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long way round, revisited
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 4:04 pm
by Kimosabe
I watched this dvd about a month ago and it still bugs me. It was
below mediocre in my opinion. I know, that's my problem.
It had way too much of McGregor's and Boorman's faces and empty
chatter and way too little about motorcycling and where they were.
The presence of several chase/support vehicles and personnel
seriously took away from the concept of what I would call a
motorcycle trip. Who are they kidding? It's just some guys with
excess money and time who have some buddies to hold their hands while
they take a ride on some crappy roads on fancy bikes.
While it was more serious than camping in your back yard and I know
it took time and bucks to produce, it failed to meet my expectations
as a serious motorcycle adventure movie. It's no "On Any Sunday"
or "Endless Summer" although I would welcome more timely movies along
those lines.
And at over 280 minutes, it was painfully long, as is this note.
JMHO, Steve in Niceville
long way round, revisited
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 4:43 pm
by Samuel Hudson
Having also watched it lately I also found them to be a little lacking
in adventure spirit.
I think the 1150 gs was a poor choice for the terrain and a huge
contributor to many of their troubles.
I think they should have learnt to pick up the bikes properly on their
own. I think ewan needed more miles offroad.
As far as too much of ewan and charlie, I think that at the core this a
story of two friends on a adventure. The adventure happens to be on
motorcycles.
Neither seemed to enjoy difficult terrain on the bikes, I think the
massively loaded gs's were to blame for that. I think they would have
been far better served with any of the middle weight ds bikes, xr650,
klr650, dr640 or 400 even. The 650 gs would have been great, hell 3 of
those crap scooter bikes that claudio ended up on. This series proved
to mre that the klr is closer to the right tool for that job than the
1150/1200 gs. I looked at some of the spots they had trouble on, and
thought they looked easy.
Regardless at the end of the movie you definetly feel as if you know
ewan and charlie on a personal level. I liked the story they told, but
it was a story of friendship and of how dedicated each of those men are
to their familys in my opinion. the main lesson for me was pack lighter
and ride a lighter bike.
--sam hudson, san antonio tx.
long way round, revisited
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 5:44 pm
by Michael Betcher
If I remember correctly, they had intended to use KTMs but for some reason could not get them. BMW offered them 1150 GSs and the rest, as they say, is history.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
long way round, revisited
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 5:50 pm
by Jim Tegler
Long Way Round, revisited
Posted by: "Kimosabe" stmilum@... stmilum
Tue Mar 20, 2007 2:04 pm (PST)
I watched this dvd about a month ago and it still bugs me. It was
below mediocre in my opinion. I know, that's my problem.
It had way too much of McGregor's and Boorman's faces and empty
chatter and way too little about motorcycling and where they were.
The presence of several chase/support vehicles and personnel
seriously took away from the concept of what I would call a
motorcycle trip. Who are they kidding? It's just some guys with
excess money and time who have some buddies to hold their hands while
they take a ride on some crappy roads on fancy bikes.
While it was more serious than camping in your back yard and I know
it took time and bucks to produce, it failed to meet my expectations
as a serious motorcycle adventure movie. It's no "On Any Sunday"
or "Endless Summer" although I would welcome more timely movies along
those lines.
And at over 280 minutes, it was painfully long, as is this note.
JMHO, Steve in Niceville
Howdy Steve,
I always thought being from Niceville was a way of describing your
tempermaent but, apparently this film has seriously irritated you, eh? I
think that your summation of it is pretty accurate. The bikes were a bad
choice. Way too much friggin' gear and about 75bhp more than required. Did
they pan on doing over 200kmh in many places? All in all it seemed like a
rich boy's romp through some neat country. My favourite scenes was in that
huge Russian truck crossing the raging rivers with the towed equipment van
bobbling behind like a toy! I'm a pretty hardcore camper too, and the
camping scenes were rather wimpy....
All in all it was only a tad better than a poke in the eye with a sharp
stick.
Jim A5
_________________________________________________________________
Win a trip for four to a concert anywhere in the world!
http://www.mobilelivetour.ca/
long way round, revisited
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 5:57 pm
by CB
KTM backed out during the preparation -- they didn't think the guys
would make it..
On Mar 20, 2007, at 3:44 PM, Michael Betcher wrote:
> If I remember correctly, they had intended to use KTMs but for some
> reason could not get them. BMW offered them 1150 GSs and the rest,
> as they say, is history.
>
long way round, revisited
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 6:59 pm
by Matt Knowles
On Mar 20, 2007, at 3:49 PM, Jim Tegler wrote:
> My favourite scenes was in that
> huge Russian truck crossing the raging rivers with the towed equipment
> van
> bobbling behind like a toy!
My favorite scene too. Unbelievable. Not worth sitting through the
whole series though.
Least favorite scene:
Two rich boys in an office they rented to plan the expedition going
"Wha, wha, wha, KTM won't GIVE us bikes"
Like they couldn't fricken afford to buy a whole dealership.
Matt Knowles - Ferndale, CA -
http://www.knowlesville.com/matt/motorcycles
who does all of his trip planning in his living room, or over at
Blake's
long way round, revisited
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:06 pm
by Kimosabe
NIceville - The village was at the end of a long sand road where the
marshes met the bay in the Florida panhandle. The original name was
Boggy. The town's finer ladies decided the name was less than
dignified and change it to - ta da - Niceville. Thanks, ladies, I
kinda like Boggy better.
The name reminds me of Smallville where Superboy grew up. However,
it is surrounded by Eglin AFB and the bombing range where the Mother
of all Bombs was developed and tested, among other military
activities.
Steve in Niceville
--- In
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Jim Tegler" wrote:
>
>
> Long Way Round, revisited
> Posted by: "Kimosabe" stmilum@... stmilum
> Tue Mar 20, 2007 2:04 pm (PST)
> I watched this dvd about a month ago and it still bugs me. It was
> below mediocre in my opinion. I know, that's my problem.
>
> It had way too much of McGregor's and Boorman's faces and empty
> chatter and way too little about motorcycling and where they were.
>
> The presence of several chase/support vehicles and personnel
> seriously took away from the concept of what I would call a
> motorcycle trip. Who are they kidding? It's just some guys with
> excess money and time who have some buddies to hold their hands
while
> they take a ride on some crappy roads on fancy bikes.
>
> While it was more serious than camping in your back yard and I know
> it took time and bucks to produce, it failed to meet my expectations
> as a serious motorcycle adventure movie. It's no "On Any Sunday"
> or "Endless Summer" although I would welcome more timely movies
along
> those lines.
>
> And at over 280 minutes, it was painfully long, as is this note.
>
> JMHO, Steve in Niceville
>
> Howdy Steve,
>
> I always thought being from Niceville was a way of describing your
> tempermaent but, apparently this film has seriously irritated you,
eh? I
> think that your summation of it is pretty accurate. The bikes were
a bad
> choice. Way too much friggin' gear and about 75bhp more than
required. Did
> they pan on doing over 200kmh in many places? All in all it seemed
like a
> rich boy's romp through some neat country. My favourite scenes was
in that
> huge Russian truck crossing the raging rivers with the towed
equipment van
> bobbling behind like a toy! I'm a pretty hardcore camper too, and
the
> camping scenes were rather wimpy....
>
> All in all it was only a tad better than a poke in the eye with a
sharp
> stick.
>
> Jim A5
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Win a trip for four to a concert anywhere in the world!
>
http://www.mobilelivetour.ca/
>
long way round, revisited
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:14 pm
by Kimosabe
Sam,
Being a native San Antonian and a son of the Great State of Texas, I
am appaled by your sensitivity! Throw down that hanky and be a man!
Just kidding, of course. I envy you, Florida lacks the great roads
where you are, especially those in the hill country.
Steve in Niceville
--- In
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Samuel Hudson
wrote:
> Regardless at the end of the movie you definetly feel as if you
know
> ewan and charlie on a personal level. I liked the story they told,
but
> it was a story of friendship and of how dedicated each of those men
are
>
> --sam hudson, san antonio tx.
>
long way round, revisited
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:25 pm
by Samuel Hudson
I stand chastised. It was pretty pansy that they couldn't pick up those
bikes.
--sam hudson, san antonio tx.
long way round, revisited
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 9:54 pm
by Erik
Man, I feel like a pansy. I've failed to pick up my un-luggaged KLR in the
dirt before. When you're tired and it falls at a nasty angle, getting it
back up can be pretty rough.
Obviously I need more practice.
erik
> I stand chastised. It was pretty pansy that they couldn't pick up those
> bikes.
> --sam hudson, san antonio tx.
>