This Harley-Davidson has Ridden to Every Country in the World!

By Jerry Perez - October 10, 2016

Around the world in a motorcycle. No, it’s not the title to a movie or a children’s book, it’s a reality, and it happened on a Harley-Davidson.

Meet Peter and Kay Forwood, the owners of the most-traveled motorcycle (and vehicle) in the entire world—a 1994 Electraglide Classic. The journey took a whopping 11 years, and they’ve visited all 193 countries recognized by the U.N. as of 2011. In total, they’ve covered dover 414 states, countries, territories, and disputed land that although not recognized by other governments, they call themselves a country.

I don’t know about you, but that is mind-freaking-blowing. According to Peter, the Harley’s motor required substantial repairs at 540,000 kilometers, which is approximately 335, 00o miles.

When was asked if he’d use the same motorcycle again, Peter answered: “We have been very happy with the performance of the Harley-Davidson, but, like most things, it isn’t perfect. I don’t think there is a perfect motorcycle to ride all the different types and quality of roads, handle the variety of oils and petrols you need to purchase in different countries, that is easy to ride in different traffic conditions, carrying the weight of your home. The Harley performs well on asphalt, a cruiser, but can be a little rough on dirt, although its low centre of gravity and long wheel base give a better ride than might be thought. The belt drive has been our most consistent repair, lasting on average 50,000 km’s (31,000 miles), but we carry two spares and can now fit them roadside if one breaks. The engine has been rebuilt twice. So far it has not been necessary to remove the engine from the frame at any time as the bottom end has not needed repair nor has the gearbox been opened.”

I don’t know about you, but it seems like that Electraglide has held up better than some so-called “dual-purpose” bikes!