I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this or if this is the right thread but on the Speed Channel at 9 EST tonight there is a show...Neale Bayle Rides. I believe its on three separate nites. Gotta go set the DVR. Enjoy!
It found it kinda slow, too. Pretty sure the rank and file ADVrider isn't the target audience. Most folks here are already tuned into the two-wheel travel vibe and have a decent set of overland skills. If it gets more folks involved in motorcycling (or at least a more positive opinion of it) I think it'll be a success. At this point I'd support almost any motorcycle travel show. I am worried it'll give easy fuel for the Ewan/Charlie Hater Club™ since this trip comes with the support crew needed to produce a prime time professional quality mini-series and had a fairly rigid time constraint. But what can you do?
Just watching.....it is decent. Bill Conger #188 in the Dakar 2012 is in it as the BMW driving instructor, which is pretty cool... and race related. It is a BMW sponsored Adv Riding show with 40 to 50 somethings going to Peru on a charity mission. I think it is supposed to ride on the tails of this new, "Feed Your Restless " advertising campaign. Might be a little more interesting for us if it had more seasoned riders but, then it wouldn't be the same show. (and would be hard to laugh at the gravel segment ) The Dr. is pretty hot though.
It seems they could have found a little bit better riders. The Doc is hot , but I don't think I'd turn her loose in Brazil with those skills.
She's a paying customer and good for ratings but I lust more for what's in her garage than what's in her trunk.
I've been lurking out of curiosity to see what would get said on this forum. I was part of the crew and have been associated with this project since 2009. This show is the brain child of Neale Bayly. He has been a photo journalist in the motorcycle industry for over a decade. He founded Wellspring International Outreach to raise money for an orphanage in southern Peru. The program has been a dream of his for years. I'm not sure when the seeds were first sown, but I accompanied him in 2009 to ride throughout the country and get a feel for how to go about shooting a TV show with the goal being to raise awareness about the charity. We went on a shoestring budget and hooked up with Flavio Salveti of Inca Moto Adventures. Flavio put us on some old Honda XR600s and we proceeded to cover 3,400 kilometers in ten days of riding. We had a wonderful time and were laughing in our helmets for most of the journey. It has been a long, hard and at times rocky journey for Neale to being this program in to being. It was his great fortune to connect with Emmy winning producer Linda MIdgett. The plot for the show went through a number of iterations before the "reality TV" theme was settled on. The whole idea is to take individuals who are average motorcycle riders completely out of their known comfort zone for a life changing experience. I was part of the work crew in Moquegua and took the photographs of the orphanage, the work being performed and some of the children that are shown in the program. I can tell you that it was a wonderful experience and huge privilege to be there. I hope that people will enjoy the show. I love it, but naturally I'm a bit biased. As far as the tire choice goes, you have no idea what it takes to get BMW or anyone to sponsor a program like this and provide the motorcycles. I had nothing to do with any of that, but I doubt if anyone bothered to haggle about tires.
Oh goodness, you quote my post for what people are saying...:eek1 I saw the first response to the 2nd episode yesterday (Pt2, more ) but, just got around to watching it myself. I think I have to disagree with ADK's assessment. It isn't fast paced action, it is a journey and those take time both to do and retell. I am really liking this show. Yeah, maybe the Racing section isn't the best place for a discussion about it here, due to the content of it but, I think it really is in line with what a lot of this forum is about. To me, it really is like a very well done Ride Report, done via video, instead of blogging and both Neale and you should be commended for it. I can't even imagine the work that went into putting it together. I am not normally this guy but, it really was cool to see all the kids running around playing with them. You sometime see it in some RR pictures but, video of it really is inspiring. It will be neat to see the orphanage episode you worked on. Ok, now heading back into the gutter before I'm off to JM for the evening....Did I possibly mention how good looking the Dr. is??? Don't want to be a spoiler but in #2 they head to the pool after a hard day of riding.......If she ever becomes single, I want a date. Those bikes, those looks, her drive and toughness. I'm in love...... P.S. - Yes, someone should have hooked them up with proper tires for the sand. That was like a cruel prank.
Not a bad show at all... way better than most of the moto-related stuff we get on TV. I think its aimed at the casual rider and shows how difficult and dangerous some of this type of riding can be. Navigating those twisty two lane roads in Peru with all the truck traffic ain't exactly safe from what I saw. I've got my DVR set to record the whole series. And the doctor... yes, some very nice assets all around, especially in the garage (Lotus Elise, Porsche, Ferrari, etc). Business must be good!
Hey, it motorcycles on TV, I'm enjoying it. Better than a poke in the eye. But as Mossy_CK states, I don't think the core ADV riders are it's demographic....it's more for the Golfer/Wine&Cheese/CountryClub crowd that will look at it and exclaim "Wow, they went 6 hours without a comfy chair and an ice-cold brewski!"
Bingo! There aren't enough road racing fans to have live AMA motorcycle racing on TV much less adventure riders to warrant a show to specifically please them. If a show doesn't appeal to masses it has no chance of getting funding.
