Engine Hacks: The Kawaskai Voyager… V-12?

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Although a V-12 engine is always nice, cramming one into a motorcycle definitely qualifies as an engine hack! [Allen Millyard], wasn’t satisfied with the standard number of cylinders (6!) on his already gigantic Kawasaki KZ1300. Like any reasonable person, he decided to graft two of their powerplants together!

In true engine hacker form, inspiration struck at a classic bikes show when someone said “Suppose you’re going to make a V-12 next, then?” [Allen] replied that it would be impossible, but after this conversation, he reportedly had to build one. By the time the show ended he’d figured out how to do it. Lots of work and two six-cylinder engines later, [Allen] had proven this task to be possible.

Although this may seem like a very extreme motorcycle engine hack, [Allen] has done quite a few motorcycle engine mods, making v-twins out of a pair of single-cylinder engines and a V-eight from two four-cylinder engines. Check out the video of his latest beast after the break!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djJTQh_RMVQ&w=470&h=345%5D

19 thoughts on “Engine Hacks: The Kawaskai Voyager… V-12?

  1. Damn! never though I would see a bike that can make those 350 Harleys look like a tricycle! I bet with the v10 parallel to the wheels the torque almost pulls the bike out from under you.

  2. Yep, this video is of a V-10. It says right on the bike “8.0 Litre V10”. And of course, it’s easy to count 5 exhaust pipes coming out of each side.

    I checked the guy’s other videos. I didn’t see one of a V-12.

  3. I used to live just round the corner from this guy. He also made a couple of 5 cylinder two strokes out of multiple Kawasaki KH250s which toured the shows ~15 years ago.

    Allegedly he also prefers to set up the timing on the bikes by “feel”. i.e. he sticks his finger in the plug cap and feels when the points are opening. :-)

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