Extreme Engineering: The mindboggling Watkins M001

Curiosity is a powerful motivator. When Jack Watkins first spotted Stellan Egeland's BMW Harrier, he was curious about how the suspension worked—and that curiosity wouldn't let up. Fast forward nine years, and we have this incredible contraption built around the powertrain of a BMW R1150 RT. The pseudonymous 'Jack' holds a PhD in mechanical design, and works for an industrial firm in Gdańsk, Poland, where he heads up a design office of some thirty engineers. Plus he's a lecturer and researcher at the Gdańsk University of Technology. So if anyone's qualified to scratch that sort of itch, it's him. It...