Topic: Seeley CB750 Honda Registry

[scottly]

My seat is a genuine Seeley piece, Geoff, although I did modify it a bit back in the day. The original cover is still in good condition, given it's age, but the stitching is failing in places, and the original foam padding has since turned to dust. Your seat appears to be a bit shorter than mine? Does your bike have the larger fuel tank?

[Zunspec]

Hi Scottly,

I did not realise you had modified your seat hence I mistook it for a 3rd party item, looks good though.  Getting the cover restored should not be a hard task.  There are 2 or 3 places in the UK who specialise in seat restoration, they could even use the original cover and re-stitch it.

Yes, I have the larger tank.  I don't know how much use the original owner made of the dual seat, I doubt I will ever swap it over with the single seat (unless a delectable lady suddenly appears in my life  ) 

Best wishes for the 2017.

Cheers  Geoff

[01Thomas]

I'm slim-to-average in build, and several ladies that I consider delectable have been able to fit comfortably with me on my single-seat (with larger fuel tank). One at a time...

[Zunspec]

I'm slim-to-average in build, and several ladies that I consider delectable have been able to fit comfortably with me on my single-seat (with larger fuel tank). One at a time...

With my fat arse I don't think even the most petite lady would have much space on my single seat, Thomas 

I always have the Bonnie to fall back on though 

[Tim2005]

Don't throw that dual seat out, I might have it off you one day! the one on my yellow bike is rather misshapen.

Great pic Scottly- will use it on the new Register site, thanks. Thomas have you got any of yours? 

[01Thomas]

Yes I do. Or rather I will have shortly. Back in the day I happened to be chatting to Axl (Satanic Mechanic) and by coincidence he had taken an original seat to have a mould and 2 copies of it made by his favourite fibreglass man so I just asked to make that 3 three copies, one for me which I then paid for. It passed through about 6 pairs of hands to get to me here in South Africa, postage and taxfree.
Once here a mate of mine, also rebuilding a Seeley Honda, borrowed it to make a mould and more copies... (an extra one for me by way of payment in kind). So anyway my new replica seat has just been painted, the accoutrements fitted and it has been mounted on my bike. I'll take a photo tomorrow of the fitted one and of the bare-bones spare.

Don't throw that dual seat out, I might have it off you one day! the one on my yellow bike is rather misshapen.

Great pic Scottly- will use it on the new Register site, thanks. Thomas have you got any of yours? 

[Tim2005]

Thanks Thomas, that's great, and good to hear that there's a mould around too. I look forward to seeing the photo on the bike.

[01Thomas]

Here are the photos of the seat Axl had made for me. I chose not to use this "original replica" but to use the copy made from this one. More photos to follow

[01Thomas]

What I haven't photographed are the little tapered and countersunk washers that Seeley used on all the screw fittings. When I got my bike it only had one left on it and the ones I turned up don't quite match it but they look the part. Here is photo of one of mine

[Zunspec]

Hello Thomas,

The use of those style of countersunk washers are pretty common in the racing world.  One of the vendors who ply their wares in the paddock was selling them for £1 (ish) each.  I could also get them from a local supplier (since ceased trading, but I have their private Tel No.)

I can always measure up the ones fitted to my machine and post a technical drawing if anyone wants to reproduce them. 

Cheers  Geoff

[jaguar]

Unsure if the seat on mine is original or not.
Sure is ugly, and fairly heavy though.

[Zunspec]

I have just spent a good weekend at the Bristol Classic Bike Show (in UK).  I was invited to add my Seeley Honda to the bikes on a friends stand (Empire Cycle Corp.).  Always a good do and the logistics of getting the bike there and back worth it for the free weekend tickets 



One aspect of going to a show is enjoying and chatting to folk with a wide range of biking interests from ancient flat tankers through to Italian scooters.  I met two guys who both had Seeley Honda's and one chap actually had the the brother to my own as it was also on the Seeley stand at the 1978 London Bike show (a 900cc SOHC in his case lucky chap  )

Cheers  Geoff

(PS; The Kawasaki Samurai A7 250cc in the foreground in the photo won Best Japanese Bike.  The owner, Paul, is one of those guys with tremendous resilience to get EVERY small detail correct, has more patience than me lol.  Also for any HD fans, I was parked next to a super clean Harley XLCR, there can't be many around in this condition.

   

[scottly]

No pics of the other Seeleys, Geoff?

[Zunspec]

No pics of the other Seeleys, Geoff?

Unfortunately no, scottly.  The owners were there but their bikes were at home.  I should of had my note book with me and taken some contact info. so at least the chassis numbers could have been added to the registry.  My hindsight vision is 20:20, but somewhat useless 

Cheers  Geoff

[scottly]

Unsure if the seat on mine is original or not.
Sure is ugly, and fairly heavy though.

I wonder if your steel seat was used to make the mold for the fiberglass seats? IIRC, your seat looks similar in shape to mine.

[Zunspec]

I just spotted this on UK eBay.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CB750-PHIL-READ-REPLICA-SEELEY-RACE-CAN-SILENCER-EXHAUST-NEW-OLD-STOCK-/122375193547

If you have Seeley Phil Read replica it might just complete that nut&bolt resto, if you can afford it 

Cheers  Geoff

[scottly]

Geoff, how did Mr Seeley attach the rear of the fuel tank on your bike? I've been using a thick rubber bungee looped around the frame, but it's thickness prevents the bottom of the seat pan from sitting onto the frame. While I have the seat off for refurbishing, I would like to come up with something that doesn't interfere with the seat.

[Zunspec]

Hello scottly.

There is a chrome bar affixed to the top of the battery box with a rubber loop which goes around the pommel on the tank.





I can take some better shots and do some measuring but I think you can see the basic engineering.  The rubber loop/ring is very probably the original but I have not been able to source anything similar (I need them for my Seeley T500 too).  I have bought some nitrile ones but they are not very stretchy like the rubber originals and are prone to snapping.

Cheers  Geoff

[Tim2005]

The rubber loops are hoover vacuum cleaner drive belts!

[Zunspec]

The rubber loops are hoover vacuum cleaner drive belts!

That's the simple answer, Tim    Finding them is a bit harder as most seem to be made of nitrile rubber these days and not natural rubber as per the originals.  If anyone has a maker & model/part No. that would be useful.

Cheers  Geoff

[scottly]

Thanks Geoff! The chrome bar is the missing piece of the puzzle. My first thought after seeing the pics of the ring was the same as Tim's; Hoover vac belt. (I happen to have some spares for my vac on hand.) There are numbers molded into the OD: H-65-110. I have no idea what they are made from, and while somewhat firm, I was able to stretch one about 1 inch with my index fingers hooked onto it. The bungee I was using was probably even harder to stretch, and I used a plastic wire tie to stretch it over the pommel, then slid the tie out.

[Zunspec]

Hi scottly,

If you want some better photo's of the chrome bar with dimensions etc. just let me know.

Those danged rubber loops/bands (whatever), I am still searching the web and also wishing we still had one of those old style vacuum cleaner shops that used to stock various belts and you could rummage through their stock to find something suitable.  The ones made out of Nitrile material are just not up to the job in the same way natural rubber ones are.  Another beef is that the dia & thickness are usually omitted on most of the ones seen on the web. 

Cheers  Geoff

[Tim2005]

There's an old vacuum shop in town nearby, or used to be. .. I'll drop by and see if it is still going.....

[Zunspec]

There's an old vacuum shop in town nearby, or used to be. .. I'll drop by and see if it is still going.....

Thanks Tim,  Those old style shops are just not around anymore, wiped out by internet buying, which I'm guilty of too.

Cheers  Geoff

[scottly]

Hey Geoff, the pics of the bar are more than adequate, but now I'm wondering about your front mounting of the tank, as well as the cushions between the bottom of the tank and the frame tubes. BTW, I found that the rubber bungee I've used for the last 20 years or so is made from EPDM rubber, and can safely be stretched 150% of it's original length.
Scott