st11ray
2006 ST1300
Is today the last episode?
“Long Way Up” [Electric Harleys]
- Thread starter John OoSTerhuis
- Start date
There should be a another episode available today (Friday). I’m loving the photography, the scenery and the people met along the trip but not the bikes and the drama about reaching the next charging station.
There are some sketchy regions in Central America that are hazardous to independent riders such as Noraly. However the production company hired security people for places like Nicaragua and southern Mexico, so the threats were glossed over in the last episode. Overall, this series is very entertaining and worth watching to the end.
There is no electric bike in my future but my wife and I did buy electric bicycles which are great and not range bound for our day-long outings.
There are some sketchy regions in Central America that are hazardous to independent riders such as Noraly. However the production company hired security people for places like Nicaragua and southern Mexico, so the threats were glossed over in the last episode. Overall, this series is very entertaining and worth watching to the end.
There is no electric bike in my future but my wife and I did buy electric bicycles which are great and not range bound for our day-long outings.
st11ray
2006 ST1300
I hate electric bicycles! I ride a road bike 5 days a week 30 miles a day. I got passed by a big fat guy the other day like I was standing still. I caught up to him at a traffic light to see that he was riding an electric bike. I don't know how many times I've almost given myself a heart attack trying to keep up with someone who I know can't be faster than me only to find out that they are on an electric bike!
Just last week I passed a homeless guy stopped at the bottom of a hill on the side of the road with his bike. He had a full milk crate strapped on the back and two panniers over the front wheel. I said hello as I passed him starting my climb up the hill. About 200 yards into the climb, this guy comes screaming by me at warp speed! I was ready to give up cycling altogether until I finally caught him down the road where he was stopped again and that's when I saw that he was on an electric bike!
Enjoy your bikes but please quit making us pedal bikers feel like we are the slowest of the slow. I don't think I can take many more "Malcolm Meeriwethers" passing me with no effort at all!
Yeah, agreed.
I can understand the need to talk about battery life and the challenges of finding charging stations, especially at the start, but it was incessant early on when it was colder and distances were short. Really, all that logistical stuff I found pretty tiresome, especially considering their small army and almost unlimited budget to work with. The best bits were just some of the regular interactions that weren't scripted or photo ops, and of course just some of the riding sequences, in Peru especially, which were stunning. I could have done with more of that, and less wingeing about being able to charge their nearly $40k electric bikes.
lrhsr05st1300
sirlancealot
i'd like to see all the behind the scenes hijinks and stuff!
amorley
Site Supporter
Yes, today's episode was the final one as they reached Los Angeles entering the city in one of those very annoying large group of motorcycle travelling slowly and blocking the lanes.
All that work on modifying the school bus for what looked like two days and one night before abandoning it in Juarez!
It was interesting to see on I-10 how slowly they were riding the HD Livewire bikes. Everything was overtaking them.
Charlie nearly got nailed by pulling out in front of a car!
st11ray
2006 ST1300
They sure didn't show much of their travels through Mexico. It was a good show though. I hope that they do another one. I'll watch it too.
ST Gui
240Robert
I have a friend who like to ride a bike but has had a bad for maybe most of the 30yrs I've known him. He's currently trying to recover from a knee replacement.
Anyway he bought he and his wife electric bikes. One of his favorite gags is to "pedal" up a long steep grade on his way back home along side road warriors on manual bikes. They really work to get up that hill. He slowly cruises alongside riders and gives them a very casual relaxed "Hey... How ya doing'? Hot one today. Heat really takes it outta me. I can barely get up the hill." Then he makes a show of pedaling faster while disappearing into the sunset.
He did find out that the bike is a beast when it runs out of juice. Power management quickly became the first consideration of his ride.
Thanks for this, I do like behind the scenes info. It does beg the question as to who thought it was a good idea to send out a support bike with a 12 litre fuel capacity, with all that logistics planning.
I watched the first 3 episodes of “Long way Round” and my finger was on the fast forward button most of the time....hopefully the rest of the episodes prove more interesting.
I studied to be an actor, and had these dreams of being a star ...rich and famous.... this did not come to pass, (and for good reason as I wasn’t really that good). I realize the challenges for these folk are because they have some fame, the risk of kidnapping and ransom are much more real than they are for me. Now having said that I wonder if they had embarked on a trip very low key with just them and the technology available with 360 degree cameras and drones could they achieve their goals, maintain their anonymity and produce better qualify show?
The thing is who cares if I go on an adventure ride.
. I am very happy riding my ST, not worrying where my next fuel stop is and seeing some amazing country around me and lots of good friends.Thanks for this, I do like behind the scenes info. It does beg the question as to who thought it was a good idea to send out a support bike with a 12 litre fuel capacity, with all that logistics planning.
I watched the first 3 episodes of “Long way Round” and my finger was on the fast forward button most of the time....hopefully the rest of the episodes prove more interesting.
I studied to be an actor, and had these dreams of being a star ...rich and famous.... this did not come to pass, (and for good reason as I wasn’t really that good). I realize the challenges for these folk are because they have some fame, the risk of kidnapping and ransom are much more real than they are for me. Now having said that I wonder if they had embarked on a trip very low key with just them and the technology available with 360 degree cameras and drones could they achieve their goals, maintain their anonymity and produce better qualify show?
The thing is who cares if I go on an adventure ride.
Well, their goals and those of their sponsors (especially Harley Davidson and Rivian) were probably very much different than what many of us as riders might have wanted to see. For example, I'd have been fine with endless riding sequences and drone footage but perhaps that's not what Apple or whoever financed their project wanted so as to get the greatest number of viewers in the various international markets.
I think it was fine for what it was, a reality tv show about travel on electric motorcycles through South and Central Americas. Some of their choices in the storyline for dramatic tension (endless power supply worries, making a bus in Mexico, etc) were a bit annoying but overall quite watchable and a good show despite everything else.
P.S. The interview with Claudio is really very good. Interesting guy and the interview with him quite well done. Much better than the more standard celebrity interview Baldy did with Charley Boorman earlier.
I have binged watched the other two "Long Ways". I now see the appeal.
Of the three I liked the "Long Way Down" the best. I found it to have better interactions with the locals, more interesting tangent stories with architecture, history and wildlife. Oh and the ST1300 being ridden at the beginning either by Ewan's father or brother.
I think the adventure bikes they used were just too big for the task at hand, but seeing as I'm not the one with that sort of experience I may well be off in left field. There were a lot of comments that at times they were too heavy, and too big to handle.
Thanks John for bringing the series to my attention.
Of the three I liked the "Long Way Down" the best. I found it to have better interactions with the locals, more interesting tangent stories with architecture, history and wildlife. Oh and the ST1300 being ridden at the beginning either by Ewan's father or brother.
I think the adventure bikes they used were just too big for the task at hand, but seeing as I'm not the one with that sort of experience I may well be off in left field. There were a lot of comments that at times they were too heavy, and too big to handle.
Thanks John for bringing the series to my attention.
I wasn't aware of this before now. Just raw footage of their trip on the bikes, mostly helmet-cam footage. I actually prefer more of this to the almost scripted show produced and of course riding footage through some awesome terrain.