Longest Motorcycle Ride in the Guinness World Record

If you’re a motorcyclist who likes taking road trips, you’ve probably tried to fit as much distance into one day of riding as you could. But chances are, you didn’t come close to Carl Reese’s Guinness World Record ride. 

Carl Reese: World Record Biker 

On February 25, 2017, Carl Reese traveled to the Continental Proving Grounds in Uvalde, TX, to begin his record-breaking ride. 

As a long-time motorcycle enthusiast, Carl Reese had spent months preparing for his ride. He stuck to strict dietary restrictions, completely cutting out sugar and caffeine eight weeks before the ride. His wife is a dietician, and she helped him curate a diet of high-energy foods like nuts, salmon, and hard-boiled eggs. 

Reese was no stranger to world record titles. At the time, he had already broken several other world records, including:

• Shortest charging time in an electric vehicle
• Record time from Los Angeles to NYC in an electric vehicle
• Transcontinental record in a semi-autonomous car
• Solo motorcycle “cannonball” record from Los Angeles to NYC
• Double transcontinental electric vehicle record

But spending 24 hours straight on a motorcycle would take a higher level of skill and endurance than even he was used to. 

Reese used his record-setting motorcycle run to raise awareness for the Motorcycle Relief Project, a nonprofit that supports PTSD recovery for veterans. 

The Day of the Ride 

On the morning of February 25, 2017, Carl Reese began his motorcycle ride just before dawn. Reese wasn’t on the track alone; he had a team of ten volunteers who served as the pit crew.

To keep his energy levels high, he nibbled on snacks throughout the entire ride in an attempt to prevent the crash you often feel after eating a big meal. He also awarded himself one cup of coffee around the 14-hour mark to boost his spirits. 

This was no leisurely Texas ride. To cover as much distance as possible in the 24-hour period, Reese kept his speed around 92 miles per hour. His top recorded speed during the run was 141 miles per hour, and the official average speed for the 24-hour ride was 88.3 miles per hour. 

During his 24-hour motorcycle ride, Carl Reese blew through his two front tires and four rear tires. Unfortunately, the Continental Proving Grounds track isn’t great for setting world records; it’s as coarse as 20-grit sandpaper. 

Riding around a track at top speeds also isn’t easy on the body. Reese’s fatigue began to set in at around the 20-hour mark. He had to concentrate extremely hard to keep going and fight the brain fog. 

At around 22 hours, his tires had finally taken enough wear. Reese’s bike came to a halt, and his mechanic, Jay Carson, declared, “You’re done!” Setting back out on a completely blown-out tire would be far too dangerous — and thankfully, at that point, Reese had already surpassed the outright record by a landslide. 

Still, Reese begged his team to let him do two victory laps. He raced around the track at a leisurely speed — at least compared to his previous average — then called it quits at 3:49 a.m., just under 23 hours into the ride. Reese had ridden 2,116.5 miles — a distance that would take the average rider 31 hours to span. 

Law Tigers: Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Who Ride

At Law Tigers, we applaud the 24-hour motorcycle ride Carl Reese mastered, but we also want to remind riders to stay safe on the road. If you ever become a motorcycle accident victim, call us at 1-888-863-7216 to schedule a consultation.