Seeley
Seeley were motorcycles produced from 1966 to 1979, by Colin Seely, who was the British Sidecar Champion in the early 1960s.
1966 Colin Seeley purchased the AMC race shop, including the rights. He sold the Norton side to John Tickle in order to concentrate on the AMC models he already had experience of. His first special was built early in the year and this was soon followed by others - firstly in a duplex frame and then in a tubular spine type.
1971 The Seeley Condor road version appeared. This was a true racer with the lights in café racer style. His Mark 3 frame had nickel plating finish with the engine hung from it. The machine was immaculate and the effect stunning.
1973 The days of the track or road big single were over (but would return), so Seeley concentrated on the Yamsel. He used his own frame and fitted it with 250cc and 350cc racing Yamaha engines. These were very successful and many were constructed. There were also many specials and batches for all makes, including Japanese and Italian.
1975 Seeley transplanted Honda's 70bhp CB750 F2 engine into a British-built café-racer chassis. Seeley wanted to make a bike which was lighter, better handling and better looking than the standard CB. As a bonus, the Seeley machines were also easier to work on and offered a lower seat height than Honda's original. The kits cost £1295 in 1977, and suited the F1, F2 or K-series CB750s of the era. Despite the expense, it was an attractive proposition for sports riders of the day.
This continued throughout the 1970s, until Seeley turned his attention to other fields.
- Note: Seeley returned to motorcycling in 1993 as manager of the successful Norton Rotary racing team.
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