Carl Reese record
Photo: Hank Arriazola

2,119 Miles in One Day: Record-Holder Carl Reese Talks About Setting the Motorcycle Distance Record

What are some challenges facing a motorcycle distance record? Carl Reese has your answer.

It takes a determined person to sit in the saddle of a motorcycle for almost 24 hours straight, but that's just what California's own Carl Reese tackled on February 24th in Uvalde, Texas. Piloting a BMW K1600, Reese successfully achieved the overall distance record covered by a motorcycle in one day. We got the chance to catch up with him and ask him a few questions.

Motorcyclist Magazine: You've got quite an impressive history of records to your name, was there anyone specifically who inspired you to start pursuing motorcycle records specifically?

Carl Reese: I had an opportunity to set a couple of electric vehicle records a while back which got the ball rolling, and then I stumbled on George Egloff's cross-country Cannonball Run record from '83, and he did it in 42 hours flat. There are only nine guys who have set the cross-country record including myself, such as Irwin 'Cannonball' Baker, Will Bennett, and John Penton. There's a whole fascinating story with all of these guys, and just seeing what modifications they had to make to the bikes, and the routes they figured out. I'm a contractor myself, so by nature it's just more problem solving. I gathered a group of friends and attacked the record. The fun of it for me was the planning part, and I did everything I could do to mitigate the overall risk.

Reese's record-setting run took place at Continental's test facility in Texas.Photo: Hank Arriazola

Motorcyclist: You used a BMW K1600 for this record run, was there any reason you chose that bike in particular over anything else in the touring category?

CR: You know, I actually wanted to do the record on an American bike, so I started looking around at some, and I was told to look at some BMWs. Nothing really stood out to me, but I went to a dealership to check them out anyway. I threw a leg over a K1600GT, took it down the road, and it was as if the bike was made for me. I didn't tell the dealership what I was planning on doing with it though, because I didn't want someone talking me out of it! I'm actually looking for a manufacturer to work with long-term, specifically on an electric bike.

Motorcyclist: We wondered, given your history, if you were planning on setting any records on an electric bike? It seems like you might be leaning toward that…

CR: I posted to social media the other day that some people will be 'shocked' by our next big event, and there's a big lightning bolt there (laughs). We're teasing because we're still working on the details, but there's at least one more record there this year if we can put together the budget—record attempt, I should say, I don't want to jinx myself!

BMW's K1600 was Reese's motorcycle of choice after weighing all the options.Photo: Hank Arriazola

Motorcyclist: Right on, we look forward to hearing about that. In terms of the facility itself where the record was set, were there any issues you ran into that you weren't expecting?

CR: We used Continental's test facility in Uvalde, Texas. It was an asphalt track, and it was rough! …as in coarse, we went through tires quickly. It's an 8 ½ mile track with a shallow bank, and it's generally for cars, not motorcycles. The distance record on a motorcycle was set by Russell 'Rusty' Vaughn, then broken by Matthew McKevley. Continental told me I was welcome to give it one try at their facility, so there was a lot of pressure on me to break the record! I was given advice to watch out for the pigs and the rabbits, and that was no joke. I did a practice run the night before, and a wild hog that must have weighed 150 pounds ran across the track while I was doing a buck forty-five. It wasn't too close to me, but it still sent the fear of God through me! The day of, I avoided a smaller pig, a raccoon, and a few rabbits. The night the hog ran out in front of me though, I asked the liaison to scare it back out of the track while I stopped to make some adjustments to the bike. He came back and told me they couldn't find the pig, but they managed to ward off a deer! (laughs) Even though you're on a track, the wild animals are a very real factor.

Originally, Reese (right) was interested in attacking the record run on an American bike, but turned to the BMW after testing one out.Photo: Hank Arriazola

Motorcyclist: That's insane, but we're glad to hear you made it through safely! You mentioned doing about 145 mph in testing, what was your average speed over the course of the whole record run?

CR: I stopped early because I had exhausted the rear tire, and at that point my average speed was 92mph. The total distance I covered was 2,119 miles. I was aiming for a higher number, and personally I think we could have gone a lot more, but that track just ate the tires up. When you have a testing facility with a surface designed specifically to accelerate tire wear so they can collect data, there's only so much you can do to preserve your tires over the course of a distance attempt.

Motorcyclist: You still made the record! Congratulations on that, and to your whole team. Did you set out to beat this record as a personal goal, or was there something else that drove you to lead such an impressive charge?

CR: The whole reason I do these records is to bring awareness to the Motorcycle Relief Project, and organization that takes combat veterans out on adventure bikes for epic rides during the day, and in the evening, they have counselors available to talk to them about living with PTSD. It's the sole reason I set these records—to bring awareness to the group. It's really about just riding and giving veterans a way they can relax and unwind. Here's an entire organization that's giving back to the community and thanking veterans for the safety and security they provide.

More information about the Motorcycle Relief Project can be found at motorelief.org

Reese (far left) had one shot at the record at Continental's proving facility—and he nailed it!Photo: Hank Arriazola
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