World Record Holder – 4,2-liter 48-cylinder Kawasaki
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World Record Holder – 4,2-liter 48-cylinder Kawasaki

In the 80s of the last century, there was a real "boom" in the custom bike industry in the UK motorcycle. And our hero today had to become a kind of "catalyst", capable of slowing down the movement that was gaining momentum, and he succeeded. He became one of the most recognizable and most iconic representatives of two-wheeled vehicles.


Got fired up by the idea


The 48-cylinder "Tinker Toy", as the new product was called, owes its appearance to Simon Whitelock, a well-known craftsman in narrow circles. He began his activity with simple projects - he was engaged in assembling in-line two-stroke four-cylinder engines from motors and components from various cars.

World Record Holder – 4,2-liter 48-cylinder KawasakiThe weight of the Tinker Toy is about 600 kg. Photo: YouTube.com

He soon attracted attention with more ambitious projects, such as in-line power units with nine or seven cylinders, based on Kawasaki two-stroke engines.

At that time, there was an unspoken competition in the local custom motorcycle market – which manufacturer could squeeze the maximum number of cylinders into a machine. And Whitelock, believing in his own strength, decided to become the winner in this dispute and got to work.

Non-standard approach


He called his "creation" with a 48-cylinder engine Tinker Toy Kawa. Its power plant is six rows, each of which has eight cylinders. As is already clear, the popular and at the same time affordable KH250 model from Kawasaki was chosen as a donor. As a result of the conversion, this "lucky guy" will be included in the Guinness Book of Records.

The Tinker Toy's powertrain allows it to reach a maximum speed of 203 km/h. Photo: YouTube.com

It is noteworthy that technically the motorcycle received only 49 cylinders, as one additional one was installed - 125 cm3. It acted as a starter during engine start-up and was switched off when the other cylinders "came into operation".

In addition, the Tinker Toy has a BMW K100 gearbox, a car generator and a unit with modified fuel and ignition systems. The weight of the "record holder" was eventually about 600 kg, and in order to "cope" with it, it was necessary to use the front part of a Honda Goldwing and super-strong wheels from Hagon.

The exhaust system is organized according to the following principle: each of the six 8-cylinder blocks has its own ignition and Mikuni carburetor. The gas tank, made of stainless steel, received a diameter of 150 mm and was located between the middle and lower cylinder blocks.

Tinker Toy gets reinforced Hagon wheels. Photo: YouTube.com

As for the production time of this "monster", the project can be called "long-term". It was launched in 1998, and reached the "finishing line" only in 2003. True, as often happens, it was in the last year that about 80% of the total volume of work was done.

Not for riding


It is noteworthy that the 48-cylinder motorcycle meets all safety criteria and even received a valid permit in England. At the same time, according to Whitelock himself, this vehicle is not created for speed and travel. It is created for a record. However, he himself rode it, and probably more than once. Although, looking at this specimen, you understand that it was not very easy to do this, and it is unlikely to be convenient. Especially to reach the maximum speed, which is within 190-205 km / h.

Now "Tinker Toy" has a new owner, who bought it for 92 pounds sterling (about 000 million rubles) at a motorcycle auction held by Bonhams this spring. Whether he managed to "saddle" this "iron horse" is still unknown.
What do you think of Simon Whitelock's idea?
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