Military motorcycles

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 23. Chapters: Ariel W/NG 350, Armstrong MT500, BMW R75, BSA M20, Can-Am motorcycles, Harley-Davidson MT350E, Harley-Davidson WLA, Harley-Davidson XA, IMZ-Ural, Indian 841, Matchless G3/L, Norton 16H, Norton Big 4, Royal Enfield WD/RE, Sokó¿ 1000, Type 97 Motorcycle, Velocette MAC (WD), Vespa 150 TAP, Welbike, Zündapp. Excerpt: The Welbike was a British single-seat motorcycle devised during World War Two at Station IX ¿ the "Inter Services Research Bureau" ¿ based at Welwyn, UK, for use by Special Operations Executive (SOE). It has the distinction of being the smallest motorcycle ever used by the British Armed Forces,. Between 1942 and 1943, 3,641 units (plus a prototype and some pilot models) were built and although it was not much used by the SOE, some were issued to the British 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions and some were used at Arnhem during Operation Market Garden. The Italians, Germans and Americans also developed small motorcycles for their airborne forces during World War II. The original prototype was designed by SOE motor cycle enthusiast Harry Lester, from an idea developed by * Lt. Colonel John Dolphin, the Commanding Officer of Station IX, the secret Inter-Services Military Research Establishment based in a mansion called The Frythe (latterly owned by the pharmaceutical company GSK) an hours drive north of London near the town of Welwyn in Hertfordshire, which had been taken over for the war effort. Powered by a Villiers 98 cm single-cylinder two-stroke petrol (gasoline) engine, the Welbike was designed to fit into a standard parachute airdrop container 51 inches (130 cm), 15 inches (38 cm) high and 12 inches (30 cm) inches wide and be easily assembled and ready for use as quickly as possible. The name Welbike comes from the custom that all the clandestine equipment devised at Station IX in Welwyn had names starting with Wel, e.g., Welman, Welrod. There was very limited space in the airborne equipment container, so the Welbike which was carried in the container at an angle, had no suspension, no lights and just a single rear brake. The fuel tank was as small as possible, and because its bottom feed point was located lower than the carburetor, it had to be pressurised occasionally by a hand pump built into the tank. The range on maximum capacity of 6.5 pints of fuel was a resp