PART 04
A period-correct GSX1100 engine is found, while the frame goes back to Harris for a proper inspection by the man who built it back in 1984. You know it makes sense
A period of consolidation for Project Magnum. As we came to realise last month, the only real way forward would be to take the frame back to its creators – the estimable Harris Performance. The final kicker was the decision to abandon a Suzuki Bandit engine as the motive power source – for which someone had already modified the frame – and instead fit a GSX1100 motor like it was built for back in 1984.
While plucking up the courage to take the slightly derelict Magnum frame to Harris, Big Gary and myself get together to remove the GSX1100ES engine from its original frame. Gary had agreed to buy both from his breaker mate, and growing impatient waiting for his pal to do as breakers do and dismantle the bike, he took matters into his own hands and got the 1984 bike over to his place to strip.
Eager to lend a hand, after all I’m a beneficiary of this enterprise too, I pitch up at Gary’s place to find him a long way into the operation. There are just the carbs, swingarm and front end to go when I arrive, and inside 10 minutes we’re ready to have the engine out of the frame. Our task is made a lot easier by the fact that nearly every fastener on the bike is little more than finger tight. Looks like a previous owner was either in the middle of dismantling or rebuilding the bike.
Externally the engine is in incredibly good shape, with most of the original paint intact. For some reason the alternator cover is sitting proud of the crankcases, perhaps pointing to problems with the stator – they are known for burning themselves out because one of the alternator’s three phases runs through the light switch before connecting to the reg/rec. Run without the lights on and the coils can overheat and burn out because the energy generated has nowhere to go. The same problem was experienced by a reader in the What’s the Problem pages this month.
But we needn’t worry, the cover is sitting proud because someone has inserted thick washers between that and the crankcases. We do notice that one of the screw holes on the crankcase has cracked and some of the aluminium has fallen away. A couple of the bosses that the screws for the sprocket cover thread into have be
