Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman make it to New York city

After more than three exhausting months circumnavigating the globe, Ewan
McGregor and Charley Boorman reached their destination of New York City on 29
July 2004.

While riding across some of the most remote and hostile terrain on the planet,
Ewan and Charley had to conquer the most exhausting challenge of their lives.
Departing London in mid-April on two BMW R1150 GS Adventures, and three
continents, fifteen countries and fifteen weeks later, the two friends rode the
last few miles through the streets of Manhattan. A convoy of motorcyclists
accompanied them as they headed towards Battery Park and the waiting media.

The two actors' gruelling global odyssey - christened Long Way Round - saw
McGregor and Boorman ride more than 20,000 miles through central Europe,
Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberia, Alaska and Canada. A final US
stage took them across Montana, Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and
eventually into New York City.

BMW Motorrad Great Britain provided the two, all-terrain, R1150 GS Adventure
motorcycles and contributed technical support, training, Navigator II satellite
navigation, and safety riding equipment. Riders and machines were also equipped
with Pentax digital cameras and communication equipment supplied and fitted by
Sonic Communications of Birmingham.

Long Way Round will be made into a major TV series and screened by Bravo (USA)
and Sky One (UK). A book based on the friends' personal thoughts and problems
will be published by Time Warner Books (UK) and Atria (USA) in the autumn. The
unique television series will be broadcast by Sky One from 20 October (UK) and
Bravo will transmit the programmes in the US from 28 October. McGregor and
Boorman have filmed most of the programmes themselves by using hand-held
cameras and state-of-the-art bike-mounted cameras. A third rider filmed the two
actors at pre-arranged locations. Producers and creative directors David
Alexanian (Elixir Films) and Russ Malkin (Image Wizard TV) have co-produced
Long Way Round in collaboration with Ewan and Charley.

Despite his elation, Ewan McGregor was emotional about achieving a long held
dream: "Now it's come to an end I can hardly believe that we've made our dreams
come true," he said, "and although at times it's been very, very tough, the
people and places along the way have moved and touched me to the core. It has
certainly been a 'Long Way Round' - but I'm glad to be home."

Charley Boorman echoed his friend's feelings: "The trip has been incredible
.... but it's the people in all the countries that we've met that have made it
so fantastic."

Producers and creative directors David Alexanian and Russ Malkin were full of
praise for the actors' achievement: "They set themselves an incredibly tight
timeframe of three months and it was down to the production team to ensure that
they didn't fall behind schedule. In certain cases there was terrain that we
couldn't have second-guessed and at times we really didn't think they would
succeed. It is a testament to their training, [the bikes], tenacity and
endurance that they made it."

Although both are dedicated and accomplished riders, the adventure has been a
major test of endurance and friendship. When the predictable roads of Europe
had been left behind, Ewan and Charley faced their toughest test by crossing
the wild plains of central Asia. Fighting an almost daily mental and physical
battle, Ewan and Charley faced increasingly hostile terrain in Kazakhstan and
Mongolia - rock, debris and craters littered the roads often making them
impassable. The further east the couple ventured, the more their daily progress
risked falling behind schedule. Many remote areas had no roads, and despite the
proven durability of the BMWs, the rocky and uneven terrain increased the risk
of breakdowns or accidents.

Struggling through the hazardous swamp conditions of Siberia, Ewan and Charley
discovered that many vital bridges had been destroyed by the extreme elements.
Their daily struggles gradually became relentless and there was no let-up in
the perilous conditions until they reached North America. There they faced new
challenges: riding in sub zero temperatures, the real possibility of frostbite
(which could have easily ended the trip), and the risk of being attacked by
bears. Obtaining adequate food in remote areas became vital in order to combat
exhaustion and maintain stamina.

In central Asia and Siberia they were sometimes days from the nearest
settlement. It was imperative they did not stray too far off-route and that
their exact location could be pinpointed to a few metres in the case of
emergency - time would have been a critical factor in ensuring their safety.
Having worked closely with Ewan and Charley, producers David Alexanian and Russ
Malkin thoroughly planned the journey months in advance to ensure that the
riders could be located at all times.

To prepare for every eventuality, Ewan and Charley underwent a rigorous
training schedule before they left London. This included BMW's Off-Road Skills
training course, advanced survival skills (including self-defence);
comprehensive first aid training so that they could carry out emergency medical
aid (on each other); hostile environment training; and nutritional teaching to
ensure they followed a diet (where possible) to maintain stamina.

Ends

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www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk

For further press information please contact one of the following:

Andy Dukes / Kylie Maebus 08000 131 282
Tony Jakeman 01344 480185