Colin Seeley was the British Sidecar Champion in the early 1960s. He produced motorcycles from 1966 to 1979
In 1966 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 of which he had thorough knowledge. 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 cafe-racer, a road racer with lights. His Mark 3 frame had nickel plating finish with the engine hung from it. It was an extremely attractive machine, however Colin Seeley notes that "we only sold seven complete motorcycles and three rolling chassis so that people could fit their own engine."
That year Ducati fitted his frames to their 500 GP racers
1973 The days of the big single were over (for the time being), so Seeley concentrated on the Yamsel. He used his own frame and fitted it with Yamaha 250cc and 350cc TZ engines. These were very successful and many were constructed. There were also many specials and limited editions using engines and components from Japan and Italy.
1975 Seeley transplanted Honda's 70bhp CB750 F2 engine into his own British-built cafe-racer chassis. He wanted to make a motorcycle which was lighter, better handling and better looking than the standard 750 Four. 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 CB750 models 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.
Sources: Graces Guide, et al.
Colin Seeley: Racer ...and the Rest, Volume 1 by Colin Seeley is published by redlinebooks.co.uk. It covers the years 1960 to 1969.
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