Thomas Tomczyk beats previous record of 11,000+ kilometers
HONDA, COLOMBIA – Honda, Colombia is a relatively sleepy town in the center of the country — but with the arrival of a quiet, electric-powered motorcycle, itʼs become the place where a world record has been broken.
On Tuesday, August 4, Rider Thomas Tomczyk broke the current Guinness world record for the longest electric motorcycle ride ever, at more than 12,644 kilometers. Another team has ridden more than 12,000 kilometers on an electric motorbike, but only with the help of a van to provide charging and technical support. To do this distance alone is a feat all in itself, but Tomczyk is far from done.
The ride is part of a larger goal of being the first person to ride from the United States to Patagonia, at the southern tip of South America — a journey of more than 19,000 kilometers in total.
Electric motorcycle technology is emerging as a viable form of transport — but so far, it hasn’t been known as a long-distance option. With this ride, Tomczyk is attempting to break through the barriers to endurance riding, gas-free style, and is making a documentary to tell the story, with a Kickstarter campaign that launched July 24 – https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2077295998/electric-powered-odyssey
Still, it’s a challenge. With several one- to two-hour stops along the way, Tomczyk’s 2012 Zero S motorcycle lets him travel only about 321 kilometers (200 miles) per day, or a max of about 144 kilometers (90 miles) at a stretch. Parts can be hard to come by, and mechanics are just beginning to learn the intricacies of maintaining electric vehicles — especially in Central and South America.
With a steep learning curve and plenty of planning for charging stops at jails, schools, museums, homes, garages, coffee shops and all manner of other bizarre locations, Tomczyk has already become a record-breaker — and this is indeed a feat, and a story that deserves to be told.
For interviews or media assets, contact media coordinator Nicole Vulcan at nicolevulcan@gmail.com or rider Thomas Tomczyk at tomek123@aol.com.
www.electricpoweredodyssey.com