

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 12:31 pm

QUOTE(Hartside Man @ Sun 28th Oct 2007, 09:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I can see Charlie getting pissed off, when Eva joins them blink.gif


I think I'd be pissed off to if I'd aranged to go off on a ride for a break with me mates to then find the missus wanted to come too.

With the amount of money Ewan earns he could do a smaller trip with Eva at a difrerent time and not hi-jack existing plans!

#29 dapleb

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 02:21 pm

QUOTE(dwayne dibley @ Mon 29th Oct 2007, 12:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
he could do a smaller trip with Eva at a difrerent time and not hi-jack existing plans!


She wouldn't get on the telly that way. smile.gif

Quite a change in how much more confident they are with the boikes this year (even with the small amount we have seen). Guess a Paris-Dakar run might help a tad.

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If you want to mark your location on the Carpe map: http://www.carpe-tdm...opic.php?t=5117

Doin valve clearances? Use dappers valve shim exchange program and the job will be carroty - Free (other than you postin me yer shims) for sporting members.

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#30 dbninja

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 05:43 pm

and which one of you would not want a Garage full of toys like this pair have?

after charlie and Ewan got their personalised Snap-on toolkits for Long way round...
did my eyes deceive me or were ther a couple of shiny new black tool chests with new packaged tools just crying out to be used

plus of course all the free camping gear and "made to measure" bike suits.....

jealous? me? nooooooooo!

not one bit! i apreciate the little i have cos i have to struggle for it! ....... its so much better for me laugh.gif







dbn
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#31 danceswithmopeds

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 06:35 pm

Hopper McGrath, an old mate of mine did Dublin to Johannesburg in 1984, on his own. No TV crew, no back-up, no bullshit. Second hand R80, I think.

#32 Guest_Emmett_*

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 07:11 pm

I know a guy who rode to the moon on a 70 year old C90, seriously though, there's very little left to do that hasn't been done, and Boorman has proved himself a "real biker" by doing so well in the Dakar. If someone would give me a bmw to ride around the world I wouldn't turn it down, I say fair fecks to the two of them, they've done alot to raise the awareness and acceptance of motorbikes too.

#33 Cavey

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 07:22 pm

QUOTE(Emmett @ Mon 29th Oct 2007, 06:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I know a guy who rode to the moon on a 70 year old C90, seriously though, there's very little left to do that hasn't been done, and Boorman has proved himself a "real biker" by doing so well in the Dakar. If someone would give me a bmw to ride around the world I wouldn't turn it down, I say fair fecks to the two of them, they've done alot to raise the awareness and acceptance of motorbikes too.



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#34 TDMTAM

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 07:59 pm

QUOTE(dbninja @ Mon 29th Oct 2007, 05:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
and which one of you would not want a Garage full of toys like this pair have?


OOOOHHHHHHH serious tool fetish there,
TAM

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#35 bobalob5

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 08:25 pm

I thought it was good and will get better as they get further away from blighty. Yes i know loads of folk have done similar trips without back-up and the most used bike for around the world is ? " Honda C90" and not as you would think some big trailie/enduro type machine. Horizons unlimited is one of my favourite websites and you can read the e-zine on line free of charge.

I also noticed that the back up vehicles were from Nissan and not BMW. Yes they have massive support from major companies and all get their products shown to millions of potential buyers. It would not suprise me if Ewan and Charlie actually get paid for doing this after the success of long way round. But would I go on such a trip/ bloody right I would (but mrs bobalob might have something to say about it).

Has anyone done such giant trips on a TDM?

Bob

#36 fightingirish

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 08:45 pm

I rode to Belfast and back the other day. 16 Miles and didnt break down once. laugh.gif laugh.gif

#37 Yellowasp

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 08:47 pm

QUOTE(dbninja @ Mon 29th Oct 2007, 05:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
and which one of you would not want a Garage full of toys like this pair have?

after charlie and Ewan got their personalised Snap-on toolkits for Long way round...
did my eyes deceive me or were ther a couple of shiny new black tool chests with new packaged tools just crying out to be used

plus of course all the free camping gear and "made to measure" bike suits.....

jealous? me? nooooooooo!

not one bit! i apreciate the little i have cos i have to struggle for it! ....... its so much better for me laugh.gif
dbn



They are supplied by MAC tools this year. I know this cos my missus met them at a evening dinner on a MAC tools evening and they were there as guests. My wife got a signed autograph from Ewan.

Made me laugh, they payed this money to them ( their Charity ) and didn't even get a mention or see them slobering over the tools like they did with SNAP ON. rotflmmfao.gif rotflmmfao.gif

Edited by Yellowasp, 29 October 2007 - 08:48 pm.

Yellow Tdm 900 with lots of bits added

#38 dbninja

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 10:10 pm

QUOTE(bobalob5 @ Mon 29th Oct 2007, 08:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Has anyone done such giant trips on a TDM?

Bob



Bob
as you know, i rode my TDM 850 round the coast of mainland UK.. 3500 mile in 8 days! and to be honest when i got back to where i started i could have quite happily "gone round again!" (photo blog at david-baker.magix.net )

ok its not 15,000 miles in 3 months but its all relative! on 3 seperate occasions i covered around 700miles in a day on it! (i think you have to do 1000miles in a day to be classed as an "iron butt") did 1200 mile in 3 days upto Skye on the 900......... nice!

the choice of bike is not as much of an issue as the fitness of the rider.. both physical and mental to start on such endevours! if i had the rescources i could quite easily ride off into the sun on an indefinate adventure.

the TDM is a pretty good choice of bike to do the distance on... comfy, reliable, economical... they do not however "crash well"

the secret is to be smooth when you are doing it... ride well, ride smoothly, conserve your energy, conserve your bikes longevity! if you set off thrashing the arse out of it ...you wont get very far before either the rider or the bike "breaks"


be loose be flexible! take whatever sh*t happens... tight margins and deadlines for ferries etc are a big no no








dbn
lots of money helps too rolleyes.gif
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#39 catsbum

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Posted 29 October 2007 - 10:17 pm

QUOTE(fightingirish @ Mon 29th Oct 2007, 08:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I rode to Belfast and back the other day. 16 Miles and didnt break down once. laugh.gif laugh.gif


Call that a ride? I pushed mine out of the garage this afternoon and rolled her back in. Tough bikes TDM, dont mess here!

#40 ChrisG

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Posted 30 October 2007 - 10:04 am

QUOTE(bobalob5 @ Mon 29th Oct 2007, 08:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I also noticed that the back up vehicles were from Nissan and not BMW.


Not suprising after the Dakar trip. They had an X5 for that and the suspension collapsed twice blink.gif

They used Mitsubishi's on the first one, I wonder if they weren't so keen this time due to the state of the L200 when they'd finished with it rotflmmfao.gif

1992 Mk1, 76k miles, Hagon springs, MTC exhaust, 4½ gears Gone now :(
2009 900 abs, 42k miles, Yamaha heated grips, double bubble screen, R&G crash bungs, scottoiler, Autocom, 1500 lumen LED spotlights.

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