The streetfighter scene is marked by outrageous performance and unapologetic aesthetics. In the battle of function and form, fast wins pretty much every time. But sometimes we come across a streetfighter that crams silly power into a package that’s both stylish and cohesive—and that’s when we really take notice.
This streetfighter blends an output of 150 hp with a seriously tasty parts spec, all with a super-sano cafe racer vibe. If you couldn’t pinpoint the donor right away, that’s because it’s not an off-the-shelf setup; you’re looking at a custom Harris ‘Magnum 4.’
The Magnum 4 is a tubular steel chassis that go-fast gurus Harris Performance have been building since the 90s. This particular bike was built in 1995, and that’s when current owner Timo LeMans first fell in love with it.
“I’ve been in the German streetfighter and custom bike scene since the mid to late 90s” he tells us. “I’ve always liked trick frames made in the 80s and 90s, including Spondon, Martek, Harris and Rau. I’ve always liked the design, and especially the performance.”
“This exact Harris Magnum 4 was very well known in the German streetfighter scene in the 90s and 2000s. It was known by the name ‘Bullenbeisser’ and was originally built by a friend of mine named ‘Jörg the Duke.’”
“Jörg owned the bike until early 2019, when he sold it to me. So I just had to wait 20 years to own the bike that had a big influence on me when I was just starting in the motorcycle scene.”
‘Bullenbeisser’ roughly translates into ‘cop biter,’ and it’s an apt name for this monster. The Magnum 4 chassis was originally designed to host a Suzuki GSX-R1100 or 750 mill, and Jörg had opted for the bigger of the two here. What’s more, this one has been cranked all the way up to eleven.
The work was originally done by renowned German tuner Christian Mende, who sadly passed away in 2016. He took the motor up to a whopping 1,240 cc, with machined heads, JE forged pistons and a Yoshimura camshaft. The work added almost ten horses to the stock output.
But when Timo got his hands on the bike, it hadn’t run in a few years, and had been passing the time in Jörg’s living room. So it went straight to Wolfgang Bätz at Custom Wolf, who was tasked with getting it back on the road—and customizing it even more.
Wolfgang spent the next year and a half turning it into the bike you’re looking at here. Other than the frame and motor, only a couple of key parts remain: the original Harris fuel tank, and a chromed Benelli TNT swing arm that had been grafted on some time ago.
The Harris runs like a dream, spurred along by a four-into-one Scorpion exhaust. But it wasn’t always that way: it came with Keihin FCR41 carbs, and Timo wasn’t happy with how it ran. So Wolfgang switched them out for Mikuni TMR36s, replaced the ignition box, installed new coils and wiring, and revived the monstrous Suzuki motor.
Then it was time to upgrade the running gear. The front end got a set of newer Suzuki GSX upside-down forks, held in place by a set of custom-made triples. Wolfgang made some tweaks to the custom swing-arm arrangement too, and installed a WP rear shock.
The wheels are a set of lightweight OZ Racing alloy units, measuring 17×3.5 in the front and 17×6 out back. The brakes are a mix of Nissin (front) and Brembo (back) stoppers, with Beringer brake and clutch master cylinders.
Higher up, Wolfgang ditched the auxiliary bodywork and crafted his own fiberglass tail unit to complement the Harris tank. Ledermania handled the upholstery, and it’s some of the best we’ve seen; a contrast-stitched honeycomb design with an embroidered Harris logo.
Up front is a custom-made fender, right below a modified Benelli headlight. Just behind it, Wolfgang sunk a tiny digital Motogadget speedo into the top yoke, along with a line of LED indicator lights. (The bike’s had a full rewire with a Motogadget m.unit, too).
The rest of the cockpit features new clipons, aluminum grips made by Wolfgang himself, Motogadget mini-switches and bar-end turn signals, and a set of bar-end mirrors. The rear turn signals are from Kellermann, and double up as a taillight.
Most of the components have chromed, polished, raw or black finishes … all except for the technicolor frame. “The frame has been painted like this since the mid 90s,” explains Timo, “and it was clear to Wolfi and me that we wanted to keep this one-off paint scheme.”
“The legend says that those flashy colors were painted with nail polish, and then preserved by a clear coat.”
Timo’s ‘cop biter’ is a splendid mix of 90s streetfighter attitude, with top-spec components and just a hint of cafe racer style. Throw in a very special frame and a highly tuned Gixxer motor, and you’ve got a winner.
Custom Wolf | Facebook | Images by (and with thanks to) Marc Holstein and Christine Gabler
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