Long Way Up

[Deadpool2]

4 episodes in but its losing me now. The technical problems are more interesting than the dialogue tbh, but there's only so much meat on that bone. I'm also finding the scenery boring, which isn't helping. Snowy hills and landscapes and one horse towns repeated, just don't float my boat. Be glad to see some sun and civilisation, assuming I watch it again.

Ep5 is going to be a disappointment then
To be fair, what did you expect from S America?
Doubt you'll see much civilisation until Columbia (unless they visit Machu Pichu)

I have never watched any of them, so this is a first watch. The electrical vehicles and scenery are interesting. Quite like how HD modified the bikes and how the staff worked on them in their spare time. Despite HD's woes, I thought it was really cool how bike-mad the staff where. Sort of like the RE guys who are/ were building the BikeShed RE bike.

I sort of watch it in the background a lot of hugs and man love going on.

[Rockburner]

The fact it took them 5 weeks to travel from the south to the north of Argentina when the Dakar guys do North to South over far harder terrain in 6 days then back down again in 5.

Has to be said it's not quite the same thing... you're comparing a no-holds-barred, ultra-competitive race on specifically custom built machinery to pootling along, stopping to look at the scenery, on bikes that aren't really fully suitable (despite customisations).

I know its completely different but on the first 2 trips (LWR and LWD) they actively looked for routes off the beaten track and they drew in huge following because of this. On this one they seem to be constantly looking for the path of least resistance to get the most mileage from the batteries on the bikes. To ride a foot behind a Diesel powered Merc Sprinter van on smooth tarmac at 40 mph to stretch out the battery so they actually reached the next pre installed Harley Davidson funded charging point seems to be the opposite of what they did on the first 2 trips.

With conventional bikes they could have taken more challenging routes away from the main tourist trails and covered far more distance in a shorter time. My point of the Dakar is they are all on smaller capacity bikes without massive tops speeds but able to cover massive miles in a day down to the endurance of the riders and the ability to refuel and continue hence covering in a day what the leccy bikes take a week due to limited running distance and prolonged charging times.

I'll carry on watching for the trip itself but try not to get pissed off about the leccy bikes too much

Agree with what you're saying, but I'd argue that the use of the electric bikes is just a different style of challenge. IS it possible to do that kind of ride on electric bikes? Obviously it is because they've managed it, albeit with help that 'normal' people wouldn't get, but there's also lots of smaller challenges along the way which they're having to face.

Caveat: I've not seen any of the series yet.

[Yorick]

I've not seen any of it yet, but some here have implied range is a problem?

They do 37 miles at 120 MPH on that little island.

[IOU0]

I've not seen any of it yet, but some here have implied range is a problem?

They do 37 miles at 120 MPH on that little island.

Iirc its 75 and a bit at 130, and a 'recharge' takes @ 30s

[Yorick]

I've not seen any of it yet, but some here have implied range is a problem?

They do 37 miles at 120 MPH on that little island.

Iirc its 75 and a bit at 130, and a 'recharge' takes @ 30s

At the TT they only race 1 lap and average 120.

[IOU0]

You're talking about electric bikes arent you!
Should have been clearer!

[Taipan]

I'm the opposite to BY as its the challenges that i'm finding interesting and how that will lessen as the get into USA etc. The trucks are interesting as well and I wish there was more info on how they are fairing. There's countless YT vids on people doing all manner of trips with ICE bikes, so i welcome the leccy angle, especially given its our not too distant future.

[Taipan]

Bolivia looked an amazing place. Worth watching this episode just to see the blood red lake and La Paz and other Bolivian cities!

[McNab]

So, when we get our LiveWires, how far in advance do we have to inform Harley Davidson of our trip routes so they can install the necessary chargers (obviously just far enough apart to create a sense of excitement)?

[IOU0]

Anybody looked to see just how much H-D will be charging (dyswidt) Charlie and Euan wannabes for the priviledge of saving the planet.
Glad i was sat down!
Not that i was even considering for a nanosecond entertaining the thought of owning 1.

[KungFooBob]

£29k... that's pocket change!

[G.P]

So, when we get our LiveWires, how far in advance do we have to inform Harley Davidson of our trip routes so they can install the necessary chargers (obviously just far enough apart to create a sense of excitement)?

Trouble is, I assume no-one else has got an electric bike in that part of the world so the carbon footprint for all the shipping and installations of the charging points is massive compared to what the adventurers and their service crew would have consumed in unleaded.

I thought Ewan was a bit brighter than that?

[Taipan]

So, when we get our LiveWires, how far in advance do we have to inform Harley Davidson of our trip routes so they can install the necessary chargers (obviously just far enough apart to create a sense of excitement)?

Trouble is, I assume no-one else has got an electric bike in that part of the world so the carbon footprint for all the shipping and installations of the charging points is massive compared to what the adventurers and their service crew would have consumed in unleaded.

I thought Ewan was a bit brighter than that?

He is a big fan of leccy vehicles, so I suspect he was very pleased to be part of the R&D of 2 prototypes.

[IOU0]

He is a big fan of leccy vehicles, so I suspect he was very pleased to be part of the R&D of 2 prototypes.

It's on his CV according to ep6

[G.P]

He is a big fan of leccy vehicles, so I suspect he was very pleased to be part of the R&D of 2 prototypes.

Just watching episode one now so yeah, I get it, its a mix of being a leccy fan and people thinking it can't be done...
I didn't realise Charlie got so beaten up in 2 accidents. Liking that they got the old team back together...

[Claude]

Started watching this Sat so just 3 episodes in.

Mrs Claude doesn't like that the bikes don't sound 'proper'.

Having owned an electric car (Outlander PHEV) range anxiety is real. I don't like the way that the range dictates the path and indeed is the main part of the 'trip' so far. I am enjoying it overall though so lets see how it progresses...

[Dodgy69]

Just watched episode 7. Best so far imo. More of a travel show now, less about the bikes and their issues. Maybe realising they weren't doing the Green movement any favours, although, they may of got a 2 hr fast charge from the trucks now, which could ease the bike charging issues a bit. Don't know about the trucks though.

Still a good watch.

[Nordboy]

Tough crowd?

I'm enjoying the series so far. Episode 1 and 2 were a bit repetitive with the whole charging thing but I think that's got a load better since.

Remember, this wasn't filmed last week, the livewires are not only prototypes, but the build of these is far different to what HD are offering a customer. The Rivians were prototypes (and built in an impressively short time) and the tech in those is brilliant with the tow charging/ range etc. And now that they can charge the bikes from the Rivians in 2 hours!! That tech was invented while they're on the tour!!

I know that there's issues with finding suitable charging points etc, but isn't that the idea? exploring, adventure, things not going to plan sometimes? When you tour on a ICE bike, don't you try and push the range? I'm sure there's people on here who have messed up and run out of fuel, same issue, just with no major infrastructure in place to assist. If this had been a bike adventure 100 yrs ago, don't you think it would have been similar issues with finding fuel?

I think HD and Rivian have played a blinder, and I hope they get the rewards for doing so, putting themselves up there. It could have been an absolute disaster from the word 'go'.

Oh, and I don't think it is HD who put the charging points in for the trip, it was Rivian who set up 240 charging points along the route.

[Dodgy69]

Electric motors to power vehicles is all good. Power / torque fantastic. The issue has always been the refuelling and the time it takes. Once that's sorted they will become a real alternative for everyone.

I wonder how the Rivians charge the bikes.???

[Rockburner]

Electric motors to power vehicles is all good. Power / torque fantastic. The issue has always been the refuelling and the time it takes. Once that's sorted they will become a real alternative for everyone.

I wonder how the Rivians charge the bikes.???

They have much bigger magic smoke tanks, and they can syphon the smoke out and inject it into the bike.