Triumph Rider Attempts Round-the-World Motorcycle RecordAutoweekMark VaughnWed, September 9, 2026 at 11:35 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleDakar Champ Tries to Break Round-the-World RecordRed BullAs you read this, somewhere out in the world, throttle pinned, head tucked behind his windshield, is Sam Sunderland, trying to ride around the world in under 19 days on a Red Bull Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer.Two-time Dakar winner, Sunderland is attempting to circumnavigate the globe—right now—covering more than 18,000 miles across multiple continents. If he does it, he'll become the fastest person to do it on two wheels.Sunderland started September 5 in Greenwich, London, because that's where zero degrees longitude is. If all goes well, he'll finishing in the same spot on or before September 22. The current record is 19 days, eight hours, and 25 minutes set by fellow Brits Kevin and Julia Sanders in 2002.AdvertisementAdvertisementThere are rules for this kind of thing. We in our armchairs may criticize those rules, because, it turns out, it's not purely continuous riding. Well, it is, sort of, but not completely.Sunderland at the start with current record holder Kevin Sanders.Red Bull"To satisfy the established rules for the challenge, Sunderland must travel continuously in one direction, start and finish at the same location, reach two points on opposite sides of the globe and complete the journey on the same motorcycle," said sponsor Red Bull.While the route he's riding will cover more than 18,000 miles and include multiple continents, including Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and North America, there are gaps in the map.He'll go from London to Istanbul, but then fly to Bangkok, skipping the troubled region of the Middle East, as well as all of the Indian subcontinent. And, of course, he'll fly across oceans to get to Australia and New Zealand, then fly to North America.AdvertisementAdvertisement"He should wait till the land bridge freezes over in the Bering Sea," you whine from the comfort of your BarcaLounger. But the established rules quoted by Red Bull don't require exactly that.Sunderland's route at a glance:Leg 1: London to Istanbul via France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and BulgariaLeg 2: Bangkok to Kuala LumpurLeg 3: Perth to SydneyLeg 4: New ZealandLeg 5: Vancouver to MontrealLeg 6: Casablanca to London via Spain and FranceThe longest section will be across North America and will include the Bonneville Salt Flats. But Red Bull wouldn't tell us exactly where he's going to be riding, thus eliminating our chance to go out and cheer him on with a "Go Sam!" banner or anything like that. Pity.AdvertisementAdvertisement"This isn't a race in the traditional sense," said Red Bull. "There are no stages, competitors or finish-line sprints. Instead, the challenge is built around maintaining an extraordinary pace over thousands of miles while managing exhaustion and everything that comes with riding on public roads."A boy and his bikeRed BullHe'll have to average more than 1,000 miles a day to beat the record."Sunderland has described the mental strain as one of the biggest challenges," Red Bull added. "He expects to spend around 17 hours riding on some days, with the cumulative effects of sleep deprivation, jet lag, and mental fatigue becoming increasingly important as the journey progresses."The rider himself doesn't see it as a physical challenge, which will impress anyone who's spent more than a couple days riding a motorcycle anywhere.AdvertisementAdvertisement"One of the toughest parts of this challenge for me is definitely the time on the bike, the miles that we have to cover," he says. "I'm going to be riding for 17 hours a day, back to back, over many days. I feel like that accumulation's going to build up and it's definitely going to be tough."To add to it, Sunderland has just recovered from a broken back, sustained in a training crash after originally announcing the record attempt at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last year."Breaking my back was never part of the plan, but in many ways it reinforced why I want to do this," he said. "Challenges don't always happen when everything is perfect, they're about how you respond when things don't go your way."And his way now is east, every day for three weeks.