Track Ewan McGregor’s worldwide ride online

Motorcyclenews.com is teaming up with actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman during their planned round-the-world bike trip to bring you regular updates on their progress and essential insight into the production of the ” Long Way Round ” TV show they’re making during the journey.

As revealed in MCN two weeks ago, the two actors are scheduled to set off next month on an epic, 20,000-mile journey that will take them from the UK through Europe, the Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Siberia, Alaska and Canada before getting to America and their final destination, New York.

Over most of the three months of the journey, the pair will travel without any back-up, filming themselves using miniature hand-held and bike-mounted cameras for the Long Way Round documentary series due to be aired in the autumn. They will only meet up with another member of the show’s production team at a few pre-ordained locations for extra filming to take place – and even he will be on a bike. However, they will be in touch with the outside world via satellite phone, and they’ll be using this to give MCN readers regular updates on their progress.

We’re planning to bring you an exclusive column from the pair in MCN every three weeks after they leave in mid April. And next week we’ll have an interview with both McGregor, who plays Obiwan Kenobi in the recent Star Wars films, and Boorman, whose credits include the 1972 Burt Reynolds classic Deliverance, which was directed by his father, John Boorman.

The bikes: A pair of BMW R1150 GS giant trailies have been chosen as McGregor and Boorman’s transport for the journey.

Supplied directly from BMW GB, the bikes will be basically standard, but fitted with options including the vital satellite navigation systems the pair will be relying on for much of the journey. And in the sub-zero temperatures of Siberia, their heated grips will be an essential rather than just a luxury.

By keeping their luggage to a minimum, Boorman and McGregor will be able to carry all the essential equipment the need on the bikes, eliminating the need for any back-up vehicles.

The TV show: Long Way Round is planned to be more than just a travelogue – as it will be packed with personal video diary entries from both Boorman and McGregor as they experience a journey most of us can only dream about.

It’s being co-produced by its stars, along with David Alexanian of Elixir films and Russ Malkin of Image Wizard Television.

Although exact dates and details have yet to be finalised, the series is due to be screened this autumn, and will be accompanied by a book including the travellers’ journals.

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