The birth of a Seeley Norton

Great video. Thanks for posting. The bike sounds really good. The wide spread in skill levels must have made it quite challenging to keep up a rhythm. You seemed to be getting around pretty well towards the end of the session when you had some clear track. I quit racing in 1993, and did a last track day in 2002, but your video certainly does remind me of how much fun it was.

Ken
 
storm42 said:
A parade session from Mallory, here is 15 mins you will never get back but the brief howl from the RCW might redeem it a bit.

Click to expand...


Thanks very much for posting this. I have got a ride day on 6th October when I will be doing some on-board. You have inspired me and I have got the urge back. I noticed that you use plenty of gas halfway around the bends and are usually not shutting off. What size is the offset on your fork yokes ? I don't know what the other bikes were, that were out there with you - but if that was a race practice session, you would be on a winner. That close ratio box makes your bike's performance radically different from what it would be with a standard box. If your bike continues to handle like that, after you really come to grips with it, you will probably become extremely aggressive in the way you ride. I did notice that on one corner, you shut off a bit halfway round and it tended to run wide slightly - so stay on the gas. It looks as though your bike has got enough go to win races.
 
Al, the big corner where he tended to “run wide slightly” is called Gerard’s.

Technically, it is taken as two corners, ie tight-out-tight-out, so I don’t think Ralph was far off the line to be honest.

Traffic was heavy though, which tends to impact ones choice of Line somewhat.
 
Most guys who ride converted road bikes, tend to shut off halfway around big corners. Even Doug MacRae does it. With a Seeley which tightens its line, the fastest and safest way around is to ride aggressively, brake slightly before and keep accelerating through corners. I think Ralph took a second bite at that corner. When you get really accustomed to a Seeley, the corners get easier. If you are not used to a Seeley, you tend to presume it will try to run wide. It is the thing I dislike about big circuits - if you have to stay on the gas to get around, you end up going horribly fast. On a small circuit, it is really great.
 
I found the video very interesting. Ralph's Seeley behaves similarly to my own. He was turning under the others and going faster in most of the corners. There was only one guy who really blitzed him and Ralph caught up anyway. There seemed to be a few race bikes in that group. It is difficult to tell if they were really trying. At most road-race meetings it is usually full-on, even in practice.
 
I had to laugh. At Phillip Island, turn one gave the international guys big worries. If you can go around there without backing off, you are a much better man than I am.
 
First, thanks for posting that video. I agree about the great exhaust note sound. Your bike sounds really nice.
 
My 850 sounds different to that. What type of exhaust system are you using ? My 2 into 1 system doesn't seem to produce a similar discrete crackle. You might be using as higher comp. ratio.
 
robs ss said:
I wish I did!

Take that back Eddie (& storm42) -2nd try and I got the correct audio.
Sorry for the spray!
Bloody dodgy internet - first time all I got was crappy music with occasional ads for online gambling (in Oz)
Lovely sound - even that Honda sounds good
Cheers
Rob
Click to expand...


:)

Honda, what Honda? I think the other prominent noise is coming from No.20 a rotary Norton.
 
acotrel said:
My 850 sounds different to that. What type of exhaust system are you using ? My 2 into 1 system doesn't seem to produce a similar discrete crackle. You might be using as higher comp. ratio.
Click to expand...

The pipe is the Maney design but you get them from Minnovation these days, I think Martin has put a small reverse cone in the back.

I will put some more video up later, I am just leaving for this weekends jolly’s, Our own Phillip island, Anglesey in Wales.
 
storm42 said:
:)

Honda, what Honda? I think the other prominent noise is coming from No.20 a rotary Norton.
Click to expand...

Was that what whizzed past you so quickly towards the end of your video. Whatever it was seemed to be extremely rapid. Your own bike was not going slow.
 
storm42 said:
The pipe is the Maney design but you get them from Minnovation these days, I think Martin has put a small reverse cone in the back.

I will put some more video up later, I am just leaving for this weekends jolly’s, Our own Phillip island, Anglesey in Wales.
Click to expand...


When I was a kid, I was studying to become a scientist at night school. One year I pursued 5 subjects and failed 3. My friend suggest I should join him at Otis Elevators, transfer to London and go road racing. Because he was a ratbag, I stayed in Australia and raised kids. - Probably a wrong decision. I'd really love to be racing in the UK these days. You guys do it so much better. I watched your video and I really identified with what you were doing. Most times, you were on the gas at the perfect moment. - Very inspiring and you can only get better !
 
storm42 said:
The pipe is the Maney design but you get them from Minnovation these days, I think Martin has put a small reverse cone in the back.

I will put some more video up later, I am just leaving for this weekends jolly’s, Our own Phillip island, Anglesey in Wales.
Click to expand...
Out of interest does the Maney exhaust from Minnovation passes noise okay. Do you have a db figure you are getting. I am thinking of making up a baffle for mine just in case!
 
I think that to get the most out of a 2 into 1 exhaust system, you need to advance at least the timing of the exhaust valve opening. I advanced the whole 850 cam by 12 degrees. It works extremely well, but the exhaust is way too loud. For me it is not a problem because I cannot afford to do historic racing any more. And they don't have noise meters at ride days. MY inlet valve now opens at 65 degrees BTDC and the exhaust opens at about 92 degrees BBDC. I thought the latter was too early, but the other day I was talking to a guy who races a 920cc Triumph with a 2 into 1 exahaust , and uses that timing for the exhaust valve. I think a cam which opens at similar early timings but maintains the old closing points might be better (longer duration ? ) . But noise is always a problem if the exhaust valve opens early.
 
lcrken said:
Great video. Thanks for posting. The bike sounds really good. The wide spread in skill levels must have made it quite challenging to keep up a rhythm. You seemed to be getting around pretty well towards the end of the session when you had some clear track. I quit racing in 1993, and did a last track day in 2002, but your video certainly does remind me of how much fun it was.

Ken
Click to expand...

Thanks, I don't know how the organisers of an event like the festival could ever get similar skills in the sessions, it is quite dangerous at times but we seem to get through it.

I will add a bit of video to this when it has uploaded as a taster to parading. :)

There you go !!

 
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acotrel said:
Thanks very much for posting this. I have got a ride day on 6th October when I will be doing some on-board. You have inspired me and I have got the urge back. I noticed that you use plenty of gas halfway around the bends and are usually not shutting off. What size is the offset on your fork yokes ? I don't know what the other bikes were, that were out there with you - but if that was a race practice session, you would be on a winner. That close ratio box makes your bike's performance radically different from what it would be with a standard box. If your bike continues to handle like that, after you really come to grips with it, you will probably become extremely aggressive in the way you ride. I did notice that on one corner, you shut off a bit halfway round and it tended to run wide slightly - so stay on the gas. It looks as though your bike has got enough go to win races.
Click to expand...

Sorry I don't know about the offset, I will have a measure up when i get a minute.

I think you are right about the bike being able to win races, but you would need to put a racer on it :)
 
acotrel said:
I found the video very interesting. Ralph's Seeley behaves similarly to my own. He was turning under the others and going faster in most of the corners. There was only one guy who really blitzed him and Ralph caught up anyway. There seemed to be a few race bikes in that group. It is difficult to tell if they were really trying. At most road-race meetings it is usually full-on, even in practice.
Click to expand...

I don't think the racers that were out there were trying at all, you can tell when a racer passes you, they are so smooth compared to the rest of us. There were race bike out there but not many had racers on them.
 
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Steves said:
Out of interest does the Maney exhaust from Minnovation passes noise okay. Do you have a db figure you are getting. I am thinking of making up a baffle for mine just in case!
Click to expand...

It tested at 105/106 at Mallory, the guy said his meter hadn't been callibrated recently. ( i didn't need the test but I asked him to do it because I was at Anglesey the week after and wouldn't have been able to do anything about it if it was too high )

At Anglesey, 105/106 so on the limit and if they wanted to be arsey, a fail.

I am looking at adding a Supertrap end to it for next year.
 

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