Peter Williams in memoriam

I'd like to see it but it doesn't work for me - only continue to see your front page
 
Peter Williams was a tertiary qualified engineer and so was Phil Irving. I wonder how many others in the motorcycle industry have been ?
 
I'm honored to host some of the Norton greats on my fecebook JPN group. Everyone is saddened at Peter's passing.

I never realized how beloved he is. Now I know why. Amazing talent on and off the track.
 
the weslake reynolds frame in one picture: I bought one at Kempton bike jumble, but couldn’t fit the Model 50 motor I had, so sold it on to Mike Braid who was planning to fit another motor that looked similar to the Weslake prototype.
 
I have always been amazed my Seeley 850 actually became competitive against 1100cc CB750 Hondas, and I wondered about Peter Williams racing against TZ750 Yamahas in Trans Atlantic races. However I have found that if you are 10 MPH faster in the corners, you do not need so much power as you go down the straights, because as you exit the corners you already have 10 MPH in hand. To make up the difference the other guys need a lot more power. Because of its increased trail and light weight, my bike stays more upright in corners, and can accelerate where others cannot. It is a much easier ride. The John Player Nortons probably had the same steering geometry as 'Wagon Wheels', which PW raced for Tom Arter.
I do not know where Colin Seeley got his smarts. But his frames were excellent.

Bonhams : Property of John Cooper,1972 Gus Kuhn Seeley-Commando Mk4 750cc Racing Motorcycle Frame no. Mk4 4CS 219 N Engine no. 20M 3S/136686 CS

Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars
www.bonhams.com
 
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acotrel said:
I have always been amazed my Seeley 850 actually became competitive against 1100cc CB750 Hondas, and I wondered about Peter Williams racing against TZ750 Yamahas in Trans Atlantic races. However I have found that if you are 10 MPH faster in the corners, you do not need so much power as you go down the straights, because as you exit the corners you already have 10 MPH in hand. To make up the difference the other guys need a lot more power. Because of its increased trail and light weight, my bike stays more upright in corners, and can accelerate where others cannot. It is a much easier ride. The John Player Nortons probably had the same steering geometry as 'Wagon Wheels', which PW raced for Tom Arter.
I do not know where Colin Seeley got his smarts. But his frames were excellent.

Bonhams : Property of John Cooper,1972 Gus Kuhn Seeley-Commando Mk4 750cc Racing Motorcycle Frame no. Mk4 4CS 219 N Engine no. 20M 3S/136686 CS

Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers: auctioneers of art, pictures, collectables and motor cars
www.bonhams.com
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Your story about the Seeley 850 reminds me of when I was tinkering with a classic bike I inherited from an uncle. He always told me it wasn’t about raw power but how you handle it, especially in the corners. I had this old bike that wasn't the fastest in a straight line, but it could outmaneuver much bigger machines with ease. I remember going on a track day where everyone was surprised at how it performed, just like what you mentioned with the Seeley. It's all about the geometry and knowing when to push.

Speaking of old memories, it's kind of like finding peace in the simple things. Just like my uncle's bike, even when we were dealing with the tough reality of his passing, everything was handled so gracefully at https://cremationsdirect.co.uk/ that it felt like we could focus on what mattered – remembering him and those rides. It’s funny how sometimes the simplest solutions can have the most impact.
 
AnnieHill said:
Your story about the Seeley 850 reminds me of when I was tinkering with a classic bike I inherited from an uncle. He always told me it wasn’t about raw power but how you handle it, especially in the corners. I had this old bike that wasn't the fastest in a straight line, but it could outmaneuver much bigger machines with ease. I remember going on a track day where everyone was surprised at how it performed, just like what you mentioned with the Seeley. It's all about the geometry and knowing when to push.

Speaking of old memories, it's kind of like finding peace in the simple things. Just like my uncle's bike, even when we were dealing with the tough reality of his passing, everything was handled so gracefully at https://cremationsdirect.co.uk/ that it felt like we could focus on what mattered – remembering him and those rides. It’s funny how sometimes the simplest solutions can have the most impact.
Click to expand...
With motorcycle road racing, we probably tend to make things more difficult than they really are. The rider adapts to the bike. You can have a ton of power, but in a bike which does not handle it can create misery for the rider. My first race bike was like that. I spent ages trying to get more midrange, and before I moved the motor as far forward as possible, it was light in the front - so very frightening. When it was slower but had more torque, it could be ridden much faster. It needed 6 gears.
 
Peters riding style was different to most at that time, he was a drift king and tailored his bikes balance and steering to develop his style . I was not really aware of this till i had to push his bikes around over a distance for Mike and found they kept getting out of hand and had very restricted lock and weird balance , It was clear these are something special. I have been offered a ride on some very special machines but would have not wanted to try the Monocock or spaceframe bikes ( no chance anyway!) .
 
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