Whitelock’s spectacular 48-cylinder ‘tinker toy’ was created to stop the escalating arms race in the UK custom bike scene once and for all. And it certainly was, becoming one of the world’s most outrageously iconic bikes in the process.
Whiterock has been a prominent name in the UK custom bike scene since 1985. Simon Whitelock started with simpler builds, building two-stroke inline four-wheelers using engines and parts from various machines at the time.
Eventually, he moved on to more ambitious projects, including several notable engines, including a nine-cylinder “triple-triple” and an inline seven-cylinder. All of them were Kawasaki, and all of them were 2-strokes.
In the local field, manufacturers tend to outdo themselves in terms of how many cylinders they can put into these machines, and at some point, Whitelock saw this idea as a logical reached a conclusion and decided to end the arms race once and for all.
And thus the ridiculous 48-cylinder Kawasaki two-stroke engine you see here, which holds a Guinness World Record, was born.
48 cylinder tinker toy
Named after the World War II B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, White Rock’s Tinker Toy Kawa is assembled from six banks of eight cylinders each. The Kawasaki KH250 was chosen as the donor bike for two main reasons. One, because it was very affordable, and two, because it was widely available.
Interestingly, this bike technically has 49 cylinders. To start this 48-cylinder behemoth, Whiterock had to set up an additional 125cc cylinder to act as a “donkey engine.” Like the starter motor, the donkey engine shuts off when all other cylinders are working.
bonhams
Beyond that, Tinker Toy is running a unique engine block with a BMW K100 gearbox, an alternator taken from a car, and a modified fuel and ignition system. Thanks to the prodigal cylinder, its weight exceeds 1,300 pounds (600 kg). To manage that weight, it’s equipped with a Honda Goldwing front end and rugged Hagon wheels with stainless steel spokes.
The exhaust is set up as 24-into-1 on each side, and each of the six eight-cylinder banks has its own ignition and Mikuni carburetor. The actual gas tank consists of a 150 mm (5.9 inch) diameter stainless steel tube, located between the middle and bottom of the cylinder bank, with the “tank section” visible at the top being a stretched section of the KH250. Yes, as an enclosure for electrical and ignition components.
bonhams
The project began in 1998 and was not completed until 2003. As with many projects, about 80 percent of the work was completed in the final year, Whitelock said. This bike has a valid license in the UK and complies with all regulatory standards.
According to Simon, when he first started the engine, it sounded like a Rolls-Royce Merlin. On a recent attempt to start the machine, the engine “started” a bit, but the bike just wouldn’t quite catch up. The starting motor worked fine, so I suspect the jet in the Mikuni’s carburetor is clogged. Fortunately, there are only six carburetors to deal with.
bonhams
The bike was officially launched at Bonham’s Spring Stafford Sale in April this year. Mr Whitelock said at the time of sale that he was prepared to assist the successful purchaser in getting the machine started.
Mr Bonhams said the final sale price at auction was £92,000, including buyer’s premium. This equates to almost US$120,000, or about $2,500 per bore, but less than the “500,000 pounds” it cost Whitelock to wrest the bike from his hands when the video above was made in 2018. Much less.
“It’s not built for speed,” Whitelock said. “It wasn’t actually built for power. It was built for the purpose of being in the Guinness Book of Records. If you can’t reach speeds of around 120 to 130 miles per hour (193 to 209 kilometers per hour), No.”
white rock
Surprisingly well-built for something so extreme, and while the riding position may not be the most comfortable in the world, the Whiterock really rides a Tinker Toy. It’s been around for nearly a decade before Instagram, but to this day it remains a classic “WTF” machine on bike feeds…and not many people come for that Guinness World Record .
Source: Bonhams
