30p a kilo is a sarky answer to not an offer to treat.
I don't know how well you know London but 1965/6/7/8-ish at the eastern end of the Hammersmith flyover about where the big M&S store is was a large demolition site where peopel could drive in and leave their old bikes and cars; this was because at that time there was a massive problem with old vehicles being abandoned on the streets. I have seen some desirable [these days] bikes in there, I remember heaps all jumbled up, and burrowing into one to remove a first class BTH mag off an alloy engined Triumph twim for a few bob slippe dto the guy in charge, I'd remove tank badges and leave them on a post behind the fence to recover on my way home from the 59 club.
plenty of bikes scrapped or abandoned in gardens and so on; I bought a T100 for a fiver, noend of small stuff, I'd ride around onthe top of a bus looking into gardens, if I saw a likely looing prospect I'd knock on the door and ask..... 3 answers likely,#1 take it away son for gods sake, #2 its 10 bob, or #3 eff off.
Ariel leader, a Tiger cub, a pre war 250 BSA, a 1945 C11, couple C12, a B31alternator bike, several AMC 350's cheapest £1.50 all runners or needing minimal work.were some I remember
I never bothered with mopeds, WD Enfield, M20s or 16Hs.
the junky stuff included a 1930 RE V twin, under hole in a shed for about 30yrs, a beautiful little pre war NSU, so corroded on the alloy, a 1928 Raliegh 250
My pre-war pride and joy belonged to a guy that would never part with it, when he died his widow paid a neighbour to take it away, he robbed the chair off it and took it to a dump, from where it was rescued by a backyard breaker who swappped it with me for bits of the £5 T100.
My brother bought his first bike, a James for 14quid from an Oxfam shop, belstaffsuit and helmet included
They were happy days for the old bike fan.
The stuff that came to light in the great building clearance projects was amazing, a bike and side bricked into an air raid shelter, I knew off two under flooorboards, one behind a piano, another behind a lathe covered in oil, it was mint when washed, a TR5 in a loft, a V twin James in a skip, I missed that one by minutes.
No way these days a young bloke canget hold of a interesting ike so cheap or free
Even Motorcycle Mechanics magazine GAVE AWAY a running 1150cc Royal Enfield back then.
