Dakar champion Sam Sunderland launches bid to break global motorcycle record
Two-time Dakar Rally winner Sam Sunderland will start a six-leg, 18,000-mile ride on 5 September to try to beat the world’s fastest motorcycle circumnavigation.
Sam Sunderland, a two-time Dakar Rally champion from Poole, Dorset, is set to begin a world-record motorcycle circumnavigation on 5 September, launching from London. The expedition will cover more than 18,000 miles across six legs, touching Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, North America and North Africa, and will be completed on a single Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer. To surpass the current mark of 19 days, eight hours and 25 minutes—held since 2002 by Kevin and Julia Sanders—Sunderland must maintain an average of roughly 1,050 miles each day, with the timer stopping only during inter-continental transport.
He described the venture as a demanding endurance test that will require early starts and long riding days, and he aims to keep the bike as close to perfect as possible throughout. The route includes iconic sites such as Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats. Sunderland said the project is intended to inspire others to take on their own ambitious endeavors.
Why it matters
The attempt showcases extreme endurance sport and could inspire broader participation in challenging personal goals.
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