Sam Snderland’s attempt to set the world record for fastest circumnavigation on a motorcycle has unfortunately come to an end.

While in the Australian outback, the Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer sustained damage that forced him to stop. He had hoped to make a quick fix and continue on, but discovered the damage needed extended repairs that he could not do in such a remote location without losing too much time in his record attempt.

“This wasn’t a decision I took lightly,” said Sunderland. “I’m incredibly disappointed not to be able to finish the challenge, especially for reasons outside of my control. We gave everything to this project and I’m proud of what the team achieved along the way.”

Sunderland’s journey began at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich on September 5. He rode from London to Istanbul, then flew to Bangkok and rode to Kuala Lumpur. The Australian leg was essentially the halfway point as Leg 3 of 6, with the plan being to travel from Perth to Sydney before flying to Auckland.

Had he been able to continue, he would’ve then flown to North America and rode up and down Canada and the United States from Vancouver to Montreal. Finally, Sunderland would fly to Casablanca and head up Europe back to London.

With Sunderland having to abort the mission, Kevin and Julia Sanders’ record of 19 days, 8 hours, and 25 minutes continues to officially stand.

Featured image credit: Sean Chen / Red Bull Content Pool