Remember that absolutely bonkers 48 cylinder custom Kawasaki two-stroke we just talked about earlier in February 2024? Just kidding; of course you do. It's hard to get the image of a bike like that out of your mind.
While the Whitelock Tinker Toy (its official name) has been doing the rounds in the 20-plus years since it was first built, it's not difficult to understand why we got some of the comments that we did on posting that piece in 2024. The rise of artificial intelligence-tinged everything, particularly images, makes smart folks skeptical about any number of the things they're seeing online. It's a good call, honestly.
However, as you'll soon see in a new video from the irrepressible UK two-stroke enthusiasts over at 999 Lazer, this 48-cylinder custom Kawasaki is indeed a completely real and massive bike that's also totally out of its mind.
While we don't know the exact height of Max from 999 Lazer, he just looks like your average adult rider on pretty much any other bike he throws a leg over. Not particularly tall, and not particularly short. But the Whitelock Tinker Toy is so massive, it makes adults look like children (and probably makes actual children look like dolls).
In the video, Max gives a great overview of the bike, talking to builder Simon Whitelock about it on camera, as well as discussing several of its features.
Studio Photos Alone Don't Show You Its Sheer Scale
Simply telling you that the thing weighs roughly 600 kilograms (just under 1,323 pounds) isn't really enough, is it? Humans are visual creatures, and seeing this video really helps to paint a clearer picture.
Just imagine what happens when it's time to change the spark plugs. We hope whoever buys this thing has a whole lot of time on their hands for that job alone. Though, to be honest, whoever's buying it can probably afford to pay someone else to do that job for them if they want.
We'd Also Like To Point Out The 49th Cylinder On This 48 Cylinder Bike
As we mentioned in our original piece about the upcoming Bonhams auction, there's an additional 'donkey engine' (as Whitelock himself calls it in an earlier video) that starts the bike up. If you're outside the UK, you might call it a starter motor. It was sourced from a Kawasaki 125, and luckily Max was kind enough to show it off in this video.
In any case, the next best thing to seeing a bike in person is seeing a nicely made video about that thing, which is exactly what you have here.
Would you ride this 48-cylinder beast if you had the chance? One thing's for certain; you definitely don't want to lay it down (and certainly not on your foot).
