This Kawasaki KH 606 with seven cylinders is up for auction
This specially built Kawasaki KH 606 has a seven-cylinder engine made out of multiple KB 250 power units.
British motorcycle builder Simon Whitelock, also known for creating an absurd 48-cylinder Kawasaki, is the man behind building this seven-cylinder KH606 machine.
Made out of parts from the Kawasaki KH 250, a motorcycle that was a common sight on British roads during the 19th century, Whitelock built the bike in 1999 which used parts from six other engines.
While many details about the bike are unknown, it does have a fuel leak which is revealed by Rick Brett, who is a friend of Whitelock’s and presents the bike in the YouTube video below.
According to Brett, Whitelock had to modify much of the bike including the frame. The seat and tank were expanded by around four inches to make them wider. This was done to allow the seven-cylinder engine to be housed in the KH250 frame. The petrol tank is also 10cm wider than is found on the stock bike.
The drum brake at the rear, together with a double brake disc and telescopic fork found at the front of the bike are that of a Kawasaki KH 500. While they are period correct for a bike of this age, given the extra power and weight of this thing (over and above a KH500), I wouldn’t fancy calling on those stoppers in an emergency.
Now, you might be wondering where you can buy this bike, and the answer would be from an auction in Japan. However, there is a pretty sizable caveat to this as the price is already through the roof - it’s currently listed at 12 million Japanese Yen, which is £69,000. That is without taking into account potential delivery and shipment costs.
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
