Chalk yet another achievement up for five-time Enduro World Champion and Triumph Global Ambassador Iván Cervantes. On April 30, 2023, the talented professional rider set himself further apart from the pack when he achieved a new Guinness World Record title for an individual traveling the greatest distance on a motorcycle in 24 hours.
Just how far did he go? When the Guinness World Records adjudicator who witnessed the attempt in person tallied up the numbers, Cervantes’ total confirmed distance was an astonishing 4012.53 kilometers, or about 2493.27 miles in under 24 hours. He completed his mission at the High-Speed Ring at the Nardò Technical Center in Italy, aboard a Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Explorer.
According to Triumph, the bike was bone stock and selected at random from the production line at Hinckley. The only things that were done to this bike prior to Cervantes’ record attempt were completing the recommended run-in period that all new bikes generally tend to have, as well as completing the first service that follows that recommended run-in period.
Gallery: Ivan Cervantes and Triumph set new Guinness World Record in June 2023
Luckily for Cervantes, the bike he chose comes stock with both heated grips and a heated saddle—which came in very useful during the chilly early-morning hours on the day of his record attempt. Halfway through the day, Cervantes pulled into the pits for a planned tire change—switching to a fresh pair of Metzeler Tourance Next tires, which are fitted as standard on this bike from the factory. Both sets of the stock tires reportedly held up well in all the conditions that Cervantes and the local weather imposed upon them—including unexpected rain.
Now, you may be wondering if there was an existing record to beat—and if so, what that record may have been. The answer is yes—American rider Carl Reese achieved the previous record of 3406.17 kilometers (about 2116.5 mi) ridden in 24 hours back on February 26, 2017.
Here’s where it gets interesting, though. Knowing the magic number of the previous attempt, Cervantes could have just called it quits once he hit 3407 kilometers (or about 2117.01 mi). Did he? You already know the answer if you’ve read this far, and it’s no, he very much did not. See, by the time that Cervantes first broke the previous world record, he found that he’d done it with five entire hours to spare.
If you’re the type of person who’s trying to set a new world record, what would you do with those extra five hours? Would you pull into the pits, park the bike, call it a day, and take a nap? I’m going to guess that you would not. Neither did Cervantes. Instead, he set a new personal challenge of passing the 4000-kilometer (about 2485.485 mile) mark, setting a significantly higher bar for the next rider who attempts to crack this particular Guinness World Record.
At the end of the attempt, Cervantes said, “The Tiger 1200 GT Explorer was the perfect bike for this attempt. It’s very comfortable to ride for a long time. For sure, the hardest part was the weather, because it started to rain, but this bike has a very big screen and excellent protection, which helped me a lot. It is a very special bike for me. It’s not easy to ride for 24 hours in a row but, in the end, the record is mine with this amazing bike!”
“I am truly humbled to have witnessed Iván Cervantes's awe-inspiring achievement of setting the Guinness World Records title for the Greatest distance on a motorcycle in 24 hours (individual). Iván's unwavering dedication and Triumph's support embody the values we hold dear at Guinness World Records. It is a true testament to the indomitable spirit of human determination and the pursuit of greatness,” Guinness World Records official adjudicator Victor Fenes said in a statement.
