While there have undoubtedly been couples who’ve lapped the globe two-up on two wheels, evidently none have laid claim to an official Guinness World Record, leaving the door open to an adventurous young couple, Lavi Scholl and Ollie Gamblin, to become the Youngest Pair to Circumnavigate the Globe by Motorcycle (two-up).

Known on their social media channels as Lavi & Ollie, the duo plan to take at least two years to achieve the World Record quest, following Guinness’s very specific rules for circumnavigating the globe. For example, travelers must start and end in the same spot and travel continuously in the same direction for the entire attempt. The minimum distance traveled must exceed the equator’s length, or more than 24,901 miles (40,075 kilometers), and the riders must travel through at least two antipodal points, which are two spots directly opposite one another on the globe. 

Not only are the official rules restrictive, the couple will also need to navigate their way around global dynamics that are constantly shifting under the complications of political conflict and lingering Covid restrictions. 

As if that weren’t enough of a challenge, the couple has very little experience riding a large bike like the Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT loaned to them by Motorcycle World in Northampton, England, and even less practice riding off-road tracks, which they intend to favor on the journey. They will also travel unsupported with limited mechanical experience, making for some interesting roadside endeavors. They do, however, have five years of experience adventuring by other means, including walking 3000 kilometers across New Zealand, bicycling 2000 kilometers down Briton and traveling 15,000 kilometers around Europe in a DIY micro camper van.

Now, after two years of planning, Lavi and Ollie (ages 30 and 33) set off from the famous Ace Cafe in London on April 10th, headed for the Trans European Trail (TET), a network of 51,000 kilometers of dirt roads and trails curated by the adventure riding community, through France, Portugal and Spain. So much off-roading straight out of the big-bike gate (Ollie has ridden motorcycles since he was sixteen, but only a Vespa, Suzuki Marauder 125 and a Kawasaki Eliminator 250) is certainly a trial by fire for the couple, but also a way to build important skills ahead of their trek from Morocco down the west coast of Africa to Dakar. 

From Dakar they plan to travel by ferry to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and ride down the east of Brazil to their first antipode in Puerto Natales, Chili. From there Lavi & Ollie hope to ride up the west coast of the Americas to Vancouver, Canada, ferry to Eastern Siberia and their second antipode in Ulan-ude. After crossing Mongolia and Kazakhstan, they will ride through Azerbaijan and Georgia, Turkey, the Balkans, Slovenia and finally back on the TET through Italy and France, then finally onto the Ace Cafe in London. 

And yes, they tell us they have contingency plans in place for all scenarios including future war zones and restrictions due to conflict, Covid or other unseen calamities. All in all, they plan to ride over 30,000 miles across at least 35 countries on 5 continents, with wild camping as the accommodation of choice. 

These two, however, didn’t need to quit jobs and sell all their possessions, instead saving money from jobs they’ve taken on during their previous travels (think fruit picking in New Zealand and factory work in Australia). After years of tight budgeting they found themselves at a crossroads as they entered their thirties, faced with the choice to either settle down or use their savings for “a great adventure.” Happily, they chose the latter, working in the UK to supplement their savings as they planned the trip. 

To date the only modifications to their V-Strom, named “Bumblebee,” has been fitment of crash bars and the addition of Dunlop Trailmax Mission tires. 

Jumping on Lavi & Ollie’s YouTube channel is a good way to get to know the two adventurers and begin following their exciting journey right from the start. You will also find them on Facebook and Instagram, and if you’re on their route, they are looking forward to riding with and meeting new friends. 

Author: Jamie Elvidge

Jamie has been a motorcycle journalist for more than 30 years, testing the entire range of bikes for the major print magazines and specializing in adventure-travel related stories. To date she’s written and supplied photography for articles describing what it’s like to ride in all 50 states and 43 foreign countries, receiving two Lowell Thomas Society of American Travel Writer’s Awards along the way. Her most-challenging adventure yet has been riding in the 2018 GS Trophy in Mongolia as Team AusAmerica’s embedded journalist.