Hi all, I thought I'd do a special Blog this week on motorcycles that have been used in the Military in some form. The most well known used motorcycle which I have come across was the Royal Enfield Flying Flea,used in the Second World War. Royal Enfield produced a machine which copied a Dutch motorcycle company, with a few minor changes. (Slightly larger engine size).
The Lightweight 125cc bike could be dropped from aircraft's via parachute, complete with a cage and could hold troops. This was a handy and light motorized vehicle to be used on the battlefield.
Royal Enfield flying flea
The second Motorcycle which I have found is my personal favourite. The Vespa 150 TAP. Similar to the Flying flea, these bikes would be dropped by parachute in pairs accompanied with two soldiers. Modifications from the civilian Vespa were a reinforced frame and a three inch recoilless rifle! It looks and sounds ridiculous, but if it sounds stupid and it works... its not stupid! The 150 TAP was mounted with an anti-armour cannon, with its recoil being counteracted by vented propellent gases.
The final bike I will discuss is the German made Kettenkrad which literally means chain/Track motorcycles. Yep you guessed it, a motorcycle tank. (Well kind of). First designed in 1939 and first used in the invasion of the Soviet union in 1941. Being a tracked vehicle, the Kettenkrad could climb up to 24° in sand and even more on hard ground, as long as the driver had the courage for it.
Kettenkrad
