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A World Record
At the suggestion of a moped enthusiast who contacted me via email, I submitted this trip to
Guinness World Records to see if it qualified as the longest moped trip ever
undertaken.
Here is the first email that I received in reply:
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From: Customer Relations - Guinness World Records <CRM@guinnessworldrecords.com>
To: Walter Muma
Sent: Friday, December 06, 2002 5:40 AM
Subject: Guinness World Record
Claim ID: 36278
06 December 2002
Dear Mr Muma
Thank you for sending us the details of
your recent record proposal for 'Longest moped journey - Cape to
Cape'. I am afraid to say that we are unable to accept this as a
Guinness World Record.
We regret that this does not break our
current record: longest moped journey Cape to Cape Adam Paul
completed a journey from Cape Horn, Argentina to the Cape of Good
Hope, South Africa, travelling a distance of 36,640miles, riding a
Honda C90, from 10 April 1996-5 March 1998.
I appreciate that this may be
disappointing to you, but I hope that this does not deter you from
trying again. We are always keen to hear from people who wish to
set a Guinness World Record. If you should need any advice
regarding breaking an existing record or setting a new Guinness
World Record please contact us again through our website or directly
quoting the above membership number.
Once again thank you for contacting
Guinness World Records. We wish you every success with any future
record-breaking endeavors.
Yours sincerely,
Amanda Sprague
Records Research Services |
This is, however, incorrect!
It was later brought to my attention that the
"moped" that Adam Paul rode, a Honda C90, is not a moped at all, but rather
a small motorcycle.
Please see the article
Adam Paul Cape-to-Cape (on
this website) for more details about that trip. I
therefore resubmitted my claim for longest moped journey ever undertaken to
Guinness World Records in May 2004, asking them to reconsider. Here is the response I received in October 2004:
To: Walter Muma
Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004
8:49 AM
Subject: Guinness World Records
Claim ID: 36278
Dear Mr Muma
Thank you for your latest correspondence regarding your recent
record attempt for 'Longest moped journey - Cape to Cape', which
we rejected. We have noted your comments as regards
reconsidering our decision.
While we agree that Adam Paul's motorcycle was arguably not a
moped, the situation is not as clear-cut as you have proposed in
your definition. For example, in the UK a moped is, by law, any
motorcycle with an engine capacity below 50cc. Pedals are not
strictly required.
In the light of this type of uncertainty, and the physical
impossibility of us publishing separate records for the longest
rides on motorcycles of every possible type and engine capacity,
we have for the last few years only considered overall records
in this category. Thus we leave it up to the rider to choose the
machine most suited to breaking the current record, and have not
for some time considered records for the longest journeys on a
particular type or size of motorcycle.
As a result, the record category for the longest journey by
moped has been 'rested' (or frozen). We will not consider any
new claims in this category, and it will not be published again
in the future.
Therefore our initial position still stands and this is our
final decision.
Unfortunately, given that we receive well in excess of 60,000
enquiries and claims per year, we regret that we will not be
able to enter into any further correspondence regarding this
particular case.
Once again, can we thank you for your interest in Guinness World
Records.
Yours sincerely,
Amanda Sprague
Records Research Services |
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Okay...
Since they are not tracking journeys on true mopeds, then I will
:) |
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In the absence of "official" recognition,
I therefore make the
declaration myself:
The moped trip described on
this website
is
the longest journey ever undertaken on an unmodified true moped, until 2007. |
A longer journey was made from April 16, 2006
to
December 8, 2007 by Denieulle Benoit in Europe, on a true moped. He traveled
27,270 km until his moped was stolen in Prague.
And in 2009 he travelled 33,068km in 226
days.
His website, where his trip is fully documented,
is here:
Tour de l’Europe et de l’Asie en
Mobylette. A Google Map of his trip
here. |
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Another long moped trip was made in
2006. A couple of guys rode mopeds
from California to Tierra del Fuego in 2006.
Their trip is described in their blog here:
Creatures of
the Loin. They claim that their trip was the longest moped trip ever made.
Well, even if it was, not any more. There are some
difficulties with their claim to the longest moped trip ever made:
- The mileage is not documented in any way
on the blog. Numbers for the length of the trip have been quoted/estimated
from 13,000 miles to 20,000 miles. The actual documented length of the trip
is not yet known for sure.
- The mopeds they used were apparently
modified in some way. In a trailer for a documentary they are filming the
mopeds are shown flying past at a speed much higher than usual for mopeds.
This brings up the question ... what is a true moped? Generally accepted
definitions include: 49.9cc engine size, top speed of 50 kph (30 mph), and
are able to be pedal-driven. And some contend they must be unmodified from
the factory.
By the way, in their blog
(which is mostly a childish rant about bad things that happen to them along the
way)
I am referred to as "that jerk in Canada".
Grow up,
guys! However, all that aside, it was a
stupendous journey! |
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The Moped Riders Association has
recently (Oct 2004) awarded me
the title of "Distinguished Rider" in recognition of this journey. |
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