'How far can I go on my motorcycle?': S’porean man, 32, rides 27,166km from S’pore to Portugal in 100 days

On Aug. 9, 2026, as National Day celebrations got into full swing, one Singaporean was on the cusp of ending a very long journey.

Over the past 100 days, Ian Huang has travelled over 20,000km on his motorcycle from Singapore to Cape St. Vincent, Portugal.

According to his calculations, this is the farthest point from Singapore that can be reached by road.

As he reached the lighthouse of Cape St. Vincent, dramatically shrouded in mist, Ian said he felt overwhelmed.

"I could not fight back the tears upon reflecting on the sheer difficulty of getting there. Yet, [a] part of me didn't want it to end."

Farthest road trip possible

Ian, 32, first spoke to Mothership in June, relatively early into this long ride.

But the origins of the journey, which he started on May 1, had been forming for a while.

Ian had gotten his license back in 2022 and had been enamoured by the freedom it would provide.

"The thought of travelling on my own terms and machine always seemed so liberating."

He had made shorter trips up north before, mainly to southern Thailand, but wanted to take sufficient time off to go on the “farthest road trip” possible.

“The world outside of the well is vast and more interconnected than we’re led to believe,” Ian said.

Incredible support

Ian wears many hats aside from his matte-black full-face motorcycle helmet.

He works as a flood modeller and geographic information systems specialist, as well as a drum instructor.

All these workplaces were “incredibly supportive” and have placed him on hiatus until his return.

Among the cheers he received from all corners, there was also a small number of people that were "skeptical" or thought that he was "crazy", but it never fazed him, Ian said.

It was all love as he set off though.

On the day of Ian's departure, a crowd of about 40 friends, family members, colleagues, and members of the public gathered at Singapore’s first biker bar, The Handlebar, to see him off.

15 per cent of the event’s sales were donated to charity, split equally between Willing Hearts and SPD.

A convoy of 10 bikers also rode alongside him all the way to Tuas Checkpoint.

Memorable moments

Keen-eyed motorcycling enthusiasts might have spotted it already from the pictures above, but Ian was not chugging along on a "purpose-built adventure motorcycle", he was riding his trusty Yamaha XSR900, a choice which he admitted would add some difficulty to this already daunting journey.

"An overpowered naked bike built for the streets and track which considering the harsh terrain of the Eurasian continent, adds another layer of physical and mechanical difficulty."  

He covered an average of around 300km each day, typically setting off before noon, and stopping midway at gas stations or popular attractions along the route before checking into his next accommodation.

He passed through many countries, including China, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Spain.

Collecting stories in various languages, some good, some bad.

One memory etched deep into his memories was riding through Shangri-La's mountain ranges and canyons, where he saw perhaps “some of the most scenic and otherworldly landforms [he had] ever seen”.

It was not all ethereal marvels crafted over centuries that Ian witnessed. He also managed to take part in more trendy happenings, like the Chongqing motorbike one, but with his own twist of course.

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A post shared by Ian Huang (@theuntravelledman)

Full-blown welcome party

Geological marvels and viral trends are all good, but a standout occasion for him began with him trying to wash his bike.

In Turkey, which he raved about for its "majestic geology and culture", Ian was planning to take a nondescript trip to wash his bike.

The good people of Turkey were having none of that.

The day of washing somehow turned into a bunch of locals throwing a welcome party for him.

They ordered him regional specialties, took him on joyrides in their customised cars, and "absolutely refused to let [him] pay a single cent".

"It was one of many surreal interactions where people offered me tea, lodging, or guided tours of the incredible wind-shaped cave dwellings in Cappadocia," Ian said.

Too many close calls to mention

But Ian's journey wasn't all smooth sailing, with “too many close calls to mention”.

While rushing to reach a border town before nightfall in Laos, a truck veered into his lane at a bend, forcing Ian to tip over and roll down a hill for a couple of meters.

“The bike and I escaped unscathed thanks to crashbars and body armour," Ian said.

Ian also faced an 8-hour wait to enter Kazakhstan, requiring assistance from the Honorary Consulate of Singapore in Almaty.

Shortly after crossing the border, Ian was faced with a ruptured valve stem, stranding him 80km from the border as he waited for a tow truck to arrive.

He had to wait in 40°C heat for three hours while battling a fever and a gout attack due to the immense physical strain and heat.

Those hours of waiting, of pain and discomfort marked the "worst possible day" of Ian's expedition. Some might think it must have been a bit of a relief when his bike was towed away to be fixed, and he could get some well-deserved rest, and maybe a few easy miles for what had been a deeply uneasy day.

Not Ian though, as soon as he recovered and his bike had been fixed, Ian backtracked to where he was towed from to resume his journey.

"I backtracked to where I was towed because those tow truck miles don't count!"

Ian’s next challenge began with the Russian consulate, which would not shorten its two-week processing time for his transit visa to enter Russia. That left him in a "precarious situation" as he had just over four days to cover about 3,000km to the other side of Kazakhstan before his legal stay expired.

"This pushed me directly into the peak summer heat of the vast steppe," Ian said, adding that he went through over four full days of riding, averaging 700km a day.

"Temperatures regularly hit 45°C in the afternoon, yet I couldn't afford to rest, frequently riding deep into the night just to cover ground and reach the border town of Atyrau [in Kazakhstan]."

Ian was hit by a new set of problems when he entered Russia.

"Due to critical fuel shortages, cities had run completely dry, and I barely made it to a gas station 400km into the country," Ian said.

And with e-SIMs blocked and GPS services jammed, his only means of navigation was offline maps and a compass.

Frustrated by the lack of fuel and the effort it took to navigate, Ian made a push for the Georgian border at dusk. Successfully.

"I knew I had it in me after the past 99 days"

Towards the end of his journey, Ian found himself five days behind schedule.

On the 98th day, upon reaching Barcelona, Spain, in the afternoon, Ian would then set off at midnight to make a 1,621km dash to Cape St. Vincent to honour his goal.

Ian spent the last stretch of his journey in the saddle, taking only quick breaks at gas stations.

"It was the toughest challenge yet," Ian said.

"But I knew I had it in me after the past 99 days."

And so he did.

As he reached the lighthouse at Cape St. Vincent, dramatically shrouded in mist, Ian felt overwhelmed.

"I could not fight back the tears upon reflecting on the sheer difficulty of getting there. Yet, [a] part of me didn't want it to end; each day felt different, with surprises waiting at every turn."

Unable to find lodging nearby and overcome with exhaustion, Ian capped off his journey of a lifetime sleeping along the cliffs that night.

What comes after

After wrapping up his journey, Ian was pleasantly surprised with a congratulatory letter from the Honorary Consulate of Singapore in Kazakhstan.

The journey might have ended, but the charitable purpose has just begun. Ian is now fundraising for the Children of the Mekong, pledging one dollar for every kilometre ridden.

Here is the link to the fundraiser.

The proceeds will go to children in Laos.

"I allocated the funds to Laos because of what I saw riding through it," Ian said.

He touched on how young children tended to crops on the roadside as massive freight trucks blew past them. The same trucks that had caused him to tip over and roll down a hill near the Chinese border.

Ian said the proceeds will fund these households directly, allowing children to attend school instead of working in the fields.

To belong, to be understood, to be loved

"I embarked on this journey to answer a simple question: Just how far can I go on my motorcycle?"

100 days and 27,166km later, Ian said he has gained far more than he ever set out to find.

"I've learnt that regardless of borders, politics, or where we are, we all desire the same things: to belong, to be understood, to be loved. There was never a point where I experienced severe "culture shock". Instead, I saw subtle yet discernible shifts in language, culture, and architecture as I traversed west. Despite the portrayals of 'us versus them,' most people are inherently kind," Ian said.

"Personally, I've discovered that with sheer will and consistency, seemingly mountainous feats appear as mere pebbles in hindsight."