Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical body. This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth.
Long Way Round (LWR) is a British television series and book documenting the 19,000-mile (31,000 km) journey of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman from London to New York City on motorcycles. They travelled eastwards through Europe and Asia, flew to Alaska, and continued on by road to New York. The series aired on Sky One from 18 October 2004 – 1 February 2005 and was repeated on BBC Two in 2008. The series was added to Apple TV+ on 18 September 2020 along with sequels Long Way Down (2007) and Long Way Up (2020).
The BMW GS series of one purpose off-road/on-road BMW motorcycles have been produced from 1980, when the R80G/S was launched, to the present day. The GS refers to either Gelände/Straße or Gelände Sport. GS motorcycles can be distinguished from other BMW models by their longer travel suspension, an upright riding position, and larger front wheels – typically 19 to 21 inch. In May 2009, the 500,000th GS was produced, an R1200GS model.
Long-distance riding is the activity of riding motorcycles over long distances, both competitively and as a pastime. A goal of long-distance riding is to explore one's endurance while riding a motorcycle, sometimes across several countries.
Nicholas Mark Sanders is a British bicyclist, motorcyclist and author noted for his long-distance riding and has ridden around the world seven times.
The BMW R1150GS and R1150GS Adventure are motorcycles that were manufactured by BMW Motorrad from 1999 through 2004. There was a limited run of 2006 model year R1150GSA models as well. The R1150GS models are part of the BMW GS family of dual-sport or adventure motorcycles that have been produced from 1981 to the present date. The bikes have a 1,130 cc horizontally opposed flat-twin engine and shaft drive.
Kevin Sanders and Julia Sanders are an English motorcyclist husband and wife noted for overland long-distance riding. They hold two Guinness World Records. The first was achieved in June 2002 by circumnavigating the world by motorcycle in 19½ days. The second was completed on 22 September 2003, 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. After these Guinness World records, they founded their motorcycle expedition company, GlobeBusters Motorcycle Expeditions in 2004.
The BMW F650 is a family of motorcycles developed by BMW Motorrad beginning in 1993. Models included the F650St Strada and from 1994, the F650 which, due to some subtle differences, was considered to be a more dual/multi purpose motorcycle with some off-road capability. The 1993 - 2000 F650 was the first single-cylinder motorcycle from BMW since the 1960–1966 R27, and the first chain driven motorcycles from BMW.
The Guinness World Record (GWR) for fastest circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle is awarded for completing a continuous journey around the globe by bicycle and other means, consisting of a minimum 29,000 km in total distance cycled.
Sjaak Lucassen is a Dutch long-distance motorcycle rider.
Kanichi Fujiwara is a Japanese long-distance motorcycle rider and writer.
Vladimir Yarets is round-the-world traveler from Belarus.
Helge Pedersen is a long-distance motorcyclist originally from Kristiansand, Norway, who now resides in Seattle, Washington. He traveled more than 250,000 miles (400,000 km) touring the world on a BMW R80G/S adventure touring motorcycle between 1982 and 1992. This journey is recounted in his book 10 Years on 2 Wheels. The motorcycle he rode on was placed on display at the BMW Museum in Munich.
Pat Garrod is a British physician and long distance motorcyclist. He and his wife Vanessa Lewis undertook a 100,000-mile (160,000 km) round-the-world ride on a 1991 BMW R100GS, between 1998 and October, 2002.
Chris Ratay and Erin Doherty-Ratay are American long-distance motorcyclists. Their 101,322-mile (163,062 km), four year circumnavigation of the Earth on BMW F650 and BMW R100PD motorcycles between May 1999 and August 2003 set a new Guinness World Record for distance ridden by a pair of motorcyclists on two motorcycles.
Danell Lynn is an American long distance motorcycle rider. As of 2016, she holds the Guinness record for the world's longest motorcycle journey in a single country. She is the first woman to earn the record riding solo.
Kane Avellano is a British adventurer and a long distance motorcycle rider. As of August 2017, Avellano holds the Guinness World Record as the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe by motorcycle.
Carol and Ken Duval are Australian long-distance motorcyclists. They started long-distance riding outside of Oceania in March 1997, completing a circumnavigation of the Earth in June 2001, having touched 57 countries and covered 200,000 kilometers. In 2007 Ken Duval retired, the couple sold their belongings in Brisbane, Australia to raise $500,000 for traveling, and they started on a new journey. By 2017, after eight years on the road, they had finished a second circumnavigation and had racked up nearly one million kilometers; both trips were on the same motorcycle, a 1981 BMW R80G/S.
