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5 Feb 2013
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Has Ewan McGregor saved the UK motorcycle industry? Read more: http://www.visordown.
Eight years after Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman's Long Way Round trip, it appears as though the duo's influence is stronger than ever. BMW have made huge profits on the back of the Long Way series while KTM must still be kickng themselves for turning down the duo's request for the loan of a 950 Adventure all those years ago.
In 2012, motorcycle sales in the Adventure category in the UK were up 15.2% in a market that was down 0.2% overall. In 2012 the Touring segment was down 22.9% while Customs and Sport Touring were down 13% each. Just a handful of categories were up and of those most showed single digit rises but the Adventure sector is - at 15.2% up - booming.
Read more: Discuss: Has Ewan McGregor saved the UK motorcycle industry? - Features - Visordown
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5 Feb 2013
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For a Hollywood-type actor, he seems like a reasonably nice enough guy - but just because one guy advocates a style of riding, that doesn't save an entire industry. I mean, really, how much of motorcycle riding is "adventure touring"? 95% of motorcycle riding is just some ordinary schmoe commuting to work or maybe going out on the country roads for a couple hours in a sunny weekend.
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5 Feb 2013
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40 years ago the adventure bike category, even BMW's GS bikes, hadn't been invented but people still went on adventures. The poor dispatch riders during WWII weren't riding adventure bikes but they went on worse trails than most GSers would tackle. Have a look at old Harley adverts from the 1920s and 30s, the roads they rode were dirt trails. Today's adventure category is a fashion grouping.
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5 Feb 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Cullis
40 years ago the adventure bike category, even BMW's GS bikes, hadn't been invented but people still went on adventures. The poor dispatch riders during WWII weren't riding adventure bikes but they went on worse trails than most GSers would tackle. Have a look at old Harley adverts from the 1920s and 30s, the roads they rode were dirt trails. Today's adventure category is a fashion grouping.
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And a 100 years ago, they'd use camels.
So, should we all stay at home and cry for bygone days or get up and get what is left to us out there?
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6 Feb 2013
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Well, I reckon they drew attention to what was at the time a very small niche within motorcycling. Whether they saved the industry is a different matter. The article says sales of tourers are down, so is it that people who in the past would have progressed from sports bikes to touring bikes now buy adventure bikes instead?
I see it a bit like the current boom in 4x4s. In the past people bought estate cars if they wanted something to pack the family in, now they buy soft-roaders.
What E&C did is got their show on major networks around the world and a certain manufacturer under people's noses. It meant the mass media could talk about bikes in a positive non-threatening way (would the Radio Times, a TV listings guide ever have had a multi-page spread on bikes if it weren't for LWD?). Inevitably that drew some people into biking, me for one, and almost certainly it drew some people to adventure styled bikes and then some people ended up here and learnt you can have just as much of an adventure on a C90.
Something I've always wondered, when LWR and LWD hit the screens, did this site and others like it see a rise in hits and registrations?
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6 Feb 2013
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I recently heard claims, that BMW R1200GS is the best-selling large-capacity motorcycle in the world(!), and that one out of three of all Beemer bikes produced today are 1200GS´s. Hard to tell, how big an influence Ewan & Charlie really had, but yeah, I believe KTM must be kicking themselves!!
I´ve always loved these ´ADV´ kind of bikes, so even if the average user never takes one off-road, I´m really happy to see that the category is doing so well, and that new models keep coming from basically all manufacturers. Ewan & Charlie definitely gave this development a boost, I believe.
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Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
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What others say about HU...
"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia
"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK
"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia
"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA
"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada
"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa
"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia
"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany
Lots more comments here!

Every book a diary
Every chapter a day
Every day a journey
Refreshingly honest and compelling tales: the hights and lows of a life on the road. Solo, unsupported, budget journeys of discovery.
Authentic, engaging and evocative travel memoirs, overland, around the world and through life.
All 8 books available from the author or as eBooks and audio books
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New to Horizons Unlimited?
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Membership - help keep us going!
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