Events and exhibitions on modern motor vehicles are held annually, which attract a huge number of spectators. However, the "old men" military motorcycles will always have their admirers due to their excellent quality and "combat experience."
Below we present a selection of military equipment that was adopted by the armies of various states, including after the completion of major companies. Despite the solid years, any of the rare models can still be found on sale and purchased in your unique collection.
In this article we have put together the main “backbone”: Top 10 of the best military motorcycles from the Second World War.
10. Norton WD16H
A combat motorcycle was produced in Britain at the very beginning of the war. Tens of thousands of war horses descended from production lines, fully adapted to the needs of the army. Norton WD16H took its rightful place next to the famous BSA and Royal-Enfield, which were very popular in that era.
9. Harley-Davidson J-Series
The famous Harley still do not lose their relevance, and even acquire modifications that satisfy the needs of modern bikers.
The Harley-Davidson J Series makes us nostalgic about the beginning of the last century, or rather about the times of World War I, when he solemnly burst into his first battles directly from the factories.
Harley was mass-produced only by two American companies, since their factories were quite remote from the war zones. Back in World War I, the Harley-Davidson J series were the most sought after motorcycles.
8. Welbike
A native Briton, Velbike was supposed to be a complete analogue of the popular Cashman. It is a folding scooter, which, due to its lightness, shows excellent results in special operations.
He delivered an assault in a prepared capsule to the landing site, followed by an effective and efficient movement to the place of hostilities.
7. Cagiva T4E
This motorcycle fans remember in the 80s. It was used by the French army during the period of military operations in the Persian Gulf.
Cagiva T4E was available for sale and was budget friendly, allowing everyone to feel like a real superhero.
A motorcycle engine is a four-stroke single-barrel, in which the working volume is 350 centimeters per cube. The Cagiva T4E also has a 12 liter gas tank, and its curb weight reaches 146 kg.
6. Vespa 150 TAP
The model was equipped with a recoilless M20 gun, which allowed everyone to purchase a motorcycle with a real "gun".
Yes, this would make it possible to more quickly and efficiently resolve disputes between drivers on the roads. It is only necessary to take into account one nuance - the weapon is not able to shoot directly from the scooter. To ensure the combat situation, the gun was installed on a special machine. Vesba’s mission was to throw him out of the plane in the process of landing on the scene of hostilities.
5. Cushman Model 53
The motorcycle is distinguished by its compactness, lightness and ease of operation. This design allowed him to successfully land with a parachute directly into the foci of special operations.
The Cushman Model 53 was used by the American army during the Second World War - during this alarming time, about 5 thousand units were produced and used.
Kashman’s motor produces only 4.6 horsepower, but this does not prevent him from being a popular vehicle for various needs (except, of course, for demonstration American shows and exhibitions).
There is a legend that a motorcycle was assembled by an airfield employee from improvised elements that remained from aircraft and unnecessary mechanisms. For those times, Kashman really had a condo design, reaching a weight for 115 kg for a scooter.
4. Harley-Davidson / Armstrong-CCM MT350
And again, Harley, who is considered a modern military scooter. Originally produced by the British company Armstrong, and in 1993 the license was purchased by Harley-Davidson.
The motorcycle design included a single-cylinder Rotax engine (350 or 500 cc), as well as a belt camshaft.
Similar equipment at that time had Jawa motorcycles.
The MT350 model after decommissioning goes on sale, where it can be purchased by anyone who wants a motorist.
3. Kawasaki
Many fans can call these motorcycles one of the most utilitarian. But the American corporation picked up the idea and worked on a model, adapting it to the needs of the army.
Further, the motorcycle received the prefix “diesel”, but we can reliably say that it is multi-fuel, that is, it quietly “eats” both kerosene and various brands of jet fuel that were used by the American army. The famous version of Kawasaki is considered to be its 650-cc version.
2. BMW R71
German designers decided to work on their own standard of military motorcycle technology. So the BMW R71, which in the future was modified to the R75, was designed and assembled very competently for military needs.
Interestingly, Chang Dzhang and Dnepr fans are considered reliable copies of the BMW R71, but this can be said with a stretch, if you recall the bar of quality that was set by German concerns.
1. Harley-Davidson WLA
Our review concludes another successful version from Harley. In fact, his WLA model could safely lead this TOP - juicy olive coloring, high-quality leather wardrobe trunks and a comfortable holster on a fork.
About 100 thousand of such Harleys were produced, the third part of which were sent to the USSR under the Lend-Lease program. After the campaigns of the Korean War and World War II, these beautiful and powerful Harelles became the object of desire of many American teenagers. Also, models began to flicker actively at the first biker show and choppers.
In this review, many more successful models are not presented that could surpass the "legend" in some respects.
In general, the listed military motorcycles were the pinnacle of progress of those times and fully met the specific requirements of military operations. Now, many of the successful designs simply “vegetate” in private collections.