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The previous time Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman embarked on a motorbike journey, they cruised aboard state-of-the-art, electric Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In their most recent expedition, however, they chose vintage rides from eras gone by.
The
British
Best buddies and performers opted to pedal vintage bicycles as they cycled across 17 European nations this time around.
Apple
TV+’s "The Long Journey Back," the fourth episode in their well-received road trip documentary series, begins streaming this Friday.
McGregor chose a 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado, previously employed as a police motorcycle.
Los Angeles Police Department
And the California Highway Patrol. Boorman chose a dilapidated BMW R75/5 and hurried to get it roadworthy.
“I suppose there really isn’t anywhere else to head except backward,” states McGregor. “We thought that missing out on a journey with vintage bicycles was a pity. I have always been fond of older bikes.”
A visit to check on their neighbors
The pair begin their journey at McGregor’s house in Scotland—departing with music from a bagpipe ensemble and, of course, encountering rain—and then travel to Holland. They continue upwards through the Nordic countries, crossing the Arctic Circle, and proceed downward to the Baltic states. From there, they make their way through the Alps and France.
Unlike their previous rides on Harleys or BMWs, using vintage motorcycles provided McGregor and Boorman with a sense of nostalgia along with something practical: They could easily return to the road if an emergency arose.
McGregor states, "These issues are manageable. You can address most problems by the roadside using just some sandpaper, a screwdriver, and a hammer, getting things back up and running. However, when it comes to an electric bike, should anything go awry—as we discovered in Central America—the consequences tend to be far more severe."
The show's standout moments feature the pair dressed as Vikings with axes in Norway, pitching tents next to a windmill close to Amsterdam, and paddling their kayak beside a glacier within the Arctic Circle. "It looks like something out of 'Mad Max' everywhere you look," remarks McGregor by the frozen waters.
The pair celebrate Midsummer’s Day on a sandy shore next to a bonfire on an island along Norway's coastline, attempt logrolling in Finland, ink themselves up in Poland, soar through the skies via paragliding in the Alps, and overnight in the globe’s most northerly hut.
“
One
One of the wonderful aspects of it is observing our planet from the back of a motorcycle while being an integral part of nature. When it’s chilly, you feel the cold; when it rains, you get wet. It’s a truly authentic experience," remarks McGregor.
It took them roughly two months to complete their journey, ending up at Boorman's house in England. This time around, they made sure to savor the views along the way and slowed down their pace.
We were circling through Europe without spending days crossing vast stretches of Eastern Europe.
Russia
, where the scenery hardly varies," explains McGregor. "On those BMWs, we were able to cruise at 80 miles per hour, even up to 90 miles per hour. However, on this circuit, we didn’t have to push so hard. So maintaining a pace of around 60 or 65 miles per hour felt just right."
Fourth time out there
This new series celebrates the 20-year milestone since the original show began with "Long Way Round" in 2004. The initial journey involved them driving from London through various countries such as Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and parts of Russia before crossing over the Pacific into Alaska. They continued their adventure traveling southward via Canada and right across America.
In 2007, they embarked together on "Long Way Down," a 15,000-mile expedition starting in Scotland and ending at the southernmost point of South Africa. Later, in 2019, they collaborated again for "Long Way Up," traversing through 13 different nations across South and Central America.
On this occasion, tents invert and deteriorate with time. At some point, McGregor remarks, "My behind is completely numb, goodness gracious." The cuisine is quite simple, spanning from Swedish seaweed plucked from the ocean to a round of Gouda sourced in Amsterdam, along with prepackaged fishpaste and crackers eaten amidst the snowy landscape.
The irony of the situation was that although McGregor and Boorman were cruising on bicycles dating back half a century, both they and their crew were equipped with cutting-edge tech such as GPS systems, GoPro cameras, drones, and Insta360 devices.
"You're incorporating these magnificent vintage motorcycles while also utilizing what's readily available to enrich the narrative," explains Boorman.
When we reminisce about the TV series, certain moments stand out vividly, recalling precisely where we filmed them. However, using the drone footage reveals aspects I hadn't noticed before—like a large river flowing alongside us or an imposing mountain nearby. This allows us to gain new perspectives too. I appreciate integrating such technological tools.
Although it’s incredibly entertaining to watch the pair exchange witty remarks as they speed across the scenery, there are also serious instances, such as when McGregor and Boorman tour UNICEF's extensive facility in Copenhagen and witness firsthand how climate change affects glaciers around the world.
Despite having ridden thousands of miles and seen numerous countries, McGregor, aged 54, believes there’s still plenty left for him and Boorman to explore.
I constantly tell myself that although we've traveled all over the globe and explored various terrains, we have only seen a narrow strip extending a few hundred yards on each side of our motorcycle," he explains. "This means there is still so much more out there waiting to be discovered.
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