This 48-Cylinder Motorcycle Is One of the Strangest Things You’ll Ever See



Known as the Whitlock Tinker Toy, this insane 48-cylinder motorcycle holds the record for the functional vehicle with the most number of cylinders. English motorcycle enthusiast Simon Whitlock is the person responsible for the existence of this outrageous contraption. It's based on the Kawasaki 250 S1, a relatively small bike equipped with a 3-cylinder 250 cc engine capable of putting out 31 hp, but you couldn’t really tell by looking at it. That’s because this souped-up Kawasaki features six rows of eight original S1 cylinders, stripped off of 16 S1 motorcycle engines. All cylinders are connected to a common transmission, borrowed from a BMW motorcycle, and require more than the regular electric starter motor to start. The outrageous Kawasaki was never built with practicality, efficiency or even basic functionality in mind. Looking at the distance between the handlebars and the front edge of the seat, it’s hard to believe anyone can ride this for more than a few minutes at a motorcycle exhibition. In addition, the amount of fuel it needs to function and the oil required to keep all those engines running optimally makes it more of a concept of what can be achieved when motorcycle fanatics put their mind to it, even though it is totally street-legal.