Huge props go out to Bravo for televising the series “Long Way Round”. After a year in which motorcycling has mainly been portrayed through the actions of egotistical, neurotic or disfunctional chopper builders, it is fantastic to see another side of motorcycling on the tube.

Better yet, this is something that represents the type of riding I like to do and the kind of trip I dream to do. Maybe fewer folks will be asking if I ride a Harley the next time I say I’m a motorcyclist and more will ask if I saw that cool show with the guys riding around the world.

Sure, two famous actors traveling with a film crew doesn’t represent the real challenges facing the average travellers like Story or my friends Chris and Erin but it is closer than anything previously shown on TV. In fact, I hope this show encourages more people to ride the bikes they have rather than yearn for some art piece that is more about showing off than being ridden.

It appears that Bravo thinks the program will be a hit since they are packing in the advertising and are promoting it pretty heavily. That is a very good sign. The chopper shows have opened the cable channel’s eyes to the growing popularity of motorcycling and you know that avenue has finally been fully explored when even TLC has a chopper show. SpeedTV has continued to cover motorcycle racing, despite their original goal of becoming an all-NASCAR channel. OLN now shows the AMA super moto series, has a hour show on Motorcross and even had a show based on Dirt Rider magazine. Even ESPN has joined the show by airing the X Games super moto race. Now is a time when cable channels can fan out to explore more areas of our sport and Bravo seems to be leading the way.

Here is hoping that this trend continues. In the meantime, I think there still two more episodes of “Long Way Round” to be broadcast…and hopefully a DVD of the series soon after that.

[image from Todd Blachowiak]