Racer set unbelievable world record for greatest distance traveled on a motorcycle in 24 hours

  • Motorcyclist Iván Cervantes set a new Guinness World Record for the greatest distance traveled on a motorcycle in 24 hours
  • He traveled 4,012km (2,492 miles) on a Tiger 1200 GT Explorer motorcycle
  • He beat the old record by 600km

Published on Jul 12, 2024 at 6:41 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid

Last updated on Jul 12, 2024 at 2:37 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Tom Wood

Iván Cervantes set a new Guinness World Record after traveling more than 4012km (2492 miles) in a 24-hour period on a Tiger 1200 GT Explorer motorcycle.

The Spaniard, who is a five-time Enduro World Champion, claimed the title of ‘the greatest distance on a motorcycle in 24 hours’.

Cervantes, 42, smashed the old record, which was set by American Carl Reese in 2017, by a whopping 600km (372 miles).

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Motorcycle racer Cervantes took on an intensive regime in the run-up

Cervantes took the Tiger 1200 onto the High-Speed Ring at the Nardò Technical Center in Italy in April 2023, where a Guinness World Records adjudicator witnessed and validated the attempt. 

Prior to the attempt, Triumph ambassador Cervantes took part in an ‘intensive physical training’ regimen and even enlisted the help of Professor Andrew Bagshaw at the University of Birmingham to work on a nutrition and sleep strategy. 

The bike, which was chosen at random from the production line at Triumph’s factory in Hinckley, UK, had no modifications prior to the record attempt. 

In fact, other than the recommended running in and first service schedule, the Tiger 1200 was just the same as the day it was created. 

The feat was hailed as ‘simply incredible’

Cervantes was quick to praise the bike for allowing him to take on such a grueling challenge, which was made all the more difficult by the weather. 

“The Tiger 1200 GT Explorer was the perfect bike for this attempt,” he said after being handed his record. 

“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!’

Triumph, which recently teamed up with Breitling to create a special edition bike and watch, called the feat ‘simply incredible’ and praised Cervantes ‘outstanding effort’. 

During the 24-hour run, the bike used 520 liters of fuel and made 18 pitstops. It had one tire changed and managed to complete a staggering 317 laps, at an average speed of 167.79km/h.

Impressive stuff. 

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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Across her career she's covered a wide variety of topics, including celebrity, cryptocurrency, politics, true crime and just about everything in between.