Twenty-two-year-old Rhys Lawrey has left the Triumph motorcycle factory in Hinckley to begin an epic record-breaking ride around the world.
Under the 2moroRider banner, Rhys plans to spend the next 12 months riding his Triumph Tiger 800XC across six continents, travelling through 73 countries and covering 50,000 miles. When he returns in spring 2015 he will be the youngest person to circumnavigate the world by motorcycle.
Heading down through Europe, Rhys will cross into central Asia, then ride through China and down to Bangkok. Next comes Australia, then New Zealand, followed by North, Central & South America, where his second world record attempt commences.
“The current Guinness World Record for the ‘Most Consecutive Capital Cities Visited by Motorcycle’ is five,” comments Rhys. “I plan to visit 52 – demolishing the existing record and making it virtually impossible to beat!”
From America he crosses to Africa and then back to Europe, snaking up from Spain to Scandinavia and finally returning to London, via Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh.
While on the road, Rhys will be raising funds for the UK’s leading youth charity, The Prince’s Trust. Follow his progress and make a donation at www.2moroRider.com.
Meanwhile, double Guinness World Record holder Kevin Sanders is leading a group of ten motorcyclists on a 13,000-mile overland expedition from London to Bangkok. The adventurers left London’s Ace Cafe and are due to arrive in the Thai capital at the end of July. The team has a truly international feel, including riders from Switzerland, America, Australia and two from Thailand, who are riding home!
Their route takes them across western Europe to Istanbul and from there following the Silk Road through Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and into China. On reaching Xi’an, the ancient Chinese terminus of the Silk Road, they will ride along the timeless Tea Horse Road into Laos, through the Golden Triangle between Burma and Thailand and along the Road of 1864 bends into Bangkok.
Expedition leader Kevin Sanders has unrivalled experience taking riders across central Asia, having led teams of 12-16 adventure-seeking motorcyclists on more than five occasions, with participants riding their own bikes and carrying all their own kit. Over the past decade his GlobeBusters operation has organised trips for hundreds of adventurous motorcyclists along legendary routes, often through regions where few dare to go.
His Guinness World Records are for circumnavigating the world by motorcycle in 19½ days (in 2002) and for riding the length of the Americas from Deadhorse, Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, United States to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina in 35 days and breaking the previous record by over 12 days (in 2003).