Not such a Long Way Up for BMWThe BMW R 1200 GS Adventure has made its mark by embarking on a 15,000 mile trip in Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's latest motorbiking adventure. Being great fans of the Long Way Round DVD, the Hoot Car Insurance Services crew thought it would be fun to have a look at what makes Ewan and Charley tick while looking at the success of this particular BMW model. Best mates, Ewan and Charley left on 12th May 2007 to travel two continents in two days astride their trusty BMWs which took them from the most northern point in Scotland, John O'Groats, to the most southerly tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas. This trip, entitled the Long Way Down, followed up the boys' epic adventure from London to New York, the Long Way Round in 2004. Last time they took on the poor roads and fear-invoking borders of countries such as Slovakia, Ukraine and Mongolia but this time they would be meeting tribes in Ethiopia, taking on the jungles of Uganda and getting up close and personal with native wildlife such as a herd of elephants. Ewan and Charley have been friends since acting together over 10 years ago and also have a long-lived shared fascination with motorbikes. They used to run a motocross team together and as well as completing the Long Way Round and Long Way Down together, Charley took part in the 2006 Dakar Rally. As soon as they completed their last adventure together which they deemed 'a once-in-a-lifetime-adventure', the keen bikers were back to the drawing board: "When we looked at a nap of the world, the first thing that grabbed us was going from London to New York," said Charley. "Then you take another look at the world and you think 'Africa'. Everyone is different, but Ewan and I looked at Africa and thought 'this is the one'". So what's the attraction with all these dare-devil antics? Charley says it's about the freedom: "A few years back Ewan started doing little trips straight after he'd finished movies. In movies your life is very controlled. You do what you're told, go where you're told. So by the time the film is finished you need to escape. He found those little trips gave him the freedom from control that he craved." On his passion for bikes, Charley said, "The first bike I rode was a monkey bike, but the first bike I ever bought with my own money was a Yamaha DT 100." It was reported after trying the BMW bikes out on the tracks in training the boys couldn't wait to get out on the open road. Of course, embarking on such a long and gruelling journey involves premium equipment that offers both comfort and functionality and this is where their BMW R 1200 GS Adventures fitted the bill. Before the guys planned to set off, their bikes were kitted out with all the touring extras a biker could ask for from a comfort seat to an adjustable gear lever from Touratech. The bikes even received individual paint jobs so that they could be distinguished by their riders - Ewan's with hand-painted zebra print and blue side panels and Charley's with hand-painted leopard print and red side panels. Both the GS and its model variant GS Adventure have been revealed as the most successful BMWs of all time. During July 2007, BMW Motorrad cracked open the Champaign as the 100,000th R 1200 GS rolled off the production line in Germany. What's so extraordinary about this particular model is that no other BMW motorcycle has been built in such volume and within such a short space of time. Marketing Manager for BMW Motorrad UK, Tony Jakeman, commented: "Here in the UK the GS and GS Adventure have been the best selling bikes, in the Adventure category, for several years. In 2006, the number of GS and GS Adventure registrations, at 2277, made it the best selling motorcycle in the country, so we're delighted to be celebrating the production of the 100,000th R 1200 GS. "Sales are looking strong again in 2007, with more and more riders discovering the joys of BMW GS ownership. The R 1200 and Adventure version work equally well as everyday commuters, weekend sports bikes and long-distance tourers." Being selected as the bike of choice by Hollywood film star Ewan McGregor and his actor friend Charley Boorman on their latest motorbike adventure has definitely done no hark to the credibility of this model. Both bikes performed fabulously as they made their way across some of the most uneven and unpredictable terrain known to man through Europe then from Tunisia to South Africa via Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Namibia, to name but a few. On 4th August 2007 the last leg of the journey was completed as the friends arrived in Cape Town, riders and BMW GS Adventures still in one piece; good news for the families and their motor insurance premiums. To find out more about Long Way Down visit, www.longwaydown.com and to find out more about the bikes visit, www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk
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