- 1,462.114 km in 24 hours
- 1,158 laps on a dirt track approximately 1.26 km long
- Two riders, two flat tires, one production motorcycle
The new distance record was set on a compact dirt track within the Tenuta Roverbella estate east of Milan. The ride was completed on a standard Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle, supported by a standard Scrambler Nightshift as a spare bike. According to those involved, the attempt was conducted independently and followed the guidelines for Guinness World Records. Official confirmation is still pending.
The path to the project
The idea came about during the launch of the 70th edition of the Guinness World Records book in Milan. Silvio Sabba, one of 57 so-called Guinness Icons worldwide, has set 662 records in twelve years, 180 of which still stand. He achieved some of these during recordings of the Italian TV show Lo Show dei Record. Sabba was also already active internationally in enduro racing and holds the record for the most people jumped over on a motorcycle, namely 43.
Valerio Boni is a long-time motor journalist and only recently joined the record scene. During the Covid years, he remembered a project from 1979 in which he had ridden a Vespa 50 for 24 hours for an article. Looking back, he realized that the distance he had covered at the time exceeded an existing record. This motivated him to become more involved in 24-hour challenges, starting with a minimoto. Later, he ventured into unusual records such as the highest average speed on skis pulled by a car, taking over this record from US extreme athlete Erik Roner.
Choosing a course and preparing
There was no debate about the motorcycle. The choice fell on a standard Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle with original tires. The Nightshift served as a backup. The route, on the other hand, proved to be a greater challenge. For weeks, the search was on for suitable off-road circuits until the municipality of Frinco (Asti) agreed to prepare an 800-meter-long clay track. However, heavy rain turned the course into impassable mud shortly before the date. This forced the organizers to change their plans at short notice.
The alternative site, Tenuta Roverbella, ultimately offered a dirt track around 600 to 650 meters long with two tight hairpin bends. The slow turns made the course challenging, but it was clean and suitable for a controlled, documented attempt.
The 24-hour ride
The start was at 2:42 p.m. Initially, the attempt went according to plan until damage to the rear tire forced a change to the spare motorcycle after just under three hours. As this was not a quick repair, a mandatory 15-minute break had to be observed. As soon as the rear wheel was repaired, the riders switched back to the main machine.
During the night, there was another tire failure. Thanks to a sealant, the stint could be continued until dawn, when the rear wheel of the reserve bike was finally mounted. Shortly after midnight, Sabba and Boni had already significantly exceeded the previous target of around 650 km. From this point on, they reduced their speed to lower the mechanical stress on the bike.
Record figures
Over the entire duration, the drivers covered a distance of 1,462.114 km, spread over 1,158 laps. The average speed was 60.940 km/h. A total of more than 14,000 gear changes were recorded, which corresponds to approximately one gear change every six seconds. The circuit consisted of a 610-meter straight and two tight hairpin bends and featured typical off-road terrain with ruts and embedded stones.
Voices of those involved
Valerio Boni explained: “We wanted to show that a production-spec Scrambler on OE tires can handle a genuine endurance challenge on dirt. Distance was never the worry—the real test was the mechanical punishment from bumps and rocks. The numbers tell the story.”
Silvio Sabba added: “I brought the ‘explosive’ side of record-breaking and an enduro mindset; Valerio brought the calm grind of 24-hour racing. Between punctures, mandatory stops and those tight hairpins, we built a clean, repeatable mark.”
Procedure and documentation according to specifications
The prescribed documentation methods were followed for certification. These included witness logbooks, continuous timekeeping, video recordings, GPS tracking, and route measurement by a licensed engineer. The site was provided by Tenuta Roverbella, while the municipality of Frinco (Asti) was involved in the preparation of the originally planned course in advance. The motorcycles came from the press test fleet.
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