To refresh your memory, 'Big Ned' (named after Ned Kelly, the notorious bushranger) was an outrageous motorcycle built by Australian Mark Walker. Mark, who is dyslexic and has no formal education but has unique engineering skills and can turn his gifted hand to and create projects that others in the profession can only dream of. Mark's companion is Lynne, a Finnish/Australian, who is his contact with the written world, and reads countless technical bulletins and magazines to him. His skill is the interpretation of the data provided by Lynne.
Big Ned was a 'punch-in-the-face' streetfighter powered by a 3000cc nitro-fuel-injected rotary valve v-twin which Mark created over a two year period.
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To fast forward to Mark's latest project…
For the past few year
s, Mark and his companion Lynne has scoured junk yards and garden sheds for defunct Victa 160 lawnmowers – an Australian-made item that’s as ubiquitous as the meat pie Down Under.
Using the top ends of the simple two-stroke, Mark has constructed a 2560cc V16 on his own crankcase, with self-made crankshafts and flywheels. It’s not yet a runner but soon will be, which then begs the question – how will it be deployed? Well, Mark has a history of building some highly unconventional drag bikes…
Watch this space!
