We gave you a heads-up when Urs “Grizzly” Pedraita left Daytona aboard his Victory Cross Country Tour. Grizzly has since covered more than 47,000 miles on his bike, and, according to Victory Motorcycles, has set a new world record in the process. Some beautiful photos document an amazing ride across 5 continents. Here is the press release from Victory:
MINNEAPOLIS — July 11, 2016 — Victory Motorcycles® is proud to announce that Swiss endurance rider Urs “Grizzly” Pedraita has achieved a new world record by riding across five continents in less than 120 days aboard his Victory Cross Country Tour.
Grizzly covered roughly 47,390 miles in 72 riding days and 13 hours by the time he reached a celebration in his honor at Volusia Motorsports in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., on July 10. The previous record for such a ride was 120 days and 2 hours, and included time-stops for transfers. Grizzly’s overall time without time-stops was 119 days and 21 hours.
Grizzly rode away from Daytona International Speedway on March 12 flanked by hundreds of owners of Victory motorcycles who joined him to ride one lap of the Daytona 200 road course and escort him out of town for the first part of his journey.
From Daytona Beach, Fla., he traveled 3,971 miles in six days and 14 hours to complete the first leg of the ride in Panama City, Panama. He then continued traveling south 6,269 miles for nine days and 23 hours to reach Ushuaia, Argentina, at the tip of South America. From there, he returned 2,088 miles to Santiago, Chile, loaded his bike onto a plane and transferred to Australia, where he spent six days and five hours riding 4,604 miles west across the continent from Sydney to Perth.
From Perth, Grizzly and his Victory were flown to Cape Town, South Africa, and awaited clearance through customs. Thereafter, he took 13 days and 23 hours for a 7,509-mile journey from Cape Town to Cairo, Egypt, and a ferry to take him across the Mediterranean to Tarragona, Spain. From there, he rode 5,447 miles in six days and 23 hours from northern Spain to Gibraltar to North Cape (Nordkapp) Norway.
Grizzly then turned his wheel east, riding through St. Petersburg, Moscow, Irkutsk and Vladivostok during an 11-day-7-hour, 7,280-mile journey across Russia, a 4-hour and 249-mile tour through South Korea, and a 5-day-11-hour and 2,989-mile ride through Thailand and Malaysia.
From Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Grizzly loaded his bike onto a plane and traveled to Anchorage, AK, before resuming his ride in a 9-day 1-hour and 6,984-mile zig-zag tour across North America through Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Chicago and Santa Monica, Calif. to his finish in Daytona Beach.
“With this journey the spirit of the pioneers of the past was re-established,” Grizzly said upon his arrival. “There is no place for time-stops in this kind of adventure. This victory belongs to the team, and is dedicated to my brother and my guardian angel, Emelie from Peru.”
The Victory Cross Country Tour used for this record-setting ride was specially modified by Motostyling Zurich. While the engine, frame and running gear remain relatively untouched, other parts of the bike have been redesigned to fit Grizzly’s needs as he covers long distances in remote parts of the world.
“This record is a testament to the durability, capability and dependability of our Cross Country Touring platform,” says Nate Secor, Marketing Manager for Victory Motorcycles. “Victory Touring owners love to roll back the miles. If you asked them, they’d likely say there’s a little bit of Grizzly in each of them when they’re covering ground during their own journeys.”
Time and position measurement for Grizzly’s record-setting ride were done via GPS and satellite tracking. Timing was not stopped on overland routes (i.e., when waiting to pass a country border or when the rider is sleeping). However, timing was stopped for air and sea transfers between continents and restarted once the bike arrived on the new continent.
Visit GrizzlyRaceTeam.ch for additional information about Grizzly’s travels. Learn more about Victory Motorcycles at VictoryMotorcycles.com.
See more of MD’s great photography:
Somehow, I doubt he took the same route as Ewan and Charlie.
I did 65,000 miles on a solid-mount Sportster. No breakdowns and no support truck chasing me down the highway. It did take me slightly longer (17 years).
lol I’ve ridden 71,000 miles since retiring 3 1/2 years ago, and 2 years ago rode to Cali to dip a toe in the Pacific Ocean, and back, 5500 miles in 11 days which works out to eleven 500 mile days in a row. Note: Pacific feels just like Atlantic only air is hotter lol
Still I don’t think I’d like to take on Griz’s adventure. maybe if I did it in 6 months so I could actually stop and see things.
Ugly bike, EPIC ride!!
I am amazed that he could accomplish this ride on a bike without a beak.
If his bike did break down on the trip he’d have to deal with Victory’s warranty dept. What a pain in the butt that would be.
Grizzly is the man. I can’t imagine doing two 600-mile days in a row. The amount of planning involved must have been immense. Not many can say they rode a motorcycle across the world, but Grizzly can. That’s pretty cool. This bike should go into the Polaris museum if they have one.
Some quick calculations reveal 655 miles per day over 72 total days. That’s impressive no matter the support or the rest between continents.
I can’t imagine anyone accomplishing that. Your calculations must be off.
“Grizzly covered roughly 47,390 miles in 72 riding days and 13 hours by the time he reached a celebration in his honor at Volusia Motorsports in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., on July 10”.
According to my calculator: 47390 divided by 72.5 = 653.65. Yeah, I was way off.
We have plenty of 90 mile straight roads out here inthe western states. Many of them don’t have a gas station for the entire distance. Which is why I insist on a large gas tankon my bikes.
There’s “straight” and there’s straight, the 90 mile Oz road is really, really straight, no jogs, no deviations by one lane off the main path, no very brief hop that you don’t see on a paper map but is really there. This is straight, like a laser would say “yes that’s straight” if it would just bend with the Earth’s curvature.
The presence of slight jogs, of course, doesn’t mean you’re going to find a petrol stop, so fill that tank when you can, regardless.
Out West there are many wide open areas where if you can’t go at least 200 miles on a tank of gas you better have extra gas to be safe between gas stations. I carry an extra gallon on rigs that aren’t capable of 200 miles per fillup.
That is pretty cool, I don’t think my rear could take it, but seeing the world from this perspective would be nice
‘Seems like his “perspective” would be mostly limited to seeing what’s a mile or two away on either side of the road as he passes by.
Well, I’d think you’d lose more than a few hours changing out at least 3 sets of tires, and what, maybe 11 oil changes, a couple set of spark plugs and an air filter or two, maybe a belt? (that looks like a pretty thin belt…I assume a Victory has hydraulic valves)
G’Day Mate. My name is Bear. Grizzly Bear. I haven’t taken a dump in 68 days.
Dude wanted to do it so he did. Probably doesn’t care if we’re impressed or not. Personally, his adventure doesn’t appeal to me in the least, neither does winning a hot dog eating contest, or having a nickname like “Grizzly.” But he did what he wanted to do and we should all be so committed.
Didn’t that crazy Brit Nick Sanders do this in half the time: 31 days in the late 90s? And then again in the aughts in–gulp–19 days? On that comfy tourer known as the R1
He had a victory back up team following him, didn’t he?
From his website: “He rode across all six continents in a solo ride (alone, no service crew following)”
There is “solo” in the days of yore, and there is “corporate sponsored solo in 2016”. I am willing to bet that the sponsors had plenty of wear parts and a technician or two waiting at points along the way. With logistical planning, a sat-phone call would get the waiting-ahead factory help to the “solo rider” without too much delay. It’s a bit different in our times, and especially on main highways, than in the days of Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic “solo”. Even if the technicians were a few hours or a day away, they would be close in a ordeal that lasts a third of a year.
Any well prepared and supported big touring bike should be able to do this in our time.
Whatever Eeyore.
That’s pretty harsh dude. He’s not riding around Mars. Riding solo, even with sponsor support at set destinations is very different to having a truck follow him, like Charley and Ewan. Is he supposed to pack all his own water, toilet paper, and every single drop of fuel for it qualify as ‘solo’? Not eat at a local diner along the way, as that would be ‘support’?
Credit where credit is due, even if the stunt isn’t my cup of tea. Logistics planning is what sets the pros apart from the amateurs with these kinds of expeditions – and being smart means making use of every resource available to get you to the end.
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2016/02/grizzly-leaving-bike-week-on-victory-cross-country-for-around-the-world-record-attempt/
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/021516middle.jpg
I assume that’s a die-hard fan following him round-the-world in a truck.
😀 Props to the Dodge Ram!
Anyone who has this riding stamina and ability to avoid accidents is impressive. My comment was directed completely at any premise that this event proves that the bike is better than any other rival bike at going distances without breaking down. Every manufacturer of touring bikes, even low volume and traditional Moto Guzzi, in our day knows the service life of each component. The statements made about what was modified doesn’t preclude titanium nitriding wear pieces or using super-lubricants. The rider is a stud, the bike is not necessarily better or worse than anything else in it’s class.
Gotcha HS1, I can see your point. Ahh the perils of text-only communication! Peace 🙂
I get it. And your remarks are true enough but you were rebutting a premise that didn’t exist.. All Victory said is that the trip is a testament to their bike’s durability – seems to me that they should be allowed such a bland (and true) statement without having someone go all Charles Barkely on them.
I’d be interested in the variety of bug splats on his shield. 🙂
A arse of leather and balls of steel.
Google “Kanichi Fujiwara” for arse of aramid and balls of titanium.
So many people want to “be somebody” these days.
Well to be honest everybody is somebody.
1 question, what happened to the saddlebags and I see he wore a modular helmet. Smart.
‘Meaningless except to sell motorcycles..’ That would not be a meaningless ambition or goal in the business world. And you’re right, it makes a pretty strong statement as to the quality and durability of Victory motorcycles. Also seems to make a pretty strong statement as to the durability, and stamina of the rider as well..impressive both.
It would ‘appear’ a Victory is a durable MC but without a list of actual parts replaced to accomplish this feat, it’s not a done deal. For instance, why were the saddlebags and mufflers replaced with upswept mufflers in the end? More information on this effort would be helpful.
I wonder how many drive belts he went through.
Talk about an iron butt. Mine would need a transplant.
ouch, my butt hurts just thinking about it…
Me too.
Congrats. I don’t know what for, except the record I suppose. It’s kind of meaningless except to sell motorcycles. I’m not sure what other useful purpose is served. Reminds me of a hot dog eating contest winner, without the indigestion.
I guess it proves the bike is reliable too, so there’s that.
MyBalogna continues on his roll…sheesh
“It’s kind of meaningless except to sell motorcycles. I’m not sure what other useful purpose is served.”
So riding a motorcycle is meaningless? Why are you on this site?
You’re taking flak for your comment, but I know what you mean.
I understand wanting to ride around the world on a motorcycle. I understand why Victory would want to sponsor such an endeavor. I don’t really understand the desire to piss through a catheter along the way to break a time record while doing this. Seems like perfectly good waste of around-the-world riding experience if your aim is to burn through it as quick as possible.
But hey, burninating the globe in rapid fashion on a motorcycle is what this guy is apparently into, so I congratulate him for achieving his goal. It is a massively difficult accomplishment earned through grit, preparation and focus. I doubt I could do it. And yet, like hot dog eating champions who also accomplish things I never could, it doesn’t impress me at all.
It’s no different than any race, when you think about it. It’s only scale of size that separates them. Why do people try to go 1/4 mile faster than somebody else? Why is Bonneville so popular? Why does somebody run a marathon? Everybody, in every genre, is racing against something.
Quote about Everest (“Because it’s there…”) also comes to mind
Well said.
Going on an adventure or putting yourself to a test does not need to have a useful purpose. Doing it is the purpose.
Maybe, someday, he’ll take the time to actually experience – and maybe enjoy – the places he saw, at speed, through his face shield? Hey, anyone want to buy a “lightly-used” Victory?
That’s a long ride.