Seeley G50 Mark 3 Wooden Replica

This amazing Seeley G50 Mark 3 is a direct follow on from its creator's famous 'Planx Manx', a life-size replica of a Manx Norton created entirely in wood that took five years of its creator's spare time to complete. This Seeley has been equally long in the making, consuming almost 700 man-hours, and was only completed in January 2016.

Every single part of this Seeley G50 is made of wood: black walnut for the cam-box, hubs, and tyres; birch ply for the cylinder barrel, 'head, oil tank, brakes plates, and chain; maple for the fork yokes, carburettor, float bowl, and magneto; pine for the wheel rims, fuel tank, seat, and gearbox; tulip wood for the frame; oak for the crankcases; and mahogany for the timing case.

This timber masterpiece is based on Classic Racer editor Malcolm Wheeler's Seeley G50 Mark 3 with the exception of the primary drive: chain has been chosen for originality, whereas Malcolm's bike has belt drive. Other than that, the specification is the same. Its maker would like to thank Malcolm Wheeler, George Beale. Bob Wood, and Peter Swallow for their invaluable help.

Many-times British sidecar champion Colin Seeley bought Associated Motor Cycles' racing department when the company went into receivership in 1966. Seeley's motorcycle dealership possessed an AMC agency and he was already well familiar with the Plumstead firm's race engines, having commenced his sidecar-racing career with a G50-powered outfit. Believing that the engines possessed further potential if combined with state-of-the-art cycle parts, the previous year he had constructed the first Seeley racing frame to house a Matchless G50 engine, and the AMC purchase enabled him to produce complete Seeley G50 and 7R machines. With their improved frames, the four-stroke singles enjoyed renewed competitiveness, Derek Minter winning first time out at the start of 1966 on both the 350cc 7R and 500cc G50-engined Seeleys. The Seeley frame progressed from the duplex cradle Mk1 to the similar but lighter Mk2 on which works rider Dave Croxford won the British 500 Championship in 1968. The down-tubes were abandoned with the Mk3, the head-stock and swinging arm pivot of which were linked solely by tubes running diagonally above the engine. Supported by sponsor Gus Kuhn, Seeley-mounted Croxford triumphed again in the British 500 Championship in 1969. The Seeley Mk4 introduced towards the end of 1970 featured a revised tubing layout and continued in production until 1973, achieving further successes. Production of Seeley frames was later licensed to Roger Titchmarsh and there have been countless copies made over the years, but none quite like this one!