What does the man who has built a V12 Kawasaki, a V8 Kawasaki and a Dodge Viper-engined motorcycle choose for his next project? How about a replica of a six-cylinder Honda race bike from the 1960s? And when we say 'build', we really mean that; he makes his own six cylinder engine out of two four-cylinder engines, including building up his own crankshaft and making his own clutch, along with everything else. It's a remarkable feat of engineering, carried out in a shed in his garden. The man is Allen Millyard and you really need to watch his videos if you think you know about engineering!

DIY Honda RC374 Six Cylinder Race Bike

If, like me, you love the screaming six-cylinder 250cc Honda race bikes from the 1960s, you will also know that to own an original one is completely out of the question unless you are a multi-millionaire. Even that doesn't guarantee you'll actually find one for sale; they didn't exactly produce many of them!

That didn't stop English engineer Allen Millyard. Over the years, he has built some astonishing motorcycles, including a V12 Kawasaki out of two Z1300 engines.

During a trip to Castle Combe race circuit in the UK to watch some classic racing, he met Guy Martin, who was demonstrating an original Honda RC174 six-cylinder race bike. Now, Guy Martin appreciates a talented engineer more than most and so, when he said casually to Millyard that he should build a replica of the Honda, that's exactly what he set out to do.

The accompanying series of six videos are remarkable not only for the engineering skill that went into the build, but also the brilliantly casual manner in which Millyard explains how he did it; it sounds no more difficult than baking a cake (which is appropriate as he is always stealing his wife's new-baked cupcakes from the kitchen!).

The first video shows how he built the crankcases, barrels and cylinder head. Subsequent videos show ho he builds the rest of the bike.

He is almost the cartoon nerd but the bikes he builds in his small shed at the bottom of the garden are anything but cartoonish.

You have to admire the skill of the man, if not his presenting skills, although I find them refreshingly free of BS and ego.