Riding High: The Biggest Motorbike in the World

Ever since the dawn of the motoring age, the quest to build the fastest and largest motorbike in the world has continued at breakneck speed. These extraordinary machines not only showcase what’s possible, but also offer a fascinating glimpse into the world of motorcycle design. Whether engineered for breaking records or as production bikes on sale for anyone lucky enough to afford one, these behemoth bikes embody the audacious spirit of motorcycling at its most extreme.

From its humble beginnings in the late nineteenth century, the motorcycle has transformed from a simple motorised bicycle into a symbol of freedom and power. The earliest models, like the 1885 Daimler Reitwagen, were rudimentary machines that paved the way for a new era of personal transportation. As technology advanced, motorcycles became faster, more reliable, and increasingly popular, capturing the imagination of enthusiasts around the world.

The Honda Super Cub, with over 100 million made since 1958, is the most ubiquitous bike in history. The most expensive motorbike ever sold at auction was a 1908 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank which realised a hammer price of $935,000. The fastest bike in the world – and thought to be the most expensive production bike in the world at around $250,000 – is the 420 hp, Rolls-Royce turbine-engined MTT 420-RR, capable of speeds in excess of 270 mph. Among the most iconic bikes ever made you’ll also find the Harley-Davisdon Fat Boy, the Kawasaki Ninja, the Ducati Monster, and the Honda Goldwing, but none of them are the biggest motorbike in the world.

So what is? Let’s take a ride to the wild side and find out.

This isn’t the world’s longest, heaviest or widest bike, but in terms of engine size for a production model, it’s the world’s biggest motorbike. It has a 2.5-litre, inline three cylinder, 180 hp engine which propels the Rocket from 0 – 60 mph in a blisteringly fast 2.79 seconds. It’s a balanced, muscular cruiser and, according to one review, is the ‘biggest and baddest bike at any red light.’

Swedish inventor Tom Wiberg held two world records, one for the world’s largest motorbike, and one for the world’s smallest motorbike. Big Toe was completed in 1998 after a six-year build and measured 2.3 metres high and five metres long. It weighed 1,645 kg and was equipped with a 500W four-speaker stereo system!

The powertrain was a vintage 1975, 300 hp 5.3-litre V12 engine from an E-Type Jaguar, one of the world’s most iconic cars, and it was able to reach a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph).

And just an FYI, Small Toe was 6.5 cm tall and 11.5 cm long, it weighed 1.1 kg and had a top speed of 2 km/h. While it was rideable, it wasn’t street legal!

American Gregory Dunham really did dream big when he built Dream Big between 2002 and 2005, the largest motorbike in the world until it was ‘overtaken’ seven years later. Measuring 3.42 metres tall from the ground to the top of the handlebars and with a length of 6.2 metres, the behemoth bike, weighing a shade under 2.7 tonnes, was a labour of love. He built the bike himself using parts from scrap yards and specialist online shops and it’s believed to have cost him $300,000.

With tyres just under 1.9 metres tall, the bike is powered by a 500hp, 8-litre V8 and is driven using a steering wheel in a cage below the handlebars. Dunham himself claimed the bike could hit over 100 km/h (65 mph) but it’s not certain if it ever did!

In the mid-2000s, Australian stuntman and inventor Ray Baumann built the Monster Motorbike From Hell, and while it’s not the biggest motorbike in the world, it’s a contender for the heaviest. It weighs over thirteen tonnes, is about nine metres long and three metres high. The huge wheels are believed to have come from a Caterpillar 797 mining truck, one of the world’s biggest trucks, and the colossal contraption is powered by a Detroit Diesel 6V92TA, a nine-litre, V6 engine producing over 500 hp.

It was constructed with heavy-duty steel to support the bike’s enormous weight and was built primarily for promotional purposes and to serve as a crowd-pulling exhibit at various events around Australia.

Six times bigger than a ‘normal’ motorbike, Italian Fabio Reggiani’s monster machine is the biggest ever motorbike as well as the world’s tallest rideable motorbike. Built in 2012, the bike stands 5.1 metres tall from the ground to the top of the handlebars, it’s a fraction over 10 metres long, and weighs a staggering five tonnes. For context, that’s about as tall as a giraffe and as heavy as an elephant.

A team of eight people took six months to build the spectacular superbike, and virtually every piece of the bike had to be handmade. It’s powered by a 5.7-litre V8 engine generating 280 horsepower, and the wheels – with a diameter of 2.1 metres at the front and 2.26 metres at the back – were taken from an industrial excavator. The back wheel alone weighs 1.2 tonnes.

And if you were wondering, the biggest motorbike in the world is driven using a joystick connected to a hydraulic piston!