1980s London | Riding through London | POV Shots | Dispatch Rider | Another side of London | 1988

Filmed specially for the Thames TV production 'Another side of London' We get a dispatched riders view of the London's busy streets.
First shown: 01/08/1988
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Quote: VT42887

[@JohnnyMac196544]

I used to be a dispatch rider. I rode around London like this for 10 years. You get very sharp reflexes after doing this for a while.

[@MadBiker-vj5qj]

Yup, there is a sort of sixth sense we develop.

[@peterjcoleman1185]

I was doing this for a year and it certainly sharpens you up although I started taking too many calculated risks - do miss it though

[@sponge111111]

18 years !! how am I alive?

[@JohnnyMac196544]

@@sponge111111 The 6th sense brother

[@sponge111111]

@@JohnnyMac196544 I think it must be, so many never had it though,

[@strictlyyoutube6881]

I can smell the leaded petrol and I can hear the bustling sounds. I can even smell the rubber and grease on the route masters. Yet I will never be there again.

[@zeddeka]

Smell is so closely associated to memory. It's so often the most vivid thing we remember.

[@DasTubemeister]

I was a despatch rider in London 1989/90. This brings back memories.

[@person.X.]

London from that year seems like yesterday to me and yet it is 32 years ago. Yikes! Another 32 years and I'll more than likely be dead. Life seems to go by so fast :(

[@thefootballfuturist3063]

It’s going by too quickly

[@ShoaibKhan-bz5qm]

Got to live for the moment and appreciate what you got@@thefootballfuturist3063

[@buzzofftoxicblog791]

Good memories thank you I did enjoy cycling in London mid 80s wild west!

[@nowseemefly]

#buzzofftoxic Blog But was it wilder than traffics in India?

[@MadBiker-vj5qj]

Yup this looks very familiar... including coming up behind the BMW mounted policeman; interesting how the film is cut at that point LOL. The rider here is actually taking it easy, there are keyhole observation opportunities that he is using and holding back where appropriate... so this rider is probably still alive, despite what other commenters have said. I rode like this for around twenty years and I'm still here to leave this comment. ;-)

[@jeshkam]

Hence your username, right? 😂🤣😁

[@MadBiker-vj5qj]

@@jeshkam LOLOL Actually the riding is quite sane... it's the rest of my life that is bat-shit crazy. ;-)

[@petercaprini5767]

Me too bud... 😊

[@person.X.]

The Routemaster at 0.14 is still registered lol. Those things never die!

[@stephanmorris8443]

Wow, just 4 months before I started my first job at Delta - seems like a different world !

[@alanbuckingham8788]

I used to be a dispatch rider in London at that time on a VF500. Wow. The memories.

[@alexpiva9672]

At 1.30 you can spot the legendary Marquee Club at 90 Wardour Street; last moments before relocating in Charing Cross.

[@salvatorep.1685]

Amazing Rover P6

[@person.X.]

It was taxed until 2007! Lasted 32 years on the road - someone looked after it.

[@Geffo555]

Those were the days. I was out on a VT 500 back then. Hi to all the old despatchers.

[@reavsie1]

Took a VT from brand new to round the clock despatching . I loved that bike, slim, sensible shaftie - why don't they make em like that anymore?

[@Geffo555]

@@reavsie1. Yeah mate. I've had GPZs, GTs, and a Bandit 1200 for fun, but the VT is still about my fav bike. Agile, quick away from the lights, and great in the wet. Top bike.

[@brianlarkin5246]

I had two cb250rs in Dublin back in the day 😅

[@mickbaker1028]

Me too mate I bought it brand-new from motorcycle city in Hounslow.

[@markpunt9638]

Great shots coming down maiden Lane of the lady building on the corner of Bedford Street

[@JasonC1782]

Wonder what kind of camera set-up was used to capture these shots? Clearly this massively pre-dates the use of Go-Pros and other miniaturised, stabilised cameras - and yet it looks a bit too smooth for it to have come from a guy with a hand-held sitting on the back of the bike.

[@JJVernig]

My guess would be a 16 mm film camera. Would also explain the lack of sound. Size of 80s CVHS or large video8 camcorder.

[@mr.airgun6921]

Was wondering the same thing, It’s pretty good. I’ve far seen worse uploaded today (usually with someone shouting worldstar repeatedly)

[@anthonygeo8598]

Imagine that now. With all the 20 mph speed limits and cameras.

[@iot1452]

A few lines of coke and anyone can be Valentino Rossi.

[@irishboer7124]

We didn't need coke, we earned the equivalent of 1500 quid a week in today's money in the 80s doing what we liked best (or second best).

[@mickbaker1028]

Never did Coke, but smoked plenty of weed

[@londonroulette]

I worked in London for an advertising agency near Fleet Street.in 1984 (best memories), my first job. I was a foot messenger around Fleet Street. I worked with some motorcycle dispatch riders, all nice guys, but I remembering someone saying the average life of a dispatch rider is 3 years. Not sure how true that was. Paul Hardcastle started off as a dispatch rider

[@hassankhan384]

When London was good and you could drive now its ruined with 20mph speeds limits and restrictions, ltns, crimes, traffic, too many road work, stupid cycle lanes. And roads are worse then they where before, driving is nightmare in London, parking is expensive and barely any quick stops its hell now they need to bring old London back as its not safe any more nor these new things have improved anything.

[@mh20162]

How are we going to live with ULEZ as well? It makes me so sad how times have changed.

[@hassankhan384]

@@mh20162 I know right, London is ruined with these courrup politicians, khan needs to go ASAP and we need somone who can get rid of this nonsense ulez, it's nothing to with air pollution its all about money another tax on us.

[@mickbaker1028]

That takes me back, I was a despatch rider for seven years had a great time made a lot of money got plenty of stories to tell. I’ve written a book about it called ‘Circuit Riders,’ should be out this summer.

[@NVHID]

Wow I enjoyed this. They need to make a game and incorporate this in to i

[@leesmith8366]

Forgot about that company, city link bike near trafalgar sq,.

[@YoshiBear]

The first-ever Go Pro!

[@brianlynch5112]

Musta been a courier 👍

[@user-pe6vg8uk7w]

I despatched for nearly 20 years over the 80s and 90s . I was sure the job would kill me . It was a brutal way to earn a living . My face would be black with lead by the end of a day .

[@kazirahman-bw7cn]

london looks same now as it did back then except for the style of the cars is different

[@poilkjmnb987654]

That's what it was like

[@guidelineuk]

🏍

[@grantparsons6205]

No pot holes back then!

[@roff1opiola366]

It breaks my heart to see what it has become - rivers of blood turned out to be so true

[@tonypp.7093]

Early Gopro...

[@leosheridan2636]

this guy would have had to come off his bike eventually with a major injury or two

[@mickbaker1028]

Nah he was ridjng defensively

[@liljack3053]

This would make a good use of my skills but it seems a bit dangerous if you only gonna get paid peanuts

[@appelscha23]

He crashed @ 1:39

[@Ribeirasacra]

RJ.......

[@tonypp.7093]

RJs dad?

[@keithrose6931]

No wonder so many of them became a cropper.

[@mickbaker1028]

To be honest that was pretty tame

[@BokorRider]

nice Rover P6............funny how the cyclists passes all of them.....

[@jcb74]

lol All these peeps saying or mentioning "cyclist"... It's clearly not a human powered conveyance being used, but petrol powered...

[@MadBiker-vj5qj]

They are probably American, what we call a biker, they call a cyclist. Motorbike vs motorcycle,.

[@Michael-lg4wz]

Hey, theres no stabbings!

[@JOSHUACHIOCCI]

Mf was lucky they didn’t get knocked off

[@uncleneckcutter]

Back when London was english.

[@jeshkam]

Still is.

[@Keithbarber]

London will be English for as long as the human race survives

[@mikekaraoke]

@@Keithbarber That is obviously not what they meant lol

[@Keithbarber]

Let's assume their referring to more "imports" than "home grown"

[@airingcupboard]

Back when we used capital letters. English not english.

[@diyguy928]

How to drive like a prick in the 80's more like

[@fredyellowsnow7492]

Tell us, do you earn a good living being an arsehole or do you do it entirely on a voluntary basis?

[@diyguy928]

@@fredyellowsnow7492 think you have some brain cells missing dumb dumb

[@MrNobbyify]

Do you even ride, bro?

[@fredperry9235]

It can't be London, Too many British people

[@anthonyprice5596]

Isn't it a shame what our capital has become. A multi cultural murder spot, the biggest Mosque promoting racial hatred for white Christians and a Muslim Mayor.......shouldn't we be proud.

[@mikekaraoke]

But this was in the 80's-So would make a lot of sense Fred, Now on the other hand is a very different matter

[@fredperry9235]

@carruthers100 Yes good idea. Lets limit immigration ftom Northern Europe. Thanks for the suggestion