Tony Edwards, it’s fair to say, is obsessed with Harris Magnums. He’d never seen a Kettle engined Magnum 2, so he set about building one. Two years (and thirty four grand later) here it is.
Tony has a thing about Harris Magnums. Has done since he was 16. And it shows no sign of going away. This is his third Magnum, without a smidgeon of doubt his best to date, and one to stand among the very best of the genre. Plus, we think it’s the only one packing two-stroke power.
These were, along with Moto Martins, the special frame of the ’80s, although the first Magnum appeared in 1973 when Seeley, Rickman and Dresda were still the big names in trick frames. The Magnum 2, introduced in 1982, then became the benchmark in bespoke tubing for big-inch engines. Geometry, bending and brazing was by Steve and Lester Harris, Anglo-German firm Target Design (of Katana fame) styled the bodywork.
Perimeter-style in Reynolds 531 tubing, the engine became a stressed-member of the chassis and most big four-strokes of the time found their way into Magnum 2 frames; Z1000s, Suzuki GSX11s, Honda CB900s and Laverda Jotas. No Kettles in a Magnum 2 – until now.
“I love that ’80s endurance look,” says Tony. “They were the first proper specials I saw and such beautiful pieces of engineering.” Those first glimpses of Magnum 2s gave him a taste for specials building too.
“My mate had a Suzuki RM250 (motocrosser, although you’d have called it a scrambler back then) and he’d blown his motor. I had a DT175 engine lying around so we put that in it. It was all the wrong way around really, ideally you’d have put the RM engine in the DT, but it was a good learning process,” he says. “I wish I’d kept that bike. But then we all look back and say that about all sorts of things.”
Denne historien er fra January 2018-utgaven av Practical Sportsbikes.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra January 2018-utgaven av Practical Sportsbikes.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Gold Rush
A stock 2014 CB11 is, let’s face it, a fairly dull device. But chuck some engine tweaks and a cosmetic makeover at it and all that changes.
Tony Scott - A Life In Engines
One of the greatest engine tuners of any generation, Tony Scott’s work is synonymous with Honda’s RC30. But Tony won TTs with every manufacturer, in a career spanning some of the greatest names and greatest bikes of the modern era.
Origin Of The Species
In the 17 years between Suzuki’s GS1000S in 1979, via Yamaha’s 1989 FZR1000R EXUP, to Honda’s 1996 CBR900RR-T ’Blade, the face of big-bore sportsbikes changed beyond recognition. PS celebrates this huge evolution.
Fettled Kettle
Tony Edwards, it’s fair to say, is obsessed with Harris Magnums. He’d never seen a Kettle engined Magnum 2, so he set about building one. Two years (and thirty four grand later) here it is.
Lester Harris
Hertfordshire’s most famous sons are now involved in developing new Royal Enfields, yet they’re still right in the thick of old school tubework and their stainless steel paddock stands are still the industry standard.
Shafted By The Weather Gods
The H1F’s crank was a sorry rusted mess. Now it is a thing of great beauty and strength.
Special Build Of the Year
Enter your stunning home-built special in to our Venhill Special Build of the Year competition and you could win our £1000 cash prize.
Dukes And Hazards
The Isle Of Man is an unforgiving place for any machinery, not least big twins from Bologna. Despite meticulous prep, a small stone did forJames Hillier’s Classic TT.
Greek Tragedy (With A Happy Ending)
It arrived from Athens, a hound with a bag of nails in its jaws. After untold amounts of pain, suffering and expense, Tony Barrow’s RG finally emerged, as the pristine square four he always craved.
Droop Snoot Beaut
It ‘only’ took Mike Newman four years to get his Bandit/’busa/ZX-9/10 hybrid into exactly the shape he wanted. Now it’s precisely the machine he had in his head all that time ago.
