Seeley Honda #SH7-672

[Rob54]

I am still checking out the engine on my bike.  The exhaust note is not quite right to me and the #3 cylinder is running rich (not firing every stroke ?), it seems the #3 is being a bit lazy  .



I am curious why #3 and #1 compression readings are down on #2 and #4, although they are within the range of acceptable (just).  This could be due to the long time the engine was not running so may improve with a bit more use (I have only put 150 miles on it since I got the bike).  I would guess a top end re-build/service is in order but I'm not sure it essential at the moment, any thoughts on the best way ahead appreciated.

Cheers  Geoff

Hello Geoff,

Just a thought but I am wondering if you have cleaned out the carbs, what with it having stood for a while, may be some rubbish or blockage in the fuel system causing the different plug colours. Number 4 seems to be running the hottest, followed by number 1, then 2 and then 3, with 1 and 2 looking about right.

Had you just taken the plugs out, as was, to check them or was it after a "plug chop"?

Oh and good luck with the magazine review, would be nice if they could include all those makers you listed.

All the Best,

Rob54.

[Zunspec]

Hello Rob.

I have stripped and cleaned the carbs a couple of times, but as you suggest after such a long time without running there is always a chance some debris remains.  The plugs were not subject to a full on plug chop (I have manuals which recommend 5 miles at WOT, some chance  )  However as a general indication they are a guide.  With the replacement silencers I had built I upped the main jets but I think I could go larger.  They were replicas of the original Seeley silencers but are certainly louder which is a sign of being less restrictive.  Overall the engine is running OK but the carbs could certainly benefit from balancing. I will need to get a set of gauges for that so any recommendations welcome.

Yes, it will be interesting to see what the Magazine chaps have in mind as I am only guessing that it it is some form of classic group test. Hope so 

Cheers  Geoff

[Bryanj]

Buy the best gauges you can, the £50-60 are not up to much. There were some reasonable deals on ebay for sealy sets but all over £100

[Zunspec]

A lovely day at Castle Combe race circuit  for the North Glos club meeting.  I went to support a couple of chums who compete in the Desmo Due championship.  The Seeley got loads more attention than the race bikes lol.

Giles Hepworth with his kawasaki green (?) Ducati


Cheers  Geoff

[SteveD CB500K0]

I had a ball at Castle Combe on my Tiger 800 a couple of weeks ago.

Do they use the "bike chicane" for the club meetings?

[Zunspec]

Hello Steve,

There are 3 chicanes on the circuit as far as I know, all 3 damn tight to negotiate.  Pre chicanes the lap speeds around Castle Combe were 100mph +, and that was 35 years ago.  There is also precious little run off so I guess something had to be done to slow things down a bit 

Cheers  Geoff

[SteveD CB500K0]

The one just before the start/finish straight. They told us they only put it in for the bikes (to slow us down...)

I don't know how the 200bhp sportsbike boys handle it but I was wheelying out of there in 2nd on my Tiger 

[Zunspec]

I have been out in the sunshine with the Classic Bike magazine chappies today doing the photo shoot of the Seeley.  The feature should appear in the October edition (published last week in September).  The weather was glorious and we had a great time, Gez (rider/journo) and Tim (photographer) were both top blokes .  My only complaint, Gez wasn't giving it enough welly and their budget for leather'an lycra clad models was already spent for this month .

Here is one of my photos of Tim taking photos lol.  Also link to my flickr.com album page which also has a bit of video.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/zunspec/albums/72157671221523016

Cheers  Geoff

[MarkCR750]

Fantastic looking bike Geoff, sounds great too!, yes he could have given it a bit more but hey, I'll get the magazine when it's out
PS only thing missing from the post was a photo of you taking a photo of him taking a photo of the bike but we can't have everything I suppose! 😄

[SteveD CB500K0]

Yes Gez (Gerard Kane) is a top bloke. I think he's a member on here as he joined in order to post looking for specific models to run in the mag.

[Zunspec]

Hello Steve,

You are correct, Gez spotted the Seeley on this forum.  A really nice guy and treated the Seeley gently, we were going to have a proper blast on the way back home but too much traffic unfortunately.  He liked the idea of a multi bike feature of 1970's specials but realistically admitted that a. Finding the bikes and b. Collecting them all together was logistically challenging.  He was smitten with the Seeley Honda though and mentioned he was discussing this feature with Colin Seeley himself last week and revealed that not keeping an example of the Seeley Honda 750 was one of Colin's regrets.

Cheers  Geoff

[mike the bike]

The Motorbike Show is featuring Seeleys at the mo on ITV4..   It's on ITV4 + 1 (channel 206) at 10:00 too.

[Zunspec]

Hi Mike,

I have been catching that show.  Mr Cole is not my favourite presenter, although I have a new found respect when he revealed what he sold (& borrowed) to get himself a Brough Superior.  The interview with Colin Seeley would have been better if he let Colin do most of the talking 

Cheers  Geoff

[Jontyp]

I really want to like that show but Cole is, without doubt, one of the rudest and most annoying presenters I have ever seen. He constantly cuts across people and sometimes just plain blanks them. There are many words I can think of to describe him but they are not suitable for a public forum. Grrrr 

[royhall]

What a wasted effort that show is. It was amusing watching the strip down though, only got the tank and fairing off and he's saying it's nearly stripped. What a dick. Then getting the engine out, it was clear his expert hasn't got a clue what he's doing. It must have been stored properly as there wasn't much oil in the engine. What!! Priceless garbage.