Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT Sets Record for Epic Round-the-World Trip

A married couple have made history in 2024 by becoming the first people to circumnavigate the world while riding a motorcycle two-up - rider and pillion passenger.

The pair, Ollie Gamblin and Lavi Scholl, set off from the Ace Cafe, London, on their donated V-Strom 1050XT provided by Motorcycle World, Northampton. They then headed south, into France, travelling through continental Europe and eventually arriving in Morocco. Sticking to the west coast they travelled down through Mauritania to Senegal, where the V-Strom was loaded into a container and shipped to Brazil to begin the South American leg of the journey.

Landing in Brazil, they then ticked off Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, before shipping their V-Strom 1050XT over the Darien Gap and into Panama. From there they began the North America part of their adventure. From America they headed north and into Canada, before airfreighting the bike to Seoul, South Korea, though not before tying the knot in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the US.

From the US they headed to Russia, and the newlyweds traversed Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Kygyzstan, eventually crossing the Caspian Sea into Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and across the Bosphorus, back into Europe. Nine more countries were chalked off, with Belgium being the 39th and last unique nation crossed, before Lavi and Ollie returned to France and finally the UK, completing their journey in just 20 months.

Speaking about the adventure, Lavi said:

“The idea for a Guinness World Record came after a friend of ours attempted to become the Youngest Male to Circumnavigate the Globe by Motorcycle, an already established record. We sent an email asking if we could create a team record under the same criteria. They accepted it under the title Youngest Pair to Circumnavigate the Globe by Motorcycle (Riding Pillion).

“We had the freedom to plan our own route, as long as Guinness’ circumnavigation boxes were ticked. So the route was mostly planned using non-carnet countries and countries with easier visas.”

Lavi’s husband, Ollie added:

“We saw a lot of places, a lot of people, and had a lot of experiences. If I had to pick one country that stood out, Mongolia really surprised us. The landscapes are vast and incredible and there are herds of animals just running around everywhere and locals living in gers. It was absolutely beautiful. Another highlight was seeing wild orca hunt for penguins on the remote Argentinian coast. It was like a scene out of a documentary right in front of our eyes.”

Lavi and Ollie will now be headed slightly closer to home, as they will be attending the Adventure Bike Rider Festival at Ragley Hall on 28-30 June.