Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Posts Guinness World Record

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Iván Cervantes has just claimed the Guinness record for greatest distance on a motorcycle in 24 hours, piloting a Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Explorer. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

You want to talk about the ultimate Iron Butt designation? Talk to five-time Enduro world champion Iván Cervantes, who has just claimed the Guinness World Records title for the longest stretch on a motorcycle in one day. Helping Cervantes to that new world title was a box-stock Triumph Tiger 1200 GT, so if it feels like the Brit brand is shouting it from the rooftops, that’s sort of understandable.

The five-time Enduro world champion and Triumph ambassador rode more than 2,400 miles in one day on the Nardò Technical Center circuit in Italy. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

Officially, Guinness has logged the feat as traveling “the greatest distance on a motorcycle in 24 hours (by an individual),” and in this case, Cervantes racked up more than 4,012 kilometers in that period. That’s nearly 2,500 miles (2,492.41, to be exact) of hanging onto a Tiger 1200 GT Explorer while riding the High-Speed Ring at the Nardò Technical Center in Italy, but at  the end of the day—so to speak—Cervantes ended up beating the previous record by more than 600 kilometers (373 miles), with the attempt witnessed and validated by a Guinness World Records adjudicator on April 30, 2023.

Related: Carmichael and Cervantes Testing Triumph Prototypes

Cervantes took a stock Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Explorer around the circuit for 317 laps, at speeds consistently hitting more than 124 mph. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

The final confirmed distance was recorded by Guinness as 4,012.53 kilometers—or for us Yanks, similar to the mileage from New York City to Los Angeles, as the crow flies. And that’s in just 24 hours, with no sleep! Piling on that many miles that quickly meant Cervantes had to ride at speeds consistently over 124 mph (200 kph) on the Italian circuit for 317 laps, which also helped him surpass the existing record with five hours to spare.

Of course getting to that point required serious preparation, and fortunately Cervantes is no stranger to intensive training, having been crowned Enduro world champion five times, Spanish Motocross champ five times, and the Spanish Enduro champ a mind-boggling 21 times. For the new Guinness record, he combined rigorous physical training on his own Tiger 1200 Rally Pro with a carefully planned nutrition and sleep strategy, in partnership with Professor Andrew Bagshaw who works in brain function and neuroimaging at the University of Birmingham.

The official distance recorded by Guinness was 4,012.53 kilometers, or 2,492.41 miles, in 24 hours. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

As for the bike, Triumph says the Tiger 1200 GT Explorer was randomly picked off the production line at its Hinckley, UK, factory, and underwent no special modifications prior to the attempt. The bike was run in as recommended and received its first service schedule, but the Explorer’s powerful 1,160cc T-plane triple engine, semi-active Showa suspension, and 7.9-gallon fuel tank remained essentially in stock form when it hit the track.

Cervantes says the Explorer’s included heated grips and seats helped him tolerate the chilly early-morning hours and occasional sheets of rain, while the advanced electronics ensured consistent power and control. The only maintenance was a single, planned tire change halfway through the attempt, where the standard fit Metzeler Tourance Next hoops were replaced.

Next, says Cervantes, he’ll attempt a new benchmark of 4,000 kilometers. (Triumph Motorcycles/)

For his part, Cervantes had nothing but praise for his mount, saying, “The Tiger 1200 GT Explorer was the perfect bike for this attempt. 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!”

With one record in the books, says Cervantes, he’s set his sights on defining a new benchmark for this challenge, or logging 2,485.49 miles (4,000 kilometers) in 24 hours. Chances are it’ll be on a Triumph.

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