Zhang Xue, founder of Chinese motorcycle maker ZXMOTO, set a Guinness World Record for the greatest distance driven over open water by a modified motorcycle on October 25.

He set the record by riding a modified MX450 across open water for 40.74 km in Mayang, which is also his hometown, in Hunan province.

Zhang beat the previous record of 31.8 km. Guinness World Records officials, who were on site during the entire attempt, verified all data and confirmed the new record.

Back in 2009, the then 22-year-old Zhang first tried riding on water on a motorcycle with iron plates attached to its wheels. Limited by vehicle technology and design, all four attempts failed. At that time, Zhang's best run stretched only 20 meters, falling short of his 26-meter goal.

How can a rider and his motorcycle stay afloat on water? For this successful attempt, Zhang’s team spent five months on many technical issues.

The most important modifications were mainly in customized amphibious skis and tires.

A motorcycle is far denser than water and would sink if it relied solely on buoyancy. What supports and propels it is the dynamic lift generated by speed. To put it simply, the customized amphibious skis fitted to the MX450 push water downward. In reaction, high pressure builds beneath the skis. Combined with thrust from the spinning rear tire, the total force is enough to hold up the rider and the over-100-kilogram vehicle.

When Australian rider Robbie Maddison attempted his Guinness World Record in 2017, he used skis converted from surfboards. Zhang's team took a modified approach, welding steel skis to both the front and rear tires. Their earliest skis were roughly twice as wide as the current version. Narrowing them was a deliberate trade-off: sacrificing some buoyancy for greater agility, especially when making turns.

Lift is extremely speed-dependent. Once speed drops, the motorcycle sinks. The more its body submerges, drag surges. So the team built a special rear tire to push water backward to generate propulsion.

The MX450 weighs just 104 kilograms. It runs on a single-cylinder engine developed by ZXMOTO, tuned to sustain high power output on water.

In addition, the MX450 was waterproofed and the engine and all electrical circuits were sealed. It was fitted with an enlarged fuel tank to support long-distance travel.