I've seen many pictures of motorcycle graveyards, brings tears to the eyes. When I was stationed in Malaysia there was such a graveyard we found up near the ferry. A great big overgrown paddock hiding hundreds and hundreds of Brit bike parts: Frames, wheels, engine cases, crankcases, cranks and so on all covered over by tropical foliage. Apparently a motorbike shop on the same paddock was run by an old Chinese guy who bought all the Brit bikes he could find and just stored them. When he died, his son took over the business, but changed the shop to specialise in Japanese plastics and the Brit bike parts were just chucked out in the paddock and left to rot.
I pulled lots of Norton, Triumph, BSA motors, frames, including Norton featherbeds out of the foliage, but they were all too badly rusted and oxidised. Lot's of RAAFies came back with restored Brit bikes in the 60s, 70s and 80s as they were everywhere, parts were cheap as was Labour to restore them. Unfortunately, the locals wised up and prices climbed so high it just wasn't worthwhile anymore.
I pulled lots of Norton, Triumph, BSA motors, frames, including Norton featherbeds out of the foliage, but they were all too badly rusted and oxidised. Lot's of RAAFies came back with restored Brit bikes in the 60s, 70s and 80s as they were everywhere, parts were cheap as was Labour to restore them. Unfortunately, the locals wised up and prices climbed so high it just wasn't worthwhile anymore.
