Inspiration Friday: Altitude Record Smashed by a Motorcycle!

If you have rode into the mountains on your motorcycle you know how altitude plays as a roll not only in the air & fuel mixture but also fuel consumption. It’s also much colder and if caught unaware the weather is not your friend. Imagine going 21,906 feet up the highest volcano on earth now! That’s this week’s Inspiration Friday: Altitude Record Smashed by a Motorcycle at Total Motorcycle were we bring you the best and most inspiring motorcycle stories each week to our 425 million readers around the world, including riders in Chile.

Pol Tarrés, Yamaha and Dodge set new heights of boundless epicness, on both two and four wheels by not only attempting to smash the previous 2 year old altitude record but also by setting a new altitude record for a single-cylinder motorcycle as well! This year they used the Yamaha Ténéré 700, Yamaha YZ450FX and Dodge RAM 1500 BIGHORN as they were certain they had a fighting chance to do it with those vehicles.

Planning and preparing for the extreme mental, physical, and mechanical challenges at that altitude was a task that humbles most humans and sure wasn’t easy. The target was to ascend Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano on earth and the second-highest mountain in the Andes with it also being the highest summit in Chile.

The goal: Crater of the volcano at 21,906 feet.

Read on how altitude sickness, unexpected snowfalls, high winds, steep rock inclines, scree slopes and significantly higher fuel consumption changed plans last minute and offered constant challenges for Pol Tarrés and his team.

Did they succeed? Did the volcano erupt? Read on to find out and be inspired by the story.

Also do not forget to read our 2023 and 2024 Motorcycle Model Guides and check out not only the new Yamaha Models but what’s on offer and what new by over 39 other manufacturers too! Right here on TMW.

POL TARRES SMASHES OWN ALTITUDE RECORD ON YAMAHA TÉNÉRÉ WORLD RAID GYTR

Two years after making history and setting an altitude world record aboard a Yamaha Ténéré 700, Pol Tarrés recently returned to Chile and set the bar even higher, not just by smashing his own record, but also by setting a new altitude record for a single-cylinder motorcycle.

Tarrés has mastered taking the road never travelled.

Reaching an incredible height of 6.677 meters with the Ténéré World Raid GYTR in full stage 3 setup, Tarrés set a new record for the highest altitude achieved on a twin-cylinder motorcycle. During the reconnaissance phase of the attempt, Tarres also set a new record for the highest altitude ever reached on a single-cylinder motorcycle, ascending to 6.756 meters on the cross country specific Yamaha YZ450FX .

Being a Ténéré ambassador, Tarrés was determined to achieve a new record on the 700 World Raid. Both records were registered on a dual GPS and verified by three guides as the guidelines prescribe. Official ratification of the two world records will take several weeks.

The expedition team comprised Pol Tarrés, Javi Echevarria (project manager), Miguel Echevarria (film crew), Ahikar Azcona (Yamaha ambassador & team support), Joan Espasa (film crew) and mountain guides, Gerardo Bauty, Cristian Órdenes, Thomas Caballero, and Juan León. Supported by Yamaha Motor Europe, Marc Bourgeois and Yamaha Motor Chile.

“Preparing for this challenge was difficult, many said it could not be done,” declared project manager, Javi Echevarria. “But we as a team know that exactly that is what drives Pol, to do exactly what no one thinks possible. It was really a team effort – and would have been impossible without everyone involved.”

The target was to ascend Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano on earth, the second-highest mountain in the Andes and the highest summit in Chile. Several other athletes have attempted to conquer this uninhabitable place, with its steep rock inclines, scree slopes and snow drifts, yet none have enjoyed the same success as Tarrés and Yamaha thus far.

Having learned important lessons from the previous attempt, Tarrés and the entire TRECE Racing Society Team took two weeks to acclimatize in the Andes Mountain range. Even with Tarrés’s incredible physical condition, the altitude is a force that humbles most humans and altitude sickness was a constant companion for the team during this acclimatization process.

After acclimatizing, Tarrés and the TRECE team started to explore potential routes to conquer the mountain, utilizing both the YZ450FX and the Ténéré to complete this reconnaissance phase, whilst also dealing with disruption caused by unexpected snowfall.

The weather also played a significant role in dictating the timing of the record attempt. With high winds forecast, the team were forced to accelerate their plans and make the attempts on the 6th and 7th of March. Due to the snowfall, the routes to the West and Central summits were rendered impassable, so the highest summit and principal crater of the volcano became the goal chosen by the team.

Starting from Refugio Murray at 4.522 meters, Tarrés and the Ténéré reached the record altitude in only 50 minutes.

“Above 6.000 meters everything seems to go super slow, the physical exhaustion is indescribable and there is no room for mistakes,” commented Pol Tarrés. ”Even walking is a challenge, let alone riding a Ténéré at this altitude”

One problem encountered on the previous record setting expedition in 2022 was that of fuel consumption, which is significantly higher at altitude than at sea level. For the most recent attempt at the record this issue was addressed with the GYTR kit, specifically the GYTR ECU assembly and extra fuel capacity, which allowed Tarrés to ride for longer without the need to refuel.

The GYTR parts from the second stage or handling kit, including more rugged Haan Wheels, KYB 48mm front fork and Paioli rear suspension, also ensured optimal handling performance on the challenging terrain of the Vulcano.

The mental, physical, and mechanical challenges faced by Tarrés and his team during this testing challenge cannot easily be conveyed with words alone. To tell the full story of this momentous endeavor, the TRECE Racing Society and Yamaha Motor Europe have collaborated on a documentary, to be premièred at the end of this year, that will take viewers on the same incredible journey on which Tarrés embarked in both 2022 and 2024.

Pol Tarrés sets the new world altitude record with a motorcycle, proudly supported by RAM Trucks Europe

• RAM Trucks Europe supported the successful World Record expedition with two RAM 1500 vehicles, which served as technical support for the Spanish extreme enduro rider Pol Tarrés and his Trece Racing Society.
• The target was to ascend Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano on earth and the second-highest mountain in the Andes, also the highest summit in Chile. The RAM trucks carried three bikes and towed a quad.
• His Team took the RAM Trucks up to 5.800 meters: starting from this base camp, Tarrès reached the incredible height of 6,756 meters with his Yamaha.

Pol Tarrès, Ambassador for RAM Trucks Europe, ascends to new heights of boundless epicness, both on four and two wheels. Only two years after making history and setting the altitude world record aboard a Yamaha Ténéré 700, the Spanish extreme enduro rider recently returned to Chile: this time he sets the bar even higher, not just by smashing his own record, but also by setting a new altitude record for a single-cylinder motorcycle.

RAM Trucks Europe, in collaboration of RAM Trucks Chile, supported this attempt by supplying Pol Tarrès and his Team at Trece Racing Society with a RAM 1500 BIGHORN powered by a 3.6L V6 eTorque engine producing 309hp.

The target of the expedition was to ascend Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano on earth, the second-highest mountain in the Andes and the highest summit in Chile. Several other athletes and vehicles have attempted to conquer this uninhabitable place, with its steep rock inclines, scree slopes and snow drifts, yet none have enjoyed the same success as Tarrés thus far.

“Preparing for this challenge was difficult, many said it could not be done,” declared project manager, Javi Echevarria. “But we as a team know that exactly that is what drives Pol, to do exactly what no one thinks possible. It was really a team effort – and would have been impossible without everyone involved in the technical preparation and support.”

Altitude sickness and scarce oxygen were constant companions for the team during a two-week acclimatization process. The performance and reliability of the RAM Trucks vehicles proved crucial during these long days of preparation, as they transported the entire crew of eight people, three Yamaha bikes, and a quad to nearly 5,000 meters above sea level, amidst extreme high winds and unexpected snowfalls.

“Above 6.000 meters everything seems to go super slow, the physical exhaustion is indescribable and there is no room for mistakes,” commented Pol Tarrés. ”Even walking is a challenge, let alone riding a motorbike at this altitude. Having our RAM Trucks as technical support vehicles even at 5.800 m. of altitude was crucial for resting, planning, and preparing the attempt with perfect timing.”

The mental, physical, and mechanical challenges faced by Tarrés and his team during this testing challenge cannot easily be conveyed with words alone. To reveal more of the behind the scenes of the endeavor, RAM Trucks Europe will collaborate with Trece Racing Society on the “Boundless by RAM” series, soon to be released via social media channels.