12000cc Dunlop Special

This 1970s era Dunlop advertisement is arguably one of the best motorcycle tire promotional pieces ever created. The photograph was recently featured on the Silodrome Facebook Page, igniting the internet like a Russian meteor. Initially, many people speculated that it was a Photoshop creation, but upon further investigation, it became clear that this remarkable bike is indeed real.

The bike, often referred to in parts of the internet as “Joebody’s Rocket,” is composed of 12 joined 1000cc V-twins arranged in a “W” configuration. Though it doesn’t actually run, which is a great disappointment, it represents a fascinating piece of engineering. If it were functional, it would likely produce between 750hp to 1000hp, depending on the state of tune.

Unfortunately, detailed and reliable information about the bike is hard to come by, adding to its mysterious allure. The Dunlop Special stands as a testament to the creativity and boldness of 1970s motorcycle culture, even if its full potential remains unrealized.

Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.

Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010. Over the years, the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.