Triumph Tiger sets Guinness World Record

Triumph’s Tiger 1200 GT Explorer is in the record books after being used to set a new Guinness World Record for the longest distance travelled on a motorcycle in 24 hours.

The record, officially known as ‘The greatest distance on a motorcycle in 24 hours (individual)’, had stood since 2017. Back then, American Carl Reese rode a BMW K1600 GT for a total of 3,406.17km at a special test track in Texas. Triumph broke that record in a similar closed-circuit environment; the high-speed ring of the Nardo Technical Centre in Italy.

The ‘individual’ element of the record meant that only one rider could be in the saddle for the entire 24-hour period. Triumph chose their brand ambassador and five-time Enduro World Champion, Ivan Cervantes, to complete the feat. Ahead of the attempt, Cervantes underwent intensive physical training, on-bike training and developed a rest and nutrition programme in conjunction with the University of Birmingham.

The Tiger 1200 GT Explorer used for the record attempt was a new, totally stock example, with no unique features. It did carry the factory option heated seat and handlebars, which proved useful during the cold, while the Tiger’s standard windshield and LED lights proved their worth when downpours of rain came during the 24-hour period.

Cervantes passed the old record of 3,406.17km after 19 hours, then set himself the challenge of adding a further 400km in the remaining five hours. In the end, Cervantes actually covered an additional 606km on the Tiger 1200 GT Explorer, setting the new Guinness World Record at 4,012.53km.

Over the course of the 24 hours, Cervantes completed 317 laps of the 12.649km ring at Nardo, topping 200km/h on occasion, with an average speed of 167.79km/h. The Triumph made 18 pit stops, used 520 litres of fuel and two sets of tyres. The fuel tank was the factory 30-litre unit and the tyre change was planned, using the Tiger’s standard fit Metzeler Tourance Next rubber.

‘The Tiger 1200 GT Explorer was the perfect bike for this attempt,” said Cervantes. “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!”

Nick Bloor, CEO of Triumph, said Cervantes’s achievement on the Tiger 1200 was incredible.

“His determination and perseverance have led him not only to beat the existing record, but to add almost 20% to the distance travelled in 24 hours.

“An outstanding effort, and one that everyone at Triumph is incredibly proud to have supported.”