Triumph and Ivan Cervantes Set New Record for the Longest Distance Traveled in 24 Hours

To understand how he managed to beat the world record, let me tell you about Ivan Cervantes. He's a five-time Enduro World Champion, a five-time Spanish Motocross Champion, and a Triumph Global Ambassador. So, Ivan was definitely a good fit for attempting this challenging feat.

The choice of the machine was also critical for this attempt. The Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Explorer is designed for touring and crossing continents, powered by a 1,160cc engine outputting a maximum power of 147 hp (150 ps) and a peak torque of 95 lb-ft. (130 Nm).

However, power is not the main thing to consider here. Ivan needed a motorcycle comfortable enough to ride for hours on end. This bike features heated grips, a heated seat, and great wind protection. What's more, the 8-gallon (30-liter) fuel tank was just as important.

Ivan's motorcycle didn’t have any special modifications; it's exactly like the ones rolling off the production lines. Even the tires were the standard Metzeler Tourance. Furthermore, advanced electronics offer the ideal balance between power and control, while high-intensity LED lights provide proper illumination when riding.

Attempting to beat this word record on a public road would be way too reckless. That's why Triumph and Ivan chose the High-Speed Ring at the Nardò Technical Center in Italy. It's a high-speed test track built in 1975 that is 7.8 miles (12.5 km) long. What's more, it has four lanes, and it's round.

As you can imagine, lots of mental and physical preparation are required to be ready to attempt this challenge. Ivan chose to do what he does best to prepare physically - hit the dirt tracks in his home country, Spain, four weeks before the attempt. Given his racing pedigree and high performance, he already knew how to prepare his mind for the record.

To beat the world record, Ivan had to travel over 2,116 miles (3,406 km). That means he had to ride absolutely flat-out at a speed of more than 124 mph (200 kph). Of course, Triumph set up a "pit lane" for the record attempt, where Ivan could refuel, eat, drink, and use the bathroom. Of course, each had to be done as fast as possible to increase the chances of breaking the world record.

First, Ivan managed to complete 14 laps before having to stop to refuel – it was a bit different from what Triumph estimated: 17 laps. To make things worse, the first refuel didn't go as expected, as the team managed to put in just 5.5 gallons (21 liters) due to the fuel pump stopping because of the fuel vapors.

At the second stop, the issue was remedied, and Triumph refueled the bike with 7.4 gallons (28 liters). That enabled Ivan to reach Triumph's estimate of 17 laps with a full tank. After 4 hours and 12 minutes, Ivan managed to travel 621 miles (1,000 km).

No production bike can set the cruise control to its top speed. That meant that Ivan had to constantly use his wrist to hold the throttle to the maximum capacity. You can imagine that, after a while, your right wrist will start to hurt. To overcome this problem, Ivan switched hands and used his left hand to hold the throttle.

After a while, Triumph's team kept insisting that Ivan should take a break (besides the planned ones) to rest, but Ivan had his eyes set on the objective and wanted to fully maximize his time.

Another issue that popped up, completely out of Ivan and Triumph's control, was rain. It started raining when Ivan was already 13 hours and 13 minutes into the attempt. To make things worse, it was getting dark. That meant that not only visibility was low, but the asphalt road was getting slippery – you certainly don't want that when riding flat-out at 124 mph (200 kph).

So, Triumph chose to change the bike's tires for a new set of Metzelers, and Ivan took the opportunity to eat and rest his body for a bit. Even though he exceeded the target, he still wanted to go back out on the road. He had to be especially careful with the first laps, as new tires can be very slippery at first.

By that time, especially since it was dark outside, sleep deprivation was kicking in. Even though Ivan was riding at high speeds, the repetitive tasks could become monotonous, especially since he had nothing to focus on besides himself and the motorcycle's position on the road. However, a rider with Ivan's pedigree can surely handle the task.

After pushing and pushing, Ivan managed to beat the greatest distance on a motorcycle in 24 hours record in just 19 hours by riding for 2,117 miles (3,407 km). Triumph recommended Ivan to rest, especially since his body started hurting. However, funnily enough, after Ivan tried to rest for five minutes, he found out the excitement was too much for him to rest, so he wanted to get back on the Tiger.

So, with zero hours of sleep, Ivan managed to ride a total of 2,493 km (4,012 km) and go home with a Guinness World Record certificate. Here are some stats from this insane attempt. The average speed over the 24 hours was 104.25 mph (167.79 kph). Ivan completed 317 laps and used 137 gallons (520 liters) of fuel, filling up over 18 pitstops. Congrats to him and Triumph for the fantastic feat – I bet anyone trying to beat the record will have a really hard time.