John Caffrey Vendetta (Seeley MK4) (2008)

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Not a Norton, but still one of John's more interesting frames. He made this one for Martin Adams' Commonwealth Racing Honda, based on the Honda RS-750 V-twin flat track engine. This is a picture of John with the bike at Daytona in 1987.

John Caffrey Vendetta (Seeley MK4) (2008)


Pictures of the bike from the side without fairing

John Caffrey Vendetta (Seeley MK4) (2008)


John Caffrey Vendetta (Seeley MK4) (2008)



And freshly painted with full fairing

John Caffrey Vendetta (Seeley MK4) (2008)


Ken
 
Persohn said:
Thank's for the pics. Not a common engine here, in France...
Click to expand...

Not common here, either. Honda produced a very limited number of the RS750 engines, intended for flat track racing only. If memory serves me correctly, at that time they were required by AMA to build at least 25 engines to have them homologated. I would doubt if they produced significantly more than that. Owner Martin Adams had significant assistance from Honda in his race program with this bike. Martin later became the manager of the Camel "Smokin' Joe's" Honda superbike team. The Caffrey bike eventually ended up as a decoration hanging on a wall in Martin's Kentucky home.

Ken
 
I remember watching that bike racing at Laguna Seca when the watercooled Ducs just came out. It was a close race with the Honda just behind the Duc. I wasn't too sure about the single backbone tube design though and I noticed it go into a wobble after hitting a bump coming out of turn one. After that the rider backed off each time he came out of turn one and started losing ground. Another interesting thing was the fuel injection Martin used for awhile - easily adjustable. But Martin gave it up for the carbs. I think Martin said he was getting 110 HP out of that Honda.

The watercooled Duc was pretty much the death knell for all scratch built privateer racers - including myself.
 
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