If you guys knew how difficult it is to get something like this made and carried on broad cast TV you'd be more grateful. You can tell that Neale is pushing the connection between first world and third world peoples. That's a lot of what MC travel is about in my mind. Some how the bikes make it easier to connect with people. It seems to me it would be better on something like the Travel Channel but I'm sure it was pitched there too. Thanks to Speed for airing it. It's a little too much Dr. Laura for me but my GF would disagree. Like the Dr. My GF is primarily a track rider with not a lot of dirt experience under her belt. So she relates to her experience. To focus on this show as motorcycle related is a mistake. The motorcycles are only incidental to the story. BMW saw a chance for some promotion and they took it. Who's suprised about that? If you want to see something like Dust to Glory / the Dakar Edition you're probably going to have to get out there and make it yourself. And then go pitch it to every chanel out there until you're sick of it. And when it finally does air we can all sit around and take shots at it.
Mike, thank you for pointing these things out. And yes, it was pitched to the Travel Channel. This is a show that someone who doesn't even ride a motorcycle can get sucked in to. I'm starting to hear a bit of buzz that it's working. Apparently Dr. Laura's determination is turning out to be a hit. I don't know if it comes out in the show or not, but she was riding through Peru with a torn rotator cuff to go along with the foot injury. She's tough.
I'm enjoying the show. Sure we may not be the exact demographics for it, but hey its adventure motorcycling on TV and that's not something we get very often. I'm sure its a pain to bring something like this to TV, so glad we got it and they can only get better if they continue to make it and people like it. My only beef with the show is why aren't they running TKC's on the bikes? Its not like the tires aren't going to make it the 8 days they are riding and besides they have plenty of support vehicles with them. If I'm not mistaken, they were all on TKC's at the training center? Why train them on the knobby tires and then switch to some more street oriented tire and throw them in sand for 8+ hours and watch them fall over again and again? Dr Laura has a great attitude and its really cool to see that come out from her as much as she's struggling, but I really wonder if she wouldn't have done better on say the lighter and easier to handle BMW G650GS Sertao? Or even something else? I know she has a lot of track history and such and riding powerful street bikes, but it just seems the show is so focused on off road riding and making the trip, that you would give her the best weapon for her size. She seems to have some height to her advantage, but the F800GS is still a big beast off road for someone her size compared to the lighter Sertao that might have made enough difference for her to do better off road? Do we know how many episodes it is? I thought I saw 3 mentioned somewhere, but I really hope the final 5 days of riding and the kids at the orphanage don't all get squished into 1 episode.
I wonder if NB has a follow-on in mind ? It would be a shame to lose the traction generated by this mini-series. The group who produced Road Less Traveled (about the TAT) has had little luck getting their program aired. Maybe this will help.
Agreed, simply having the show is a plus, despite it's obvious marketing advantages to BMW. On as side note, how hard would it have been to fit those bikes with knobbies...or even dual sport tires? My god I would NOT have taken those roads on those tires on those bikes voluntarily. They appeared to be trail attacks? :huh I think that's why they picked noobs, most seasoned riders would have pulled those tires off in a heartbeat.
Sorry, it's total shite - typical 'reality' tv. It's no more than 1 big BMW infomercial and filler between ads. I like Neal Bayly but if this is what he needs to do to get on TV, he needs to do something else.
Yes, it is my understanding that there will be follow ups. Unfortunately, there is only three episodes this time. I think that it would have been nicer to have shown more riding and spread the story throughout more episodes. According to one cast member, "there are many hours of beautiful riding on the cutting room floor". I'm suspect that economics of time and money forced them to compress the story in to fewer episodes.
They need more fighting and cuss'n like the rest of the reality shows. How about the Orange County Chopper guys being on the next series? Getting the characters from other reality shows to ride along would send the ratings over the top. I have not been drinking, yet.
Ist episode was a little boring.....FFW of the DVR through the personal info. Second episode a little better .. no FFW, except ads. One other thing I was surprised with {besides tire choice} was their lack of any body armor. At least knee guards & heavier boots. Dr. Laura would probably not been so beat up w proper ATGATT. That said good on her , I admire her drive & dont give up attitude . Yeah its not Dust To Glory, but in a world where shows like HoneyBullshit exists this is Okay.
What a show of DRAMA QUEENs! They act like they are stepping off into remote areas. NOT! You can fly into an airport to visit this town. If you Google Earth the distance traveled in episode 2, where they break for lunch, they talk about how tough it was. I have been there..... The scene is 5.6 miles from the double tree lodge! What a joke! He states HOW big Lima is, with 12,000,000 people. It is 7m people. 8 million in the greater area! Why lie about the obvious? If you watch the shadows, they film going south, then the next scene is going north in the exact same spot! What a spoof!
Watching no.3 right now. Kind of corny. I must say I'm a little jealous. I would like to do that with that kind of support. Not really. The whole show revolves around Barbie. Give me a break.
We are all adventure riders (in one way or another) or we wouldn't be on this site. We've all been bitten by the bug. Imagine all those HOG riders out there that HD has sold a bike to in the last 5~10yrs who bought the bikes and only ride a handful of bright sunny days. So, What's wrong with BMW wanting to entice those same couch potatoes or more like corporate execs, and ADV wannabees to add another bike to their stable. If it had been KTM, or Honda vs BMW would it be any less of a marketing campaign? Good on ya Neal & crew for putting this out there. We need the Adventure segment of the motorcycling industry to continue to gain momentum so all the manufacturers continue make money prosper and deliver equipment that you and I can use on our own adventures. I was working in Italy in the late 90's early 2000 and had the privalidge of riding an African Twin for several weeks. Why didn't Honda continue to import the AT & Transalp after what late 80early 90's. Two words (market share). I say lets show more support for ventures like this to support the greater cause. Lets face it we're never gonna get the hero's of Dakar to make a reality TV show, so until then lets support what little coverage our sport gets especially one with a hot blond doctor!
Riding motorcycles in Peru is an adventure, no doubt.... but the really exciting adventure in Peru starts above snowline (Alpamayo, North Ridge, Cordillera Blanca)
