Thomas Tomczyk Sets New World Record For Longest Electric Motorcycle Ride

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

Only moments ago today, August 4, 2015, Motorcycle.com has been given exclusive notification that Thomas Tomczyk has broken the Guinness world record for the longest electric motorcycle ride ever, clocking a GPS-verified 12,644 kilometers (7856 miles) aboard his 2012 Zero S as he rode into Honda, Columbia.

The distance counter in the upper right corner of Tomczyk's GPS confirms the new e-bike mileage record.

The feat is impressive in its own right, but Tomczyk isn’t done yet. His plan is to ride from the United States to Patagonia, at the southern tip of South America, which means he still has more than 6000 kilometers to go.

Traveling long distances on an electric motorcycle presents its own set of unique challenges, range and charge times being chief among them. Several stops are required along the way, some as long as two hours. Even then, his Zero’s range only allows him rides of about 200 miles a day, or 90 miles in a single stretch. Not to mention in South America parts for a Zero can be hard to come by, and competent mechanics even more so. To date, Thomas has had charge stops at jails, schools, museums, homes, garages and coffee shops, just to name a few locations.

Tomczyk’s story is a unique one, and he is making a documentary to help show what it’s like to travel farther than any electric bike has before. he has launched a Kickstarter campaign in an effort to get funding for that project. Click on the link to learn more or to donate to his cause.

You can also follow Thomas via social media:

Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

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