British Magnum

[mervnoble]

[quote="hamyam"]Hi Dick, we had a magnum in 1980 or 81 I think, bought brand new from Milton and Wakefield, got money back after long court case, sold us an old 750 saying it was a brand new design but found to have cracked cases after months of trying to make it go. What year is the motor and do you still have it?

Regards

That was the biggest pile of shite I have had the misfortune to get involved with. I think it was 1982 we had it. Never finished a practice session or a race, we certainly never lapped anywhere near the times we had with big 4 stroke Kawasakis and Suzukis. Had it been my cash that paid for that excuse of a motor those "gentlemen" would no longer be with us. Why Steve shelled out for it I will never figure out.

[cargers]

Was the engine layout smilar to a Konig, ie a boxer type layout?
Ian

[dick hawes]

Whatcha folks.

I still have the magnum motor and intend putting it in a BMW outfit crosswise like the BMW motor.
My motor is a 500cc one which used a kONIG crankshaft. The larger motor used their own crank.
It is similar to a kONIG motor with tooth belt driven disc valve., and Lucas Rita ignition.
The Magnum team ie Graham Milton [who was a two stroke expert] Tony Wakefield and Robin Williamson
made their own gearbox using Triumph internals and a right angle drive to allow chain drive to the rearwheel.
I and Bill Boldison borrowed Tony Wakefields outfit for a practice session at a Donnington meeting and were so
impressed with the torque of the engine, much better than our TZ750. I passengered for Tony in a race at Silverstone
when his regular passenger Colin Newbold was taken ill .The outfit was fantastic and so was Tony [ I WAS SHIT]
Graham Milton and John Brushwood finished third in the TT, not bad for a small team effort.

I know little of the debacle involving Merv, but for sure more development should have been done before selling one.

[RP]

I don't know much about what this is all about - all I wish to say is that Graham Milton recorded the first 100 mph lap on one in practice at the Isle of Man. I was once the owner of a Konig and I can certainly say that reliability was not one of it's strongest points - something that the Magnum team strived to eliminate in their design. I know that Tony still has some of these engines in his workshop, and indeed has paraded at Cadwell Park and Mallory in recent years with the said outfit.

[mervnoble]

Whatcha folks.

I still have the magnum motor and intend putting it in a BMW outfit crosswise like the BMW motor.
My motor is a 500cc one which used a kONIG crankshaft. The larger motor used their own crank.
It is similar to a kONIG motor with tooth belt driven disc valve., and Lucas Rita ignition.
The Magnum team ie Graham Milton [who was a two stroke expert] Tony Wakefield and Robin Williamson
made their own gearbox using Triumph internals and a right angle drive to allow chain drive to the rearwheel.
I and Bill Boldison borrowed Tony Wakefields outfit for a practice session at a Donnington meeting and were so
impressed with the torque of the engine, much better than our TZ750. I passengered for Tony in a race at Silverstone
when his regular passenger Colin Newbold was taken ill .The outfit was fantastic and so was Tony [ I WAS sh*t]
Graham Milton and John Brushwood finished third in the TT, not bad for a small team effort.

I know little of the debacle involving Merv, but for sure more development should have been done before selling one.

Dick,

The engine my brother Steve bought was a 750cc unit, the only one that ever existed to my knowledge. The "official" Magnums at the time were 815cc. We inherited a real pig in a poke, no spares, no assistance, no help whatsoever. It was poorly constructed, not fit for purpose and totally unreliable. The "official" Magnum engines did indeed appear to be decent motors, I remember them.

Regards as always,

Merv

[oldbelly]

Steve and me had the very first of the Windle fourstroke F2s in 94 . I didnt know Steve very well at the time but did relate him to having the Magnum. Brave men putting money to anything twostroke other than a Yam.

[Eddy Wright]

Or a Krauser Geoff.

[Bob B]

ADM?

[oldbelly]

Yes Eddy, Bob,but they werent around when Steve bought the Magnum.

[Bob B]

Fair point Geoff, that was during one of my enforced layoffs