Unveiling the World’s Heaviest Bike: A Pickup-Sized Marvel of 15 Tons Towing Capacity
Looks very heavy, but Kleine Johanna is really a bike with pedals – Photo: Sebastian Beutler Custom Bicycle
Contrary to its muscular appearance as if it were a reduced version of a tractor, the heaviest bike in the world is named Kleine Johanna, which means… “Little Johanna” in German.
This is the work of Sebastian Beutler, a self-taught welder and mechanic from Köthen, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In March 2023, the bike was recognized by the German Records Institute, a branch of the local Guinness Book of Records, as the world’s heaviest drivable bicycle. To achieve this record, Kleine Johanna must meet certain conditions such as being able to move with only the pedals like other conventional cars.
Kleine Johanna has a weight of 2,177kg, equivalent to a Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux pickup, tires taken from a giant tractor, a steel frame of more than 5m long, nearly 2m high. Beutler also jokes that the bike is really ideal for couples thanks to its design like a two-wheeler and spacious “sitting” space for the back seat – Photo: Sebastian Beutler Custom Bicycle
The car can be moved by pedal power thanks to wheels supported by an Opel Blitz 3.6 truck transmission that Beutler took from the scrap yard – Photo: Sebastian Beutler Custom Bicycle
It can be said that the entire Kleine Johanna is formed from scrap, including tires. It was also thanks to the discovery of this special tire that Beutler came up with the idea to make Kleine Johanna – Photo: Sebastian Beutler Custom Bicycle
This bike has 35 forward and 7 reverse gears, a maximum speed of 18km/h when downhill. Normally, the car reaches a maximum speed of 8km / h – an impressive number for a bicycle that can pull 15 tons of goods – Photo: Sebastian Beutler Custom Bicycle
Kleine Johanna has an engine that is not used during pedaling, but to… power a generator that helps Beutler charge his phone while driving. Considering the speed of the car, it is easy to understand that the phone battery drains quickly, because he has too much free time and he needs something to “kill time” – Photo: Sebastian Beutler Custom Bicycle
The wheels steer actively, allowing the bike to “sweet” cornering – Photo: Sebastian Beutler Custom Bicycle
Kleine Johanna visited the world bicycle trade fair held in Dusseldorf last month. But the car does not go there by its own power, but on a truck, because with the highest speed of 8km/h, it is unknown when the car can complete the 500km journey – Photo: Sebastian Beutler Custom Bicycle
But that doesn’t mean Kleine Johanna can’t go on the road. Beutler plans to take a vacation to the Baltic Sea this summer, riding a bike over 389km. Expect to take about a month on the road! – Photo: Sebastian Beutler Custom Bicycle
Beutler demonstrates a unique bike in action – Video: German Record Institute
Sebastian Beutler comes from a long family of welders and mechanics. But most of the skills he acquired were self-taught. After a serious illness in 2011, he could not go to work as usual like others. Bored of watching TV all day, he decided to make things from scrap, mainly motorbikes and bicycles.
However, he did not sell it, but kept it in the garage. Sometimes these cars are broken down to make materials for new works, in case you can’t buy exactly what you need. Therefore, Beutler’s unique cars have a very short lifespan compared to a work of art, as he continuously “does and breaks”. “It’s true that Max is crazy “, the Autoevolution site reviews.
