Hahahh, Markyboyz1300's comment about head down on the tank at 130 coming back in from Reading reminds me of something.
Probably '87 or '88 and there was a clip on the news. "Jam tart" with dash cam chasing a white GPX750 @ about 120 to 130ish on the A40M. Weren't too many of them about and I had my suspicions. Next day I popped into Gough Wallace to check and right enough, it was a guy that worked there called Kim. The filth managed to get a read on his number plate and stitched him up bigtime
rukkas, crappy old nicholsons, " im going in the door now" when your still in the broadgate having a cup of tea, constant free mots from the filth, heated grips and handlebar muffs, complete superiority over every other road user, head down on the tank at 130mph on an xj 900 coming back from reading in a blizzard late friday night still 40 quid below my guarantee.
this video should win a prize but not sure if anyone but despatch riders would get it, we are part of a family always will have those crazy memories won't we.
I wish I had a Fiver for every time I'd heard myself or another despatcher saying stuff like that, or "F^#& it, I'm going to (?) Couriers - I've got a mate there who earns..."
Oh the memories:
"Give it another 10, rog"
"I know you're off in 5 minutes & live in Willesden Green, Kilo 43, but you're the only bloke we've got who can take that EC1 - Reading, and it's mega urgent!"
And when you went to the company where so and so earnt mega bucks they never appeared for you! I think the best I worked for was a cowboy type outfit called Point to Point. The office was incredible, they had a lego train set where the girls who took the jobs had to stop the rickety train and put the dockets in, which then went round the track to the controllers. Very hi tec!
why do we do it:we have a higher kill death ratio than a soldier serving in iraq winter is shit the money is shit the contractors dont give a flyin fuck about you drivers dont give a flyin fuck about but we still do it!!!!
Know what you're saying, mate, but we were mostly, pretty much, in our early 20's (20 till 24 for me) and filled with the spice of immortality. Looking back it sometimes seems we had a deathwish but I reckon it was just that we were all addicted to the speed, thrill, danger, anarchy and relative freedom you had being outside all day, plus it catered to that adventurous side of your nature. I get the feeling alot of us former DR's ended up leaving Blighty for far flung places and adventure
I think back now and its like we all had a death wish (hi Jon) for me the first time was for Wings Couriers in Macklin St just off Drury lane on my GPZ 750 and my Frank Thomas motocross boots! Addison Lee, TNT, Red Lightning diferent bikes including my 1200 Bandit with the Remus can, front wheel in the air off every set of lights. Cold hands wet leathers my black Shoei, the noise of the bike and the wind no wonder I'm a bit deaf now! 2500 and a new tyre every week when I was at TNT in Victoria!
No chance of forgetting them, mate. Actually saved more money in the last couple of years of my stint using three CB250RS'. Spent a few stormy days slipstreaming buses and trucks on various motorways in and around London out to say a limit of 50 miles past the M25. Welwyn Garden city, Cambridge, Colchester, Bicester, Oxford, Reading, Guildford etc. were all fair game on an RS.
Eating camshafts, eh?? I just thought I was shite at adjusting Tappets ;-))
when i did this if you were London city it was CX500s and VT500's but long distance it was BMW's and GTR1000's , hey Jez, except if you were me it was a mad max 1980 Z1000 mkII with chain drive. high maintenance but bike never ever let me down. adjusted the chain at Bristol and again at Taunton and again at home in Devon. tyres every 2000 miles. oil everyday. but she fuckin shifted through the traffic. not much that could ctach me even to this day i had a death wish i think. good memories.
again, for me, this captures the emotions and the essence so well, of how i felt when i did this for a living. the only thing missing is the sound of my own breath for mile upon mile breathing into my scarf and the tingling in my fingers and toes from the cold
Did 86-90 despatching in London, working for Turbo Express, Mach-1, Central despatch and Southbank. Have the occasional dream where I'm back there calling in POB from Price Waterhouse, Satchi and Satchi, Lawyers offices in Grays Inn and Temple, Rough Trade or Mute records and going places like 10 Downing street, The Beeb, Morrisey's flat in some square in SW1, Richmond and going through the park watching the herds of deer.
Wake up and then remember the days when it rained incessantly, punctures and crashes would take out a few riders and the radio/controllers would go berzerk, 10-15 packages on board "#two-eight, #two-eight, when will you be getting to West 1?? Got something going from (some advertising agency) out to Guildford to go with the rest of the stuff going west, Chiswick ways and then south west."
busy non-stop days...taking more work on the move, go go go, on radio whilst carving through traffic, W1 zombie christmas pedestrians, anticipating car drivers, slippery London summer rain, manky bike, broken bike, non drying leathers in rainy season, near misses, 'relaxing' distance jobs, warming shaking winter hands with styro coffee cup, ground sky ground sky, surviving, riding rings round non-couriers, howling mad Friday nights, the best and the worst, I f*cking loved it :), Nurse!
I'm a tad to old and creaky for that now, ironicly I was taken out head on in my car returning from work (a nice safe office job...) 2.5 years ago and am still recovering, hoping to ride again later this year. I believe the 80's were the hayday of despatching in London - remember how many bikes there were on the through routes?, outnumbered the other traffic! I liked and miss the anarchy of it - glad to've been there but it stays in the past :)
Shellgrip, one way systems, 3,4,5 lanes wide where you could deck the CX500, CB250RS, or whichever hack you were riding, till the pegs or exhausts were showering sparks. The dogfights with other riders, who had the biggest balls and/or ability ro read the traffic ahead, select the better lane.
All the "OH SHIT" moments.
Sad to hear that it's not as fun/lucrative as it used to be, it was an education in two wheeled survival.
I too had cx500 and cb250rs. My crowning moment was getting my knee down on my cx500 round Hyde Park Corner. The grippiest tarmac this side of Brands Hatch!
Back in '86 to '90 I used to love coming along Clerkenwell/Old street and getting a free run through the Old street /City road roundabout flicking left, right, left and going straight through to Shoreditch high st. Then dropping down to hit the big, wide, grippy one way system around Whitechapel.
Hyde park corner was great too with all the shell grip, but that didn't mean shit after some taxi had dumped a gallon of diesel. Recall some surprising/entertaining slides there (;-))
Can't recall CCI but I remember West-1 and Addison Lee being the most prominent/self promotional in the '86-'90 years. Central Despatch Services up in Tufnell park(?), was close in the running for those stakes, too. Then the more medium sized, relaxed dress code (as in only your messenger bag was advertising your company or possibly even the company would get a run on Rukka, 2 piece, waterproofs which had the CO.,logo on and they'd be at a reasonable price{{Jesus, weren't Rukkas a blessing?!?}}
.. the memories :) 1 of my mates worked for CCI on the company bike deal - money wasn't great but the freebie Iota's were. I started with West End in ~84, onto West 1, last ride was with On'yer Bike in '89. Ha, Rukkas, 'waterproof' waterproofs - replaced Belstaffs, a revelation! Mostly had CX's, z250, 250n, 650 kats, the odd day on my gpz11 - nw1 to shepherds Bush via westway in no time, controller sounded shocked :) Add Lee were(are?) a big firm, open call though. West 1 went bust I believe...
...don't remember a dress code, apart from gaffer tape repaired leathers and traffc fume dyed Rukkas! west end made us wear a bib :( At West 1 it was a logo on the bag, they were keen on a rack mounted logo'd box - used to get in trouble for that until they stopped asking, small box bungied onto pillion seat - beter stability :) Remember Motocross boots were practical - still got my Sidis in the attic somewhere
You too!!!!!!Yeah, spot on with the motocross boots comment, amongst others. Jeez, I was still using my Gaerne motocross boots (all black with the white, green and red swirling logo)for track stuff on my Mille six years ago and they're sitting now waiting for a little bit of attention, since I actually found a pair of Sidis vertigos that fit and were a bargain, no mean feet ;-)) in Japan
ha!!, think I puzzled some regulars on the Hockenheim ring with my sidis, old habits n' all that, I find them... reassuring - gotta get your money's worth too. Your Gaerne's must be on for some kind of 'most miles' award :-))))
Jeezus, just realised those old Gaernes of mine are now slightly more than 1/2 my age 8~). They've been re-soled three times. As for mileage, I haven't got a clue but I reckon I must have done about 160,000 miles in the first four years despatching alone so I'd think maybe somewhere around the half million mark. Know what you mean about the reassurance factor, had some pretty spectacular happenings with those boots on and the only injury to my foot/ankle/shin was a fractured big toe, shit wheely
Great vid, first I have ever seen fit to comment on. I spent 3 years as a Dispatch Rider between 88 and 91 and they were probably some of the best years of my life. I will never forget the freedom and camaraderie between the DRs (as we used to refer to ourselves)
Some days it just felt right, the feeling that the bike was a part of you as you weaved your way at speed through the traffic etc.
I started with BONDS couriers when they we only 12-14 people with office on North Wharf Road, then was FOB - best company to work for, then came XL and finished with Ecouriers who nowadays don't even use radio but communicate with messages to the control and getting the details of the pickups on XDA!
Nice :) Brings back memories of a much simpler life. Was despatching on and off in London '85 to '89 - looking through rose tinted specs I'd love to go back, but I also remember how tough it could be. Funny, I always fancied doing a photo project but was always too busy (POB), thanks for the memories!
Its not the same any more,the couriering, like was on the old times..every corner and bus lane fitted with cameras,speed cameras,traffic... and the money not good even when you are very good. I did it between 1995-2001 and in '03 to '05.
But hey, was great fun and feeling for freedom!!! Proud moments :)
enjoyed the vid, live in arizona now but used to dispatch on a CX500 from south west to London and Bristol,was feeling homesick looking for some nostalgia and found it thsnks to you. peace
wow thats pretty good. at first i wished i could see it better on a wider screen but now i think it would change the film to much, it would not be the same. i like it as is. do you plan on making anymore? i like the music choice alot, it really fits London and the mood of being a dispatch rider, the lonelyness, the danger, the relationship with traffic and the city and the weather.i have a old Hi-8 i take movie's with, have not used it yet on the motorcycle, if i make a movie i'll let you know!
Hahahh, Markyboyz1300's comment about head down on the tank at 130 coming back in from Reading reminds me of something.
Probably '87 or '88 and there was a clip on the news. "Jam tart" with dash cam chasing a white GPX750 @ about 120 to 130ish on the A40M. Weren't too many of them about and I had my suspicions. Next day I popped into Gough Wallace to check and right enough, it was a guy that worked there called Kim. The filth managed to get a read on his number plate and stitched him up bigtime
JapseyeOgri 2 years ago
rukkas, crappy old nicholsons, " im going in the door now" when your still in the broadgate having a cup of tea, constant free mots from the filth, heated grips and handlebar muffs, complete superiority over every other road user, head down on the tank at 130mph on an xj 900 coming back from reading in a blizzard late friday night still 40 quid below my guarantee.
I dont miss a thing
markyboyz1300 2 years ago
this video should win a prize but not sure if anyone but despatch riders would get it, we are part of a family always will have those crazy memories won't we.
67genxer 3 years ago
I wish I had a Fiver for every time I'd heard myself or another despatcher saying stuff like that, or "F^#& it, I'm going to (?) Couriers - I've got a mate there who earns..."
Oh the memories:
"Give it another 10, rog"
"I know you're off in 5 minutes & live in Willesden Green, Kilo 43, but you're the only bloke we've got who can take that EC1 - Reading, and it's mega urgent!"
Lord help me, I'm starting to miss it!
Saffabiker 3 years ago
And when you went to the company where so and so earnt mega bucks they never appeared for you! I think the best I worked for was a cowboy type outfit called Point to Point. The office was incredible, they had a lego train set where the girls who took the jobs had to stop the rickety train and put the dockets in, which then went round the track to the controllers. Very hi tec!
pufc66 3 years ago
why do we do it:we have a higher kill death ratio than a soldier serving in iraq winter is shit the money is shit the contractors dont give a flyin fuck about you drivers dont give a flyin fuck about but we still do it!!!!
solomonstemplers 3 years ago
Can't agree more that my riding was at my best then, monster wheelies on mt GTR 1000, corners with the panniers on the floor remeber the holes jon?
jezzerrilla 4 years ago
Know what you're saying, mate, but we were mostly, pretty much, in our early 20's (20 till 24 for me) and filled with the spice of immortality. Looking back it sometimes seems we had a deathwish but I reckon it was just that we were all addicted to the speed, thrill, danger, anarchy and relative freedom you had being outside all day, plus it catered to that adventurous side of your nature. I get the feeling alot of us former DR's ended up leaving Blighty for far flung places and adventure
JapseyeOgri 4 years ago
I think back now and its like we all had a death wish (hi Jon) for me the first time was for Wings Couriers in Macklin St just off Drury lane on my GPZ 750 and my Frank Thomas motocross boots! Addison Lee, TNT, Red Lightning diferent bikes including my 1200 Bandit with the Remus can, front wheel in the air off every set of lights. Cold hands wet leathers my black Shoei, the noise of the bike and the wind no wonder I'm a bit deaf now! 2500 and a new tyre every week when I was at TNT in Victoria!
jezzerrilla 4 years ago
oh and dont forget the ideal short haul city hack, the CB250RS single twin pipe thumper that ate camshafts
67genxer 4 years ago
No chance of forgetting them, mate. Actually saved more money in the last couple of years of my stint using three CB250RS'. Spent a few stormy days slipstreaming buses and trucks on various motorways in and around London out to say a limit of 50 miles past the M25. Welwyn Garden city, Cambridge, Colchester, Bicester, Oxford, Reading, Guildford etc. were all fair game on an RS.
Eating camshafts, eh?? I just thought I was shite at adjusting Tappets ;-))
JapseyeOgri 4 years ago
when i did this if you were London city it was CX500s and VT500's but long distance it was BMW's and GTR1000's , hey Jez, except if you were me it was a mad max 1980 Z1000 mkII with chain drive. high maintenance but bike never ever let me down. adjusted the chain at Bristol and again at Taunton and again at home in Devon. tyres every 2000 miles. oil everyday. but she fuckin shifted through the traffic. not much that could ctach me even to this day i had a death wish i think. good memories.
67genxer 4 years ago
again, for me, this captures the emotions and the essence so well, of how i felt when i did this for a living. the only thing missing is the sound of my own breath for mile upon mile breathing into my scarf and the tingling in my fingers and toes from the cold
67genxer 4 years ago
Thx for the nostalgia provocation.
Did 86-90 despatching in London, working for Turbo Express, Mach-1, Central despatch and Southbank. Have the occasional dream where I'm back there calling in POB from Price Waterhouse, Satchi and Satchi, Lawyers offices in Grays Inn and Temple, Rough Trade or Mute records and going places like 10 Downing street, The Beeb, Morrisey's flat in some square in SW1, Richmond and going through the park watching the herds of deer.
JapseyeOgri 4 years ago
Wake up and then remember the days when it rained incessantly, punctures and crashes would take out a few riders and the radio/controllers would go berzerk, 10-15 packages on board "#two-eight, #two-eight, when will you be getting to West 1?? Got something going from (some advertising agency) out to Guildford to go with the rest of the stuff going west, Chiswick ways and then south west."
JapseyeOgri 4 years ago
busy non-stop days...taking more work on the move, go go go, on radio whilst carving through traffic, W1 zombie christmas pedestrians, anticipating car drivers, slippery London summer rain, manky bike, broken bike, non drying leathers in rainy season, near misses, 'relaxing' distance jobs, warming shaking winter hands with styro coffee cup, ground sky ground sky, surviving, riding rings round non-couriers, howling mad Friday nights, the best and the worst, I f*cking loved it :), Nurse!
mogalboy 4 years ago
Farkin' 'ell mate. Reckon you and I should start a bleedin' despatch company together ;-))
JapseyeOgri 4 years ago
I'm a tad to old and creaky for that now, ironicly I was taken out head on in my car returning from work (a nice safe office job...) 2.5 years ago and am still recovering, hoping to ride again later this year. I believe the 80's were the hayday of despatching in London - remember how many bikes there were on the through routes?, outnumbered the other traffic! I liked and miss the anarchy of it - glad to've been there but it stays in the past :)
mogalboy 4 years ago
what a nightmare it was but look at our fuckin memories man, priceless and i was never a better rider than when i did the despatching.
67genxer 4 years ago
Shellgrip, one way systems, 3,4,5 lanes wide where you could deck the CX500, CB250RS, or whichever hack you were riding, till the pegs or exhausts were showering sparks. The dogfights with other riders, who had the biggest balls and/or ability ro read the traffic ahead, select the better lane.
All the "OH SHIT" moments.
Sad to hear that it's not as fun/lucrative as it used to be, it was an education in two wheeled survival.
Respect to all still despatching.
JapseyeOgri 4 years ago
i LOVE shell grip
67genxer 4 years ago
I too had cx500 and cb250rs. My crowning moment was getting my knee down on my cx500 round Hyde Park Corner. The grippiest tarmac this side of Brands Hatch!
pufc66 3 years ago
Only cos you were hanging off as if your life dependend upon it ;-) good days.
Best radio call i ever heard, dodgy signal: controller "is that a roger?", Chris "if i roger you anymore my legs are gonna fall off"
paulandlisae 3 years ago
Back in '86 to '90 I used to love coming along Clerkenwell/Old street and getting a free run through the Old street /City road roundabout flicking left, right, left and going straight through to Shoreditch high st. Then dropping down to hit the big, wide, grippy one way system around Whitechapel.
Hyde park corner was great too with all the shell grip, but that didn't mean shit after some taxi had dumped a gallon of diesel. Recall some surprising/entertaining slides there (;-))
JapseyeOgri 3 years ago
you remember CCI outa i think, guilford and West 1 despatch? i always envied CCI employees with their company beemers and full on benefits programme.
67genxer 4 years ago
Can't recall CCI but I remember West-1 and Addison Lee being the most prominent/self promotional in the '86-'90 years. Central Despatch Services up in Tufnell park(?), was close in the running for those stakes, too. Then the more medium sized, relaxed dress code (as in only your messenger bag was advertising your company or possibly even the company would get a run on Rukka, 2 piece, waterproofs which had the CO.,logo on and they'd be at a reasonable price{{Jesus, weren't Rukkas a blessing?!?}}
JapseyeOgri 4 years ago
.. the memories :) 1 of my mates worked for CCI on the company bike deal - money wasn't great but the freebie Iota's were. I started with West End in ~84, onto West 1, last ride was with On'yer Bike in '89. Ha, Rukkas, 'waterproof' waterproofs - replaced Belstaffs, a revelation! Mostly had CX's, z250, 250n, 650 kats, the odd day on my gpz11 - nw1 to shepherds Bush via westway in no time, controller sounded shocked :) Add Lee were(are?) a big firm, open call though. West 1 went bust I believe...
mogalboy 4 years ago
...don't remember a dress code, apart from gaffer tape repaired leathers and traffc fume dyed Rukkas! west end made us wear a bib :( At West 1 it was a logo on the bag, they were keen on a rack mounted logo'd box - used to get in trouble for that until they stopped asking, small box bungied onto pillion seat - beter stability :) Remember Motocross boots were practical - still got my Sidis in the attic somewhere
mogalboy 4 years ago
You too!!!!!!Yeah, spot on with the motocross boots comment, amongst others. Jeez, I was still using my Gaerne motocross boots (all black with the white, green and red swirling logo)for track stuff on my Mille six years ago and they're sitting now waiting for a little bit of attention, since I actually found a pair of Sidis vertigos that fit and were a bargain, no mean feet ;-)) in Japan
JapseyeOgri 4 years ago
ha!!, think I puzzled some regulars on the Hockenheim ring with my sidis, old habits n' all that, I find them... reassuring - gotta get your money's worth too. Your Gaerne's must be on for some kind of 'most miles' award :-))))
mogalboy 4 years ago
Jeezus, just realised those old Gaernes of mine are now slightly more than 1/2 my age 8~). They've been re-soled three times. As for mileage, I haven't got a clue but I reckon I must have done about 160,000 miles in the first four years despatching alone so I'd think maybe somewhere around the half million mark. Know what you mean about the reassurance factor, had some pretty spectacular happenings with those boots on and the only injury to my foot/ankle/shin was a fractured big toe, shit wheely
JapseyeOgri 3 years ago
Great vid, first I have ever seen fit to comment on. I spent 3 years as a Dispatch Rider between 88 and 91 and they were probably some of the best years of my life. I will never forget the freedom and camaraderie between the DRs (as we used to refer to ourselves)
Some days it just felt right, the feeling that the bike was a part of you as you weaved your way at speed through the traffic etc.
Thanks for the memories.
pufc66 4 years ago
Thank you for the comment.
I started with BONDS couriers when they we only 12-14 people with office on North Wharf Road, then was FOB - best company to work for, then came XL and finished with Ecouriers who nowadays don't even use radio but communicate with messages to the control and getting the details of the pickups on XDA!
You hardly speak with anyone anymore...
deyanc 4 years ago
Nice :) Brings back memories of a much simpler life. Was despatching on and off in London '85 to '89 - looking through rose tinted specs I'd love to go back, but I also remember how tough it could be. Funny, I always fancied doing a photo project but was always too busy (POB), thanks for the memories!
mogalboy 4 years ago
Its not the same any more,the couriering, like was on the old times..every corner and bus lane fitted with cameras,speed cameras,traffic... and the money not good even when you are very good. I did it between 1995-2001 and in '03 to '05.
But hey, was great fun and feeling for freedom!!! Proud moments :)
deyanc 4 years ago
Naughty boy! Riding in Her Majesty's park!
Nicel clip!
I spent twenty years in and out of the saddle and it was nice to see!
You did use the scenic route though ;0)
sd1965 4 years ago
Thanks for the kind words.
It's very nice of you to say them.
I am glad that you felt the mood in the movie and you are right for everything you saying up there.
Very well put it, actually.
deyanc 4 years ago
enjoyed the vid, live in arizona now but used to dispatch on a CX500 from south west to London and Bristol,was feeling homesick looking for some nostalgia and found it thsnks to you. peace
67genxer 4 years ago
HONDA CBR FIREBLADE !!! omg , i love that bike.
nice riding , i heard the london couriers were proberly the best in the world at what they do.
good riding with you thanx for posting !!
please be safe out there
bikersrule07 4 years ago
LOVE IT ALOT
zionangel1 5 years ago
Good Moving soundtrack, what group is that? Used to listen to XFM Radio London but they won't let us stream it to the US anymore.
redschwinn 5 years ago
From Massive Attack thesong is Everywhen. Thank you for the comment
deyanc 5 years ago
one of my fav vids at the mo, thanks, what camera did you use.
67genxer 4 years ago
It's the humble camera of my mobile phone...
With bit of twinging on the final product.
deyanc 4 years ago
wow thats pretty good. at first i wished i could see it better on a wider screen but now i think it would change the film to much, it would not be the same. i like it as is. do you plan on making anymore? i like the music choice alot, it really fits London and the mood of being a dispatch rider, the lonelyness, the danger, the relationship with traffic and the city and the weather.i have a old Hi-8 i take movie's with, have not used it yet on the motorcycle, if i make a movie i'll let you know!
67genxer 4 years ago
o and nice end titles too. liked that
drblodski 5 years ago
you speeded it up right?
reminds me why i left london... cold, grey, full of rich bastards trying to get ahead of everyone else...lol
good music choice :)
drblodski 5 years ago