how's this for a st paddy's day ride?

[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

[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.

[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]

[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/

[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. >

[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

[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/ >

[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. >

[Samuel Hudson]

I stand chastised. It was pretty pansy that they couldn't pick up those bikes. --sam hudson, san antonio tx.

[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. >