There is nothing more American than a Harley-Davidson. Unless it’s a bald eagle sitting on a Harley sitting in the bed of a pickup truck. As such, any Harley-Davidson Guinness world record should belong to the U.S.
That was the idea running in Adam Sandoval’s mind when he heard that a group of riders from Patras, Greece, had set the world record for the largest Harley-Davidson parade in 2010, with 2,404 Hogs. It just didn’t feel right to have the record holder be any other country than the U.S. – especially for a bike company that once incorporated the phrase “an American legend” into its logo.
For the following years until October 2019 (on the 5th of that month, to be more accurate), Sandoval would struggle to overturn that record and “bring it home” where it belonged. Following several attempts, he was finally able to do it, with help from the local Harley dealership from Paris, Texas.
And what an impressive organizational feat it turned out to be!
On October 5, 2019, at the Cox Field airport outside Paris, Texas, there were Harleys as far as the eye could see. This was the fourth attempt to break the Greek record and it would turn out to be a success: the Guinness Book of World Records Adjudicator on site confirmed that Sandoval was able to bring together a total of 3,497 Harley-Davidsons, setting a new world record for the largest parade.
Photo: guinnessworldrecords.com
“It became a personal challenge,” Sandoval explained. “After hearing about the record set in Greece, it didn’t seem right for a world record involving an American icon was set overseas, I just thought with all the American riders and all these American motorcycles on the road here, it was a record we could break.”
The parade itself, fronted by a World War 2 fighter plane, was over 3 miles long. That is, 3 miles of shining chrome and studded leather, that made for one of the most impressive sights in the entire biking community. The videos available at the bottom of the page offer a glimpse at the visual spectacle and only a mild indication of the amount of organizational effort that went into putting an event of this magnitude together.
Sandoval didn’t do it alone this time. He had the help of Paris Harley-Davidson and used all social media platforms for maximum reach. In the end, he was able to get riders from 35 states and Canada, totaling over 10,000 people, to make the journey to Texas and be part of such a historic event. And they even paid a registration fee.
Admirably, Sandoval didn’t set out to bring the record back home to the U.S. for bragging rights only. He was able to raise over $54,000 in registration fees and he donated all the money to Motorcycle Missions, a non-profit set up by Krystal Hess that offers motorcycle build projects to military veterans and first responders dealing with PTSD, as a support and rehabilitation platform.
Photo: parisharley.com
“Thank you to every one of you who tackled the road to get here, all those who endured the heat and long lines to not only bring it home but also raise so much money for our veterans and first responders,” Sandoval said after the new world record was made official.
Just as impressive as Sandoval’s record and everything that went into bringing it back to the U.S., is his previous charity work, which, yes, involves riding a Harley. To many, his name might not ring a bell, but he’s known in the biking community for his record-breaking treks to raise money and awareness for veterans: to date, he went coast to coast at least 14 times, and across the country north and south 9 times.
Scootin’ America is the name of Sandoval’s organization, documenting all his efforts to bring financial help to veterans and their families. His most impressive trek saw him ride his Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Standard almost 2 full years, covering over 80,000 miles to visiting all HD dealerships in the 48 lower states. At the end of the trek, which saw him sidelined and facing apparently insurmountable obstacles on more than one occasion, he was able to raise over $300,000, which he donated to the military.
Sandoval’s sole companion on this journey (and on all other adventures he undertakes) was his dog Scooter, a Chihuahua that should probably get a Guinness world record on its own for being the most passionate canine rider in the world.
Sandoval says his mission to raise money for the military stems from his regret at never having served. Paying back those who served is his way of making amends for that. Just in case you thought this guy couldn’t be more awesome.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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