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This week, Henry Crew unseated Kane Avellano as the youngest person to ride around the world. Crew, 23, managed the trip in 381 days, without support vehicles or a team to help him. His ride? A mostly stock Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled. Hey, that’s not a GS!
To prepare for the trip, Crew added “a rear luggage rack, fly screen and engine guards [as well as a] Gerbing Heated Clothing system and an extra USB charger at the handlebars.” He also mounted a pair of Rotopax fuel cans to extend the Ducati’s less-than-ideal range. If you’re thinking the Desert Sled was an odd choice, you aren’t alone. (Avellano did it on two Bonnevilles, as his original bike was stolen.) But that didn’t stop Crew, who actually got the bike as a loaner from Ducati’s press fleet
“I want to show that anyone can ride a bike and if I can circumnavigate the world, so can you!” said Crew.
Watch Crew debrief with Dan Jones of The Bike Shed Motorcycle Club in this in-depth interview about his globetrotting travels.
Securing the world record wasn’t the only reason for the ride. Crew used his journey to raise donations for the Movember Foundation, which works to address men’s health issues worldwide. They also sponsor the Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride, among other events. Crew battled through a few issues of his own in the past, and helping the Movember Foundation was his way of making a difference.
In order to qualify for a Guinness World Record, a rider must meet some specific criteria. Total distance traveled has to be more than 24,500 miles, and the route must pass through several antipodal points to actually count as circumnavigation. Of course, a rider must start and stop at the same point as well. Crew and the Ducati successfully made the trek, though not without some setbacks and perils. He once waited a month for a new clutch to arrive. Another time, a flat tire nearly left him stranded in a remote canyon when he ran out of plugs. Language barriers, red tape, food poisoning, impassable roads… Crew and the Scrambler persevered through all of it.
In the end, actual mileage traveled was 52,474. That’s more than most bikes (and many riders) manage in a lifetime. For a little perspective, the guy only got his license in 2013! Motorcycles can take us on incredible journeys if we choose to pursue them. For Henry Crew, I suspect that will be one tough ride to beat.
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