Colin Jordan Seeley (2 January 1936 – 7 January 2020)Director Check Retrieved 2014-09-29Minter was the master, says Colin Seeley "His death, on January 2nd, was also my 79th birthday". Bike Sport News, 10 January 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2016Colin Seeley, legendary frame builder, has died aged 84 Motorcycle News, 8 January 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2020 was a British motorcycle retailer who later became a motorcycle sidecar racer, motorcycle designer, constructor and retailer of accessories. In 1992, he was involved in running the Norton Rotary race team.
Early days Seeley was born in Crayford, Kent. He left school at fourteen and started riding on his handyman-father Percy's Vincent Rapide when he obtained his licence at sixteen, beginning his working motorcycle career as an apprentice for Harcourt Motorcycles, becoming acquainted with Bernie Ecclestone at his nearby used motorcycle salesroom, followed by Halfords motorists' shop, both in Bexleyheath, Kent, and then as a mechanic for a driving school where Seeley also learned to drive a car. Another move was to the Schwieso Brothers bike business in Dartford, Kent where he gained experience working with many different marques, also repairing and maintaining bikes in his spare time working in a wooden shed at his parents' home, using his bedroom to store parts.Coiln Seeley Racer and the rest Volume 1 at Google Books Retrieved 2014-09-30
In 1954, after being rejected for National Service as unfit, Seeley had aspirations to own his own motorcycle business, securing rented premises in the Old Forge, a car garage at Stapley Road in Belvedere, Kent. Whilst his father Percy had progressed from Series A Rapide through Series C Shadow to a Black Lightning, Colin was using a Matchless V-twin sidevalve with a large box sidecar to transport motorcycles sign-written with advertising for his business.
In 1956, Seeley established his first retail shop in nearby Nuxley Road, where, with his father Percy, they traded as C.J.Seeley (Sales) Ltd., Motorcycle Specialist, keeping the Old Forge site for service and repairs.
As agencies were difficult to obtain, Seeley started with sub-agencies (under the main-dealer umbrella) from Zündapp, NSU and Moto Rumi, also selling bicycles, clothing and accessories, later being appointed as main agents for AJS, Ariel, BMW, Francis-Barnett, Greeves and Matchless. Further expansion in 1958 saw a nearby new showroom, again in Nuxley Road, dedicated to selling and fitting sidecars.
Racing background When Seeley was fourteen he would cycle to the nearest local race track, Brands Hatch, which had then converted from grass track to hard surface, where he was impressed by Vincent Motorcycles employee Ted Davis racing his Vincent sidecar outfit.
Seeley entered his first race in 1954 at Brands Hatch, a one-hour endurance event, riding a solo 500 cc BSA Star Twin borrowed from a friend, where he completed 42 laps during the hour. Pressure of work prevented any further competition until 1957 when Seeley entered his first scramble on a part-exchanged Triumph twin, followed by grass track, hill climb and Ramsgate sprint using the same machine.
By 1958, Seeley had acquired an AJS agency and purchased an ex-works 500 cc scrambler which he was uneasy with; also holding a Greeves agency, Seeley approached the factory for support and rode scramblers for them in 1958 and 1959.
In 1960, Seeley with his friend – mechanic and employee Wally Rawlings – bought their first sidecar outfit, and ex-Eric Oliver machine based on a Manx Norton, entering their first race at Snetterton in April 1960. With only one other entry accepted during 1960 – at Charterhall in Scotland, 400 miles from his base in Kent – Seeley was disillusioned with the race-regulating bodies.
In late 1960, as a rider-agent, Seeley managed to convince the AMC factory to sell him a new Matchless G50 solo race bike to be modified and used with a Canterbury racing sidecar, for which Seeley was an agent. After some encouraging results on local tracks, Seeley entered his first Grand Prix event, the Isle of Man TT in 1961, finishing in sixth place.IOM TT 1961 Race Sidecar result Retrieved 2014-09-30
Seeley raced in the British and world championship sidecar competitions between 1961 and 1967. He raced his own-design machines with Matchless G50 500cc engines and for the UK large-capacity class Matchless 650cc G12 CSR followed by Norton 650cc Dominator engines prepared by Paul Dunstall,Motor Cycle, 29 July 1965, p.147 Snetterton 1300cc Sidecar, Race Results, 2nd Seeley, 647cc Dunstall Dominator . Accessed 2013-06-15 but for Grands Prix the size limit was 500cc, meaning the only reliable, competitive engine was the BMW RS54 Rennsport.Motor Cycle, 16 Feb 1967, p.209 Racing Line by David Dixon. Accessed 2013-06-22
Abandoning the tall-engine configuration of the single-cylinder Matchless G50 outfit, Seeley campaigned the flat-twin BMW installed in a lower-line outfit called FCS-BMWMotor Cycle, 19 May 1966, p.640-42 In at the Deep End - by David Dixon Track test comparisons between Owen Greenwood's Mini and Colin Seeley's FCS-BMW. Accessed 2013-07-05(Fath-Camathias Special). His best competitive results were first place at the 1964 Dutch TT and second-place finishes in the sidecar competitions at the 1964 Isle of Man TT and the 1966 French Grand Prix at Clermont-Ferrand.Motor Cycle, 2 June 1966, p.725 French Grand Prix, Sidecar Results - 1st F.Scheidegger, 2nd C.J. Seeley "Sensation of the Sidecar Race...Seeley's ex-Florian Camathias engine was really on song..." Accessed 2013-07-29 Seeley was one of the first to wear coloured racing leathers, using red suits together with passenger Roy Lindsay during the 1967 season, a trend started in 1966 by Derek Minter.Motor Cycle, 9 March 1967, p.302 Racing Line by David Dixon. "Red racing outfits for Colin Seeley and passenger Roy Lindsay are the start of a swing to coloured leathers— but Derek Minter, who started it all with a green suit last year, told me he couldn't get into this outfit—he'd put on too much weight!" Accessed 2014-01-27
Seeley motorcycles
Development
After retiring from competition, Seeley concentrated his efforts on designing and constructing Seeley-framed racing motorcycles, initially powered by AJS and Matchless motorcycle engines.
After experimentation during the winter months, the first prototype frame - powered by a Matchless G50 single-cylinder 500 cc engine - was built from Reynolds '531' tubing in early 1966, and was 9 lbs lighter than a standard G50 frame.Motor Cycle, 17 February 1966, p.220 Seeley Specials. Accessed 2013-06-14 The prototype had Manx Norton front forks with an eight-inch dual-sided brake by engineer Edwin 'Eddie' Robinson,Classic Bike, August 2002, pp.58-61 Eddie Robinson profile. The man they call the Frame Brain Accessed and added 2014-11-02 which Seeley later retailed separatelyMotor Cycle, 5 May 1966, Special Equipment Review, p.595. Accessed 2013-06-15 and Manx Norton rear forks (swinging arm, swingarm) with Manx conical rear hub.
Production frames would have a swinging arm made by Seeley, and customers could specify four, five or six-speed gearboxes.
Derek Minter tested the bike at a race circuit local to both himself and Colin Seeley – Brands Hatch – describing it as "the best steering solo he'd ever tried" and the front brake as better than the Oldani normally used on his Manx Nortons.Motor Cycle, 17 February 1966, p.220 Seeley Specials
When the AMC motorcycle firm closed their in-house race shops in 1963 due to financial problems, although spares were still available, the actual engines were then obsolete.Motor Cycle, 4 November 1965, p.663 Racing Line by David Dixon. "Great news for 7R and G50 owners! AMCs are now making a batch of spares and new engines. Already, some 15 G50s have been built but most have been sent abroad. However, more will be produced for the home market. Later, a smaller number of 7R engines will be built". Accessed 2013-08-05
There were no manufacturers producing new 350 cc and 500 cc race machines for purchase,Motorcycle Mechanics, August 1966 p.23 'Looking Ahead'. "Following their racing successes at American classics such as the Daytona event, there is a strong rumour that the Triumph/BSA organisation may start to market over–the–counter replicas of their Daytona racers. If they do, they will be the only firm in the world who can actually sell you a brand new racing bike over 350cc". Accessed 2013-08-19 excepting a 350 cc Aermacchi,Motor Cycle, 6 October 1966, p.474 Tag tables, price guide for new machines available in UK. Aermacchi Ala d'Oro racer 250 cc, £489 (GBP), 350cc £514. Accessed 2013-08-02 prompting fears over sustainability of the existing AMC race engines and leading some tuners to turn to developing road engines, such as Triumph Tiger 100 used in the lightweight composite-framed 'Monard' by Geoff Monty and Allen Dudley-Ward, Allen Dudley-Ward's own 'DWS 500' (a Triumph Norton) and Brian Bennett's twin-carb all-Triumph).Motor Cycle, 29 April 1965, p.560 DW Special – Norton Triumph 500 cc racer feature. Accessed 2013-08-05Motorcycle Mechanics, April 1965. p.44 Check your combustion, better balance by Ian Speller. "MM visited the workshops of Britain's leading engine tuner, Allen Dudley-Ward at Kingston upon Thames, Surrey" Accessed 2014-04-14Motorcycle Mechanics, November 1964, p.7 Full Chat by Bruce Cox. Brian Bennett's 500 Triumph racer. " ...he is using a highly tuned T100SS with the unit-construction engine and gearbox. With development Brian thinks the Triumph motor could form the basis of a cheap, competitive and utterly reliable production racer." Accessed 2014-04-15 Although these were not expected to be fully competitive against the OHC AMC race engines, they were a cheaper clubman's starter option.
Seeley in late 1966 purchased all the engine tooling and spares for their racing AJS, Matchless and Norton motorcycle brands.Motor Cycle, 17 November 1966, p.680 'Villiers plan replica racer'. "Concerning racing plans, chairman Dennis Poore remarked: Because we have sold off some of the old racing equipment of AMC, this does not mean that we have given up the idea of racing. We have sold some extremely old equipment and had we tried to go racing with it, we would have been a laughing stock. After all, Villiers bought the manufacturing rights to the AMC marque names—not their past." Accessed 2013-08-09 The availability of AJS 7R and Matchless G50 engines was ensured, and Seeley did not have to consider manufacturing the AJS and Matchless cycle parts.Motor Cycle, 20 October 1966, p.542 'Racing Line' by David Dixon. AMC Racing Spares saved. Accessed 2013-07-11 The Manx Norton spares aspect was sold-on to former sidecar racer John Tickle in 1969,Motorcycle News, 12 November 1969, front page: John Tickle buys Manx rights from Seeley. Accessed 2013-12-06 changing hands twice again by 1994. Molnar Precision Ltd, Manx Norton section. Retrieved 2013-07-29
Production
Production began in July 1966, with the first available G50 500 cc bike being purchased by Swiss racer Ernst Weiss.Motor Cycle 21 July 1966, p.86 Racing Line by David Dixon Accessed and added 2014-12-23 David Dixon track-tested the 350cc AJS 7R-engined version for Motor Cycle albeit hampered by the chassis being fitted for smaller Derek Minter and running-in a new engine, he reported the bike – with a six-speed Schafleitner gearbox – to be the smoothest 7R he'd ridden.Motor Cycle, 1 September 1966, p.274 Lower and Lighter by David Dixon. Accessed 2013-06-14 Dixon also reported that there was two gearbox options - four-speed or six-speed at extra cost.