China sets world record: 40 km on a modified motorcycle that rides on water.

A new world record was set in China's Hunan province. Zhang Xue, founder of the company ZXMoto, traveled 40.74 kilometers aboard a modified MX450 motorcycle, skimming the water's surface in an open river channel at Guogongping. The feat earned recognition from the Guinness World Records for the longest distance ever covered on a modified motorcycle in open water.

The record surpasses the previous mark of 31.8 kilometers. The challenge took place in open water and represents the culmination of a journey begun by Zhang in 2009, when his first attempts to glide on water with a motorcycle did not exceed 20 meters.

The idea of making a motorcycle run on water is not new, but turning it into reality took years of attempts. It all started in 2009 when Zhang Xue, now the founder of ZXMoto, conducted his first experiments. That year, he tried four times to make a motorcycle glide on the water's surface, managing to cover a maximum of only 20 meters, well below his initial goal of 26 meters.

Seventeen years later, in 2026, perseverance has paid off. Starting from those rudimentary trials, Zhang developed and modified an MX450 model motorcycle, specifically adapting it to float and glide on water. Today's achievement, which broke the previous record by over 9 kilometers, is thus the result of a long journey of technical experimentation born from the simple ambition of an enthusiast to challenge the limits of conventional riding.