Around the World Record Attempt to Start at Daytona Bike Week

Urs Pedraita, aka Grizzly, plans to roll out of Daytona's packed and bustling main street at 1pm on Friday, March 11, 2016. True to his name, Grizzly has been bear-like in his preparations to ride a Victory Cross Country around the world through all six continents in under 100 days (the record currently stands at 120 days).

Urs Pedraita, aka Grizzly, plans to roll out of Daytona’s packed and bustling main street at 1pm on Friday, March 11, 2016. True to his name, Grizzly has been bear-like in his preparations to ride a Victory Cross Country around the world through all six continents in under 100 days (the record currently stands at 120 days). His aim is to ride with a continuous speed with as few stops as possible and he even plans to put the wheels on the ground in Antarctica.

Over the past year Grizzly has put himself through challenging acclimatization rides in sub-zero temperatures and he says he is now ready to flex some ‘Modern American Muscle’ on board his Victory Cross Country. While this powerful bagger might be more used to cruising on paved highways, Grizzly shows that this kind of bike can be ridden everywhere – even on ice, snow, sand, mud and gravel.

Additional items on his Victory Cross Country include navigation systems, a 33-liter fuel tank, a customized seat with back support and two LED headlights added on the front for better visibility during his long night rides.

This won’t be Grizzly’s first big ride on a Victory Cross Country – in 2013, he completed a 9,000 mile trip in just 37 days – during the winter.

After leaving Daytona in March, fans can follow his progress using the ‘Grizzly Tracker app‘ which shows where Grizzly is at any time during the attempt here: http://www.grizzlyraceteam.ch/?page_id=1540

The 100-day mark puts the date as Friday, May 20, 2016 and he’ll need to finish by then to achieve his goal.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame recently named Marilyn Stemp and Steve Piehl to its board of directors.

Stemp is a pioneering figure in the motorcycle industry, founding IronWorks Magazine with her late husband, Dennis, and becoming the first female editor of a nationally circulated, mainstream motorcycle magazine. She also revived their trade magazine, Iron Trader News; edits the monthly Kiwi Indian News; contributes to several powersports media outlets; and is the founding editor of Sturgis Rider Daily. Stemp is a noted editor and writer of several motorcycle-focused books. Her consistent support for charitable efforts in the industry include the annual Biker Belles Celebration, Las Vegas BikeFest and as campaign chair for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum’s development plan in 2014. She co-founded the Flying Piston charity events taking place in Daytona and Sturgis each year and is a National Ambassador for All Kids Bike. Stemp was inducted into both the Las Vegas Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Sturgis Museum's Hall of Fame in 2018, and in 2022 she was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Powersports by DealerNews.