Video: Chinese Entrepreneur Rides Motorcycle On Water For 40 Km, Sets New Record

Zhang Xue, founder of Chinese motorcycle manufacturer ZXMOTO, has set a Guinness World Record after riding a modified motorcycle 40.74 km across open water. The attempt took place on the Jinjiang River near his hometown in Mayang Miao Autonomous County, Hunan Province, and surpassed the previous mark of 31.8 km.

How The Bike Stayed Afloat

Zhang used a specially modified ZXMOTO MX450, fitted with amphibious skis, an enlarged fuel tank and additional waterproofing. The machine accelerates on land before skimming across the water, with the front ski providing steering and the rear tyre pushing water backwards to generate propulsion.

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Unlike a conventional personal watercraft, the MX450 does not use a dedicated marine propulsion system. Its ability to travel on water comes from the combination of land-based acceleration, skis that keep it above the surface and tyre-driven thrust.

The enlarged fuel tank and waterproofing were essential for the format of the attempt. Rather than completing one long, straight crossing, Zhang made repeated back-and-forth runs across the river to accumulate the record distance.

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Seventeen Years In Making

The record was not an overnight stunt. Zhang first experimented with riding a motorcycle on water in 2009, using basic modifications to test whether the idea could work at all.

Those early attempts went badly. He fell into the water four times and managed only 20 metres, about 66 feet. The latest run, by contrast, covered more than 40 km and required sustained control across a river rather than a brief burst of speed.

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The achievement has been recognised as the greatest distance travelled over open water by a modified motorcycle. It does not suggest that the MX450 configuration is suitable for everyday use, nor that it can replace conventional amphibious vehicles.

What it does show is how far a conventional motorcycle can be pushed with the right engineering. Zhang's machine still relies on a motorcycle-style layout, but its skis, waterproofing, and water-propelling rear tyre turn it into something entirely different once it leaves solid ground.