During the ’60s and ’70s, the name Seeley was synonymous with quality, go-faster aftermarket frames, bodywork and exhausts. The man behind it, Colin Seeley, began as a motorcycle mechanic in the early ’50s and was soon to set up in business with his father offering workshop services and then becoming a dealer for new machines and by the late ’50s had secured main dealership contracts with the likes of AJS, BMW and Matchless to name but three. Continue reading
The BBC documentary, Full Throttle: The Glory Days of British Motorbikes, captures the spirit of the motorcycling experience in Britain during the ’50s and ’60s tracing its roots back to the great British hero, Colonel T.E. Lawrence CB DSO, better known to all as Lawrence of Arabia.
Anyone who’s ever spent a quiet moment idly flicking through videos on YouTube will, I’m sure, be aware of the journeys of discovery they can quickly become when you see something that piques your interest and sends you off on a tangent that leaves you wondering where the time went. What follows is one of those journeys. Continue reading
Mike “The Bike” Hailwood was certainly a force to be reckoned with. Between 1958 and 1967, he competed with great success, winning nine motorcycle Grand Prix World Championships and fourteen Isle of Man TT races. Continue reading
You might think that cutaway versions of motorcycle engines showing their inner workings are a recent phenomena but you would be very much mistaken as these have been around almost as long as the motorcycle itself. Continue reading
During the ’70s and ’80s, many of my father’s friends were keen motorcyclists. Consequently, a number of interesting machines came to my teenage attention. One that left a particularly deep impression was the Kawasaki Z1-R. Immediately and obviously different to its predecessors and peers, I clearly recall being struck by its appearance which, for the time (1978), was distinctly exotic. Continue reading
After much effort designing, writing and preparing, OilySmudges is launching as a new source of information and, hopefully, insight for motorcycle enthusiasts everywhere. We aim to bring you news, comment and items of interest from the world of classic and bespoke motorcycles.
Old Dogs, New Tricks is a short film commissioned by the three brothers whose story it tells. It’s a story of what can be achieved if you have an idea and the will to realise it. In this case, a modern twist on three ’60s greats: Triumph Bonneville, Triumph Trident and BSA A65 Lightning. Continue reading