99 honda Magna
The bike that just didnt want to jive, gets a complete makeover
Origins: the first chapter
A $650 marketplace find in Sanford NC. Non running, rolling bike with a box full of parts. Overall, bike was in pretty good shape besides cosmetics, some dry rot tires and fork seals, dented up gas tank and a 4 carb mess that needed attention.
Strip, clean, dream
As the heading suggests, thats what I did. Strip what doesnt need to be there, clean what does, and start dreaming/envisioning what could it be! I did rebuild the carbs during this to see if the bike would run… and it did but very rough. Good news either way.
Purchased a cheap bobber seat online just to see if the bike could fit the bill. It did ok, not really what I was looking for but that is how it sat for a coupler years.
After stripping all the plastics and boxes, I had to find a new home for all the electrical components and what I had come up with worked but again, wasn’t going to be the final product.
Keep Em’ Involved
Progress usually comes to a halt once the kids join in the garage. Frustrating at first but a blessing and an honor to be able to share my passion!
Full haul: The second chapter
After leaving the bike the way it was and never really being able to get to run quite right, it sat out of frustration, collecting dust and become another catchall. After building the 95 Suzuki Savage, with a dopamine high, I immediately threw the magna back on the stand, not really realizing I would start from scratch, all over again.
Head tube
Starting off, I never liked much about the frames geometry. Needed a tweak everywhere.
Where the chop began was taking the front fork off and setting at 45 degrees. I was finally getting somewhere. But there wasn’t any easy way to drop the head set.
So I grabbed a cutting wheel!!!
I liked that the brackets for the motor where mostly still there and I set out to integrate what was left with some new steel. After excessive staring, some liquid courage, and not enough time, I once again… grabbed the grinder!!!
Starting over
Now with literally nothing of the original bike left but the motor, I began with a made up frame jig, some bent tubes, and optimism. I had a general idea of how this would go and tried to think a few steps ahead to prepare for how the tubes would weld together.
I knew I wanted a 21” front wheel and a 16” rear, so I did the math of the old fork with a 45 degree rake and axle center for a 21” and found where the headset needed to be.
Using an exhaust flaring tool that fit the headset tube in I was able to center it up with the new frame pieces.
Coming together
Headset was glued, top tube, and twisty center post was in, I was finally getting momentum!
Mocked up the 21” front. I had purchased the set of wheels online, originally intended for a Harley but knew that If I purchased for a 1” axle I could make bushings to make up the difference allowing me to still use the stock axle without modifying the forks or anything else.
sECTIONED tANK
The tank I knew it was not going to work. To wide, beat up, and overall not a good fit. The side profile reminded me of some teardrop tanks, so I decided I had nothing to loose and sectioned it. Just for mock up and to see if it was worth continuing on, tacked it together and set it up for another stare down session.
This is about where I had stopped for the fall and beginning of winter of 2024 due to family and work obligations.
2025, back on it: the third chapter
Finally back it! Back half of the bottom rails glued in and made for some unique geometry that I wish was on purpose but it just worked out that way due to lack of linear footage of tube and money.
I did not have, and couldn’t find the axle carriers that would work so I utilized the old swing arm ones instead.
Basically, due to poor pre planning on the bottom tubes, the front half was cut short with my thoughts being I would create a U for the back half of the bottom tube to wrap around the tire instead of two, but my frame was also to wide for that to make much sense. All in all, i’m happy the way it turned out.
Wishbone
The wishbones went through a couple forms, but finally modified the ideas to what you see here. Wider than I had expected but very doable regardless.
Once the tubes are welded, the excess steel from the Axle Carriers will be removed, cleaned and braced.
Its the end of Febuary 2025, Just about done welding up the main frame, checking the wheel clearance etc. Found that the front wheel hub us going to rub on the fork so I will create some clearance later.
