Dakar champ Sunderland attempts controversial circumnavigation world record

Former Dakar champion Sam Sunderland is embarking on a new adventure with the aim of setting a new world record that is hotly disputed.

With backing from Triumph and Red Bull, the two-time Dakar winner will attempt to break the world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by motorcycle.

His attempt will see him ride more than 18,000 miles (approx. 29,000km) across five continents, with a predicted 17 hours a day on his Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer.

But the current record is up for debate, with at least three separate parties laying claim to the fastest time.

In 2002, Kevin and Julie Sanders travelled 31,319km around the world in 19 days, 8 hours and 25 minutes on a BMW R1150GS.

This attempt was recognised as a Guinness World Record at the time. But Guinness no longer recognises motorcycle circumnavigation attempts due to concerns over safety.

In 2005, Nick Sanders (no relation) is said to have completed a circumnavigation in 19 days and 4 hours, unofficially reclaiming the record he previously held in 1997. That was done on a Yamaha R1, but the trip was completed over several months. The 19 days was simply the accumulated riding time.

In 2025, Ryan Kluftinger and Connor Bodlow from Canadian online retailer and media outlet Fortnine claim to have completed their round-the-world journey in 16 days, 23 hours and 27 minutes on Ducati Multistradas. This was documented in the film Yalla Habib.

But the Fortnine record attempt was uniquely different from the others. The distance Kluftinger and Bodlow covered (21,059km) was far less than that of the previous two record attempts. The reason for this was that Ducati supplied the pair with press bikes in various locations around the world, allowing them to fly over longer stretches.

Of course, it would be easy to dismiss their record attempt, but there are a few interesting points to consider. Firstly, the greater reliance on flights created more room for error, with flight delays and cancellations putting their attempt at risk.

Secondly, the Fortnine crew claims to have included transit and flights in their final recorded time, something the previous records allegedly did not include.

So, with all that in mind, what is the actual record that Sunderland is trying to beat?

Well, according to Triumph, it is the original Guinness World Record set by Kevin and Julie in 2002. That means the Brit will aim to complete the journey in less than 19 days, 8 hours and 25 minutes. This makes sense given that both Fortnine and Nick Sanders’ attempts were fundamentally different in a mechanical and logistical sense.

Sunderland departed London on September 5 and will ride towards Istanbul, before travelling through Southeast Asia from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur. He will then cross to Australia, riding from Perth to Sydney, continue to New Zealand, and then over to Vancouver, from where he’ll ride to Montreal. Next will be Casablanca, and then back to London for the completion of the journey.

According to Triumph, the official clock will be paused during ocean crossings. The brand also says that the “official rules” require Sunderland and his Tiger to complete the entire riding route together, touch two antipodal points, travel in the same direction, and complete the journey on the same motorcycle. This effectively dismisses the Fortnine record.

But if Sunderland is successful and completes the journey within 19 days, but more than 16 days, the motorcycle world’s most sought-after interview may very well be with Ryan F9.