ZXMOTO: 40.74 km Guinness record on water on a motocross bike

Zhang Xue, founder of the Chinese brand ZXMOTO, has set a world record for riding a motorcycle on water: 40.74 km on a river in Hunan province, aboard a modified MX450 motocross bike. The previous record for a modified motorcycle on open water stood at 31.8 km. The feat took place on 25 October 2026 and was confirmed by Guinness World Records.

Just over half an hour on the water

Zhang Xue chose a river in his home region of Mayang. He set off at 11 a.m. and was back on dry land a little over half an hour later, after eight runs back and forth and seven turns. Those turns were the main danger: if speed drops too far, the bike loses buoyancy and sinks. A Guinness adjudicator checked the GPS data, timing and video on site, with rescue boats and medical staff on standby. The average speed was around 76 km/h, although the rider says he deliberately held back to make it to the finish.

How the MX450 stays afloat

The base is the MX450, ZXMOTO's motocross bike powered by an in-house single-cylinder engine of more than 60 hp, soon to enter series production. The frame and engine block were left standard. The team added a ski system under the engine, fitted a larger fuel tank and made the air intake and exhaust waterproof.

The principle: the bike takes a run-up on land, then glides onto the water. The front ski acts as a rudder, while a special rear tyre with paddles pushes the water backwards to provide drive. Engineers spent five months working on buoyancy, sealing and power tuning, and the flotation plates were made narrower for more lift and better steering. It is an experimental machine, not a capability of the production MX450.

Revenge after seventeen years

The record has a personal side. In 2009, aged 22, Zhang Xue tried to ride across water on a Chinese state television programme, with a crudely modified bike. He fell in four times and ended his best attempt after 20 metres, against a target of 26 metres. Robbie Maddison popularised this kind of challenge, and Italian Luca Colombo followed in his footsteps.

Afterwards he gave himself 99 out of 100, keeping one point back so as not to become arrogant.

ZXMOTO and competition

Zhang Xue co-founded Kove in 2017 and launched his own brand in 2024. ZXMOTO races in World Supersport and will make its MXGP debut next season with Jacky Martens' Belgian JM Racing team. The brand has an official Benelux importer and aims to have its first bikes in dealerships from February 2027.

Key takeaway

Beyond the publicity stunt, the record shows ZXMOTO's ambition ahead of its motocross world championship debut: 40.74 km on water, almost 9 km more than the old mark.