'Modified' EX

[Mozza]

Been at this a long time! Need to go head down-arse up, methinks!

[FBJ admin]

Is it a Harris

[stockcar]

looks like a Mag2 with the rear battery box??

[Mozza]

Yes. Frame still all original, which is the way I want to keep it. Need to add a few bracing tubes for top suspension mount, if I can find someone who can Bronze Weld locally. Got a Mag 4 tank for it, too! No ideas on seat fitment yet though.

[dixiethedog]

Thats a great looking project. Ive always like Harris'. When I was in my early twenties,some years back,my pal Scotty from North Shields built a nice magnum 1 with gs1000 engine etc. Then his mate Wilkie,from Wallsend built one,with z900 running gear. I bought a set of EFE bodywork from a lad from Wallsend too,who was building a Spondon. A hive of activity in a very close space.
Whats your plans????

[Mozza]

As I said, the problem's the welding of the frame. It was fitted with an 1170 Pip Higham ET/EX motor when I bought it . But....I have an 1100 oil boiler motor I'm presently using as a doorstop, so.......? I put an ad in SF for an 1100EFE frame, or 'what have you', this cropped up in Wales. I should have thrown the 'phone number away. I didn't! There was a guy in Jarrow had an 1100 Spondon Suzuki in a 20' container in his garden. He also had an 1100 Suzuki, don't know what model, and a Spondon copy, with a Fireblade motor. Nice!

[stockcar]

thats my good mate your talking about in Jarrow and that was his Mam's garden - not there anymore as they sold the house last year and the container had been there so long the bottom was rusted out

the Spondons you have the wrong way round / the fartblade version is pukka...............have done a little engineering work on it for him over the years
he also has a copy frame with a gixxer motor in (still unfinished), an old GSX750 frame converted to gixxer1100 runing gear and motor, SMT for playing on and a radical raked chop with a rev-tech motor in

[Mozza]

Yeah, I remember now!
It was his Mothers garden! He moved to Gateshead or Newcastle, if I remember correctly. He was selling the big Suzuki, and it got to the point where I couldn't trust myself to visit him, in case I was tempted to buy it! He was having a tank for the Spondon/GSXR made at The Tank SHop. I don't know if he ever got it made. I waited a year for mine, was nowt like it was supposed to be, and the workmanship was shite! Be warned!

[dixiethedog]

Interesting. Was the copy spondon frame one done by a lad i think called Stosh?? I might have the wrong name,but there was a lad who used to build frames in North Shields. I seem to think he used to do odds and ends for an engineering place (that a friend company used to use for jobs)and do bikes of a night time and weekend? I visited once back in the late 90's,and remember seeing a "spondon" copy being made. Very nice too. Then also in North Shields there was a very talented lad called Gary Russell,who used to do frame kits that looked like a cross between a Harris and a Spondon,in stainless steel. He had a triumph with stainless frame in streetfighters mag in the late 90's too. Cool. I heard a rumour he did an emergency stop on the triumph,and the frames rake altered with the braking force,and had to be re done. Still a very very very talented builder though. I was at his home shop to have my swingarm extended way back in the last century,I supplied the billet alloy etc but the job never got done? I then met my good mate Robbie,from Wallsend,who helped with the back end of the bike. Top bloke. He's currently making a "spondon" styled framed chop,in big tube stainless,which when finished should be cool.

[dixiethedog]

I would have put a pic in to show you,but the bike doesnt have a suzuki aircooled engine.