Source: Bike Bound
“It’s like taking a ride in Rod Stuart’s underpants!”
More than 40 years ago, brothers Steve and Lester Harris, along with Stephen Bayford, founded Harris Performance to design, develop, and produce motorcycle frames and components for both racing and road bikes. Over the years, Harris machines and teams have achieved success in nearly every class of road racing — Grand Prix, World Superbike, World Endurance, British Superbike, Isle of Man TT, and more. Today, Harris Performance is a unit of Eicher Motors, owners of Royal Enfield, and has been instrumental in developing the Continental GT and other modern Enfields.
Back in the early 1970s, Harris introduced their now famous Magnum range of street-going frame kits. The original Magnum 1 was based on the Harris endurance racer campaigned by Mike Trimby and Marty Lund in the World Endurance Championship, and it soon cemented itself as a favorite among custom builders.
A decade later, Harris commissioned ex-BMW styling chief Hans Muth and his firm, Target Design, to style the bodywork for the Magnum 2. Muth had famously designed the original Suzuki Katana — one of the most radical production motorcycle designs in history — and the Magnum 2 was no less striking.
“The resulting combination of razor sharp handling and futuristic looks, produced an instant winner with custom builders and racers alike.” -Harris Performance
The custom Magnum 2 you see here comes from Matt Coulter of Sticky’s Speed Shop, a “lifelong bike obsessive” who builds some of the maddest vintage superbikes on the planet. Some of the best-known examples include SushSuki, Widow Licker, Black Puddin, ARfa, Wabi Slabi, Track Woolf, and more, and he’s collaborated with the good folks from The Bike Shed, as well as Icon 1000, Ryan “Roadkill” Quickfall, and others.
Matt had long had a hankering for a Harris Magnum, so when a badly butchered example turned up, he jumped at the chance:
“I got offered a rough one as a swap with a friend as long as I agreed to the 10-hour round trip to pick it up!”
The build would be a collaboration with Matt’s friend INSA (@insa_gram), a well-known British graffiti writer and artist whose work has been featured all over the world, commissioned by the likes of Nike, Kangol, and many others. Matt’s vision for the bike would blend racing nostalgia with INSA’s signature style.
“I wanted it to be a nod to 70s race bikes and that ‘Golden Era’.”
The frame was repaired and slightly modified, and it’s fitted with Honda Fireblade inverted forks and a 16-valve DOHC Suzuki GSX1100 Katana engine — one of the most popular motors for the Magnum chassis kits, putting out over 110 brake horsepower in stock trim.
“Goldie” — as Matt has nicknamed the bike for obvious reasons — rolls on a set of ultra-rare British-made Astralite wheels constructed of 5251 aluminum alloy with custom hubs. The exhaust is a custom titanium system, the fairing a modified King Carbon unit, and of course INSA laid down his magic for the design, with Matt’s own Image Worx Ltd providing the paint stencils and stickers. (The “Sticky” name originally came from Matt making stickers.)
The leopard-print saddle was done up by B | Trim, and it’s the perfect platform for riding this high-powered, one of a kind super 70s machine. As Matt says:
“It’s like taking a ride in Rod Stuart’s underpants!”
Goldie was a star of the recent Worship Moto Show, and the bike is a testament to Matt’s vision, as well as his network of friends and collaborators who helped bring his ideas to fruition. Bravo for resurrecting a badly butchered streetfighter into the showstopper you see here.
Below is our uncut interview with Matt for more details about the build, and we hope to bring you more Sticky’s Speed Shop builds in the near future.
Harris Magnum GSX1100: Builder Questionnaire
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
Lifelong bike obsessive, inspired by speed and engineering with a love of design and uniqueness.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?
Harris Magnum 2 with Suzuki GSX1100 Katana engine, Fireblade forks, and Astralite wheels.
• Why was this bike built? (Customer project, company promotion, personal, etc.)
I had wanted one for a while, I got offered a rough one as a swap with a friend as long as I agreed to the 10-hour round trip to pick it up!
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
I wanted it to be a nod to 70s race bikes and that “Golden Era”. I had also wanted to collaborate with my friend, Insa, for a while on a build. I asked him if he would be interested and this was the result.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
Modified and repaired frame, modified King Carbon fairing, custom wheel hubs, custom titanium exhaust…pretty much, all of it!
• Does the bike have a nickname?
Goldie (for obvious reasons).
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
Mainly, resurrecting it from a poorly butchered streetfighter to what it is today.
• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride?
It’s like taking a ride in Rod Stuart’s underpants!
Builder Thanks
Everyone who helped with the process. I’m extremely lucky to have a great network of friends and collaborators and I wouldn’t be able realise any of my ideas without them.
Massive thanks to Gary, Lyndon, Gav, Insa, and Dave.
- @Gavin_gsxr — always helps on my builds
- @Imageworxltd — stickers and paint stencils
- @viz.man — electrical help
- @Btrim_interior — seat
- @Derangedcustoms — paint
- @Kingcarbon — bodywork
- @Skidmarxukltd — fluro screen
- Lyndon for his engineering help
- Dave at Fast By Me for engine work and helping source the bike in the first place
Follow the Builder
Sticky’s Speed Shop: @stickys_speed_shop
Insa: @insa_gram | insaland.com
