In the case of Harris, that came about through the combined expertise of another set of brothers, Steve and Lester, along with designer Stephen Bayford, who formed Harris Performance in Hertford, UK in 1972. The company’s primary aim was to produce frame kits to house a variety of engines, marketed as the Harris Magnum, and from the beginning, the product gained a reputation for superb quality, with performance coming from conventional but skilfully executed machining, welding and tube manipulation. To date, over 3,000 road-going motorcycles have come out of the same factory, from one-off specials to the Magnum line.
Firm believers in the old adage that “racing improves the breed”, Harris was involved at all levels of motorcycle sport from the outset. Customers have ranged from unknown individuals to leading national and international teams, extending, in 1991, to the very pinnacle of racing in the 500cc Grand Prix class. That effort saw Harris (along with the French ROC concern) receive a licence to buy Yamaha 500cc race engines to be installed in Harris
