Franz Langer held the record for the largest displacement single cylinder motorcycle engine, with a 1000cc thumper built in 1998. Not long afterwards, Werner Dienstkrad built a 1440cc steampunk motorcycle designed after a comic strip creation, which we mentioned on The Kneeslider in this article last year. Franz wanted the record back so he built the NSU Bison 2000, a 2000cc single cylinder motorcycle. This bike's been around for several years but it's still pretty interesting.
He started with an NSU Konsul, which displaces 500cc then tossed the original cylinder in favor of something from a radial airplane engine. The new cylinder was still far below what he was looking for so he raised the displacement to a full 2 liters. After much modification of the original engine to accommodate the huge new cylinder plus a new lighter Mahle piston and 75mm diameter exhaust, the engine was done
The big thumper only has a kick starter, (..., right) but push starts seem to work better. Probably a real smooth runner.
Thanks for the tip, Tim!
Photos and links below:
Link: NSU 2000 via Motorbiker
Another oversized engine: 410 cubic inch V-twin
UPDATE: 3000cc Single Cylinder Motorcycle!
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My buddy Ed needs this bike.
K
Wow! Very interesting to say the very least. Surprising the NSU lower end could handle the increase in displacement. Good luck to ‘em.
I wish I could hear the noise… must be fun (ploum ploum ploum)
I wonder what kind of RPMs he gets out of it. My 250 thumper was my first bike, and I still love the sound of the thing…
Wow…I’d like to see it kickstarted
He never really got the record back…because this was finished first:
http://www.motorrad-bild.de/ta_exoten/3_liter_bike.htm
The sidecar is necessary to keep it stable. All parts came from the builder’s (a blacksmith) scrap yard.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM
Love the window in the head. And the monstrous capacity.
“Probably a real smooth runner.” nice one . . .
Hey Bazuzeus, just google old single lung John Deere tractors… these would be much the same – just a bit smaller.
I wonder how to be able to get a hold on this kind of bull?? Can it be tamed to follow commands? I’m sure it’s wild by nature, wow! what a wonder that it does exist… I love to see it to believe. Unreal drop jaw dead gorgeous Animal! It is a Dream Bike of many a Rider..Biker.