10 Two Wheeled War Machines | A Brief History of Ten Military Motorcycles

In this episode, we take a look at 10 motorcycles that have seen military use. Some having more impact than others. From Harley Davidson to Vespa and Royal Enfield, in this short documentary, we talk you through a handful of these two-wheeled war machines.
Have an idea for another history episode? Let us know over on our Patreon page!
Bikes featured.
Vespa 150 TAP
NSU 'Kettenkrad'
CZ 175 Special
Excelsior Welbike
Rikuo Type 97/93
Royal Enfield WD/RE
Harley Davidson WLA/C
Rokon Trailbreaker
BMW R71/75
BSA M20/21

[@Rapidfireblade]

I have recently restored an m20. During VE Day I displayed it outside my house. I was quite surprised at the amount of attention it got,

[@maxasaurus3008]

You guys still celebrate Victory in Europe Day? Hell yeah 🎉.

[@bryn494]

Those 5 BMWs the Soviets 'acquired' in Sweden were actually a cover story. The tech. (and most likely the tools too) were given to them as a secret part of the Ribbentrop pact.

[@terencequinn2682]

Love how he starts with an English accent then gradually becomes quite distinctly Scottish. In a very charming way!

[@celtisafricana4984]

He HAS to be Scottish with that beard. Now, anyone care to weigh in on the Nut Sack in the background?

[@crouchingwombathiddenquoll5641]

Bilingual ?

[@carlclifford64]

I once owned a BSA M21 and a BSA 350 Don R. They wereright beasts.

[@refard5]

next one you'd have to mention the KLR 650 and it's diesel counterpart.

[@joeernst1836]

My first thought as well

[@paulformaioni37]

it comes in a diesel?

[@refard5]

@@paulformaioni37 US militarry only

[@southronjr1570]

@@paulformaioni37 There are also several builders doing custom conversions, iirc the same company doing the conversions for the Army sell or did sell versions to the civilian market

[@beowulf5982]

I loved this video. Full of facts and well presented. Thank you Sir.

[@motopatisserie2398]

Another winner!, informative and easy to watch.

[@armedhippie]

I have owned 3 m20s, I flying flea, 3 welbikes, a couple wla,'s, 2 model 16h Nortons, and a few more. Great memories.

[@pauld6102]

A couple good ones to feature on your next military bike show is the Maico 490 used by Argentina against the Brits in the Falkland Island war of '82, and the Husqvarna 420/470 OR automatic bikes in Sweden's military snow service patrols.

[@curtforeman9014]

Thank you sir for this video! Well done sir!

[@jeronimomurruni]

The fliying flea was on sale on 2019, it was a coustomized bullet 500 with canvas saddle bags and a "military" looking paintjob.

[@DR_Neal_Rigger]

The Zundap is criminally underrated, and might be the most reliable bike of the era..

[@AlanMydland-fq2vs]

i think u may be right

[@lostbear53]

In '68 I had a 1942 Cushman Eagle 125cc w/sidecar that was in the Army till 46... still running!!!

[@paulbusek7265]

Awesome and interesting video! Great job!

[@Airea613]

Well done thank you for your time and efforts.

[@NickRatnieks]

My brother bought an M20 for £10 in 1971. In the summer of 1972- this was in Portsmouth he got a job putting up some kind of exhibition for the Royal Navy. He said that there were some M20s in the workshops- still being used and he was given a few tips by the mechanics regarding their maintenance and use. I got an 1959 M21- an ex-AA bike for £6 the following year and we did a swap.

[@telescopereplicator]

Great item. Great history. Great images. You nailed it again, Paul !!!

[@TheHistoryEngine]

Haha thanks dude, much appreciated!

[@telescopereplicator]

@@TheHistoryEngine Great photographs. Where do you find things like that ? And forget those new bikes. I want one of those old ones, for sure !! MUCH more character.

[@v0x_zk7]

Hello, i just discovered your channel and i just want to say it's awesome, you're like that grandfather that tell stories about motorcycling and it's just lovely

[@1965vw]

Great list! I have never heard of many of these bikes, so thanks for sharing. That Vespa 150 TAP is hilarious and probably my favorite! I just imagine it taking on a tank... talk about David vs. Goliath. I'd love to ride one of those around town with a replica of the gun/ammo and see the looks on people's faces!

[@obelic71]

the Vespa is perfect for comute. Honey how was your work today. mwoa heavy armoured traffic as always got 2 of them today 😁

[@mrgmmiller]

Thx again. Truly digging the history.

[@cybair9341]

I've got good memories of my Triumph TRW.

[@onlybugwit]

I used to ride an M21 combination when I was 16. Great bike 👍

[@deadfishparty]

Another excellent, well paced documentary. Really enjoyed.

[@whereswaldo5740]

These videos are so enjoyable. Love history. Love bikes. War history. Can’t get much better. Encore

[@davidives7997]

Great history. Good narration

[@calebzimmerman3634]

Another military bike video! YES PLEASE!!!

[@GadgetMart]

Loved it 👍 Very professional too

[@jeremyhowerton6514]

Can't be. His "nut sack" was showing for the entire video.

[@martinmaloney7294]

Great video , well done !

[@paulmcneill2666]

Very interesting and well presented. Good work .

[@NBZW]

Owned a 56, B33. Loved that thumper!

[@billshortall3594]

Keep them coming brilliant

[@johncasor9698]

i had a CZ it was a 125cc dirt bike just loved it. it was a 1976 and in san diego, ca and in school everyone was talking how great it was and only one kid had one it was a 250cc... so i did get one 2 years later... i never really saw many of these bikes only a few...

[@garypeatling7927]

I had 250 twin in 1975 lasted for ever clutch cable only real problem

[@jeanpaulcomeau8131]

Great video that won my subscription to your channel. Thank you from Malaysia

[@heretohear8662]

Great vid!!

[@motogusnz]

Such a quality and interesting video. Thank you and so well done. Very refreshing c/w some of the usual tat

[@motogusnz]

Just to be clear, when I said 'usual tat,' I meant 'other' channels - not On Yer Bike. You guys do a terrific job. I just realised how that comment might appear

[@kylejohnstone9044]

the History of ... is great plz make more

[@chrishereford5969]

If love to see the twins like the BSA Golden Flash. Thank you for sharing.

[@angiefav1847]

Very very good, l enjoyed every minute well done

[@willgreen3665]

Very good video.

[@melangeken]

I really like your channel man, I got hooked since the murderdrome episode!

[@boarders9407]

melangeken agreed

[@prankmonkeyxs650]

Great vid brah, I'm super into motorcycles and military firearms now I'm into military cycles! The perfect evolution of wasting my money!

[@larryedwards1591]

Love it i was a cav scout love the bike history 🤘🤘🤘

[@paulm5774]

Fantastic another great episode . Loved it 😎. Only just recently discovered the channel so I’ve got lots of great videos to catch up on 😎. My I make a suggestion for a future episode how about, the much loved little BSA Bantam. Look forward to more great episodes 👍

[@silktvPDR1]

Very enjoyable video... TRW sidevalve twin lovely bike

I expected to see a TRW here as well?

[@williamnethercott4364]

Matchless and Ariel 350s, Norton Big 4 and Douglas (WW1) spring to mind.

[@himatic7]

Three to add: the Vickers Clyno, the "trusty" Triumph model H, and the Chang Jiang CJ750 and it's variants. The latter was a descendent of the R71, via the Ural, but eventually spawned a whole family of military and paramilitary vehicles.

[@dotmargrave]

My father rode an M20 during the Second World War as a dispatch rider he used to tell me he loved it, he tried a Matchless at the time and didn’t like it at all.

[@thetreblerebel]

ROKON this is now a modernized bike for the outdoorsman with fuel or water stored in the wheel...good stuff

[@paulformaioni37]

informative and well made video

[@captnodge]

Wow what a great film well done Love the title music Was expecting smcqueen at some point

[@Addy29plus5]

Love the video

[@swampmonster8626]

Wonderfully done, greatly appreciated. Myself and others would also enjoy seeing some of Indian MC war machines. Who could forget a specialty machine like the Papoose, or the 841?

[@agoogler1887]

A really good program 🤓

[@reypolice5231]

What fun Thanks

[@terencequinn2682]

The fact that bikers can share, care and learn on KZbin is one of the real upsides of the internet. A couple of guys ( or even one!) with some decent recording equipment who are prepared to put in some time and effort can turn out a little gem like this one.

[@johnsweeney6072]

Good job I enjoyed it 👍🇦🇺

[@umvhu]

I'm not 100% sure but it's quite likely that Douglas produced the largest number of military motorbikes ever during WW1, where the radio did not exist and vast numbers of couriers were required. Definitely worth looking into.

[@cerealtiller]

I piloted a BSA m21 combination for Motorcycle deliveries and collections the Side car had a rear loading Ramp on a few occasions the piston melted while idling in Traffic. It was upgraded to a BSA A65 which was much better.

[@BanjoLuke1]

What a nice collection of histories. When I was a boy my father mentioned a motorcycle he had taken around Falaise after it was left by retreating Axis forces. He was a field gunner supporting 53rd (Welsh) Div and used this motorcycle he found until just before the final push into northern Germany. It was a 2wd combination with a differential gear and had small pipes running up to the handlebars from the exhausts to keep the rider's hands warm. He had assumed it was transferred with a unit who had come from the Eastern Front. He spoke of the great boon of having hand warmers in the very.cold Winter of 1944 going up through Belgium. He thought it a most precious and capable vehicle but had to give it up when his regiment got a new CO near the end of hostilities who demanded that all German equipment be abandoned, as it might give the men the impression that it was superior. In my father's view (he was very.yoing at the time) this was a fatuous statement as most of the German equipment was clearly superior. This meant that the German motorcycle and the German pistol had to go.... the latter to be replaced with what he called "a bloody useless Smith & Wesson". I do not know what his gripe with the pistol was, but he clearly preferred the German one. His boss also gave up using a German half-track he had had repainted green. But the 2wd motorcycle combination with the hand warmers featured in many of the tales of my childhood. Apparently it was quite tricky to ride in a straight line over rough country.

[@NoamRabbit]

Love my Harley and motorcycles , great to watch the history, hope we can be friends

[@thetreblerebel]

Rikio HD bikes...yeeees!

[@richardlindquistjr]

Great video hope you are well!

[@TheHistoryEngine]

Thanks Frank, all good here and glad you liked the video!

[@lllllREDACTEDlllll]

While in Iraq in 2003-4 I took a few pictures of motorcycles mounted with recoilless rifles that we fought against. I'll see if I can dig up the pictures if anyone interested.

[@Bikerbob59]

I remember my dad and a friend getting a deal on 10 surplus BSA army bikes in the 60s.

[@eh74nq]

Fantastic wee video. If you're ever in Edinburgh, happy to let you take my ex Dutch army Moto Guzzi V50 Nato for a spin :-)

[@prabodhsangiorgio3912]

Hi, love what you do and the informative style you use. I'd like to bring to your attention the moto guzzi "mulo meccanico". Built for the italian alpine corps, it is the predecessor of all modern moto guzzis

[@glenn5ft19]

The Japanese copy of the Harley Davidson was used by the Japanese in the Aleutian Islands campaign. In fact my Father brought home a piston and steering damper knob from one, which are now in my bottom dresser drawer.

I've a theory that if the Americans depended on the Harley...it would account for them arriving 'late' in the war........

[@CaptHollister]

11:26 That WLA is more likely a WLC (C for Canada) since it was filmed alongside a Canadian Military Pattern truck, as used by all the Commonwealth armies in WW2

[@wuttmodel3232]

So nice sir

[@wascalywabbit]

My grandfather in WW2 was stationed in Pontiac,and they got him to join the motorcycle outfit,he told me several stories,like how they would mess with each other,like using a coat hanger somehow so it would take off once started,and one night a pile of coal was in his spot and rode into it... But his final straw was on a cobblestone rd and was near a farm,where he ran over sheep shit and slid 50ft on his hip... His flashlight saved him on that one... After that... He said to hell with it and signed in with the 1st division infantry because it was safer..lol... I still have brownie cam photos of him on that old Harley...but he never rode again after the war

[@josephkerkau2520]

Please do an article on the life of the Indian Motorcycle I own a 2018 and I love it

[@stuartliddle7228]

My stepgrandad gawd bless him, worked for triumph during the war. He always said he left to join the paras (as a medic) because he couldnt do with the ladies wittering and gossiping in the factory! He claimed to have had a 100 mph+ factory bitsa special, that he rode at night with no idea where he was as all the roadsigns had been taken down,,,, He was at Pegasus Bridge and went on through Germany. He nabbed a BMW sidecar and got rid when he found reverse by accident and found a ditch! said the bmws were the best he rode though..... Good work fella, keep it up!

[@MINIMOTOMADNESS]

my grandad was a dispatch rider in ww2,226th field squadron brock barracks reading berks,he was in the middle east but in 1944 he was sent to belgium,,i think he rode a matchless,but then he found a bmw bike towards the end of the war and rode that..great video paul.

[@TheHistoryEngine]

Great story! Keep meaning to reply to your last comment! Should definitely go for a ride out some time.

[@MINIMOTOMADNESS]

@@TheHistoryEngine I would like that very much Paul. I'm free whenever you are..

[@debbiepugh2055]

On Yer Bike another great video Can’t believe how much footage you managed to find and great narration by Paul ! Loved it 💖

[@danielmccarthy1982]

Another great vid Paul. Could I suggest you look at the -Swiss made Condor A580 if you're doing another look at military vehicles? A very capable bike, heavily over-engineered with a hi/lo ratio gearbox and frame lugs for carrying rifles. Being Swiss of course means it never saw combat!

[@mr.shannon6137]

The United States, Marine KLR should be #1. The USMC uses a modified Kawasaki KLR 650 that runs on JP-8. The absolute coolest military motorcycle ever made. Check it out.

[@edgeyt1]

My dad was told to ride around a field near Sheffield in 1939, if you didn't fall off you passed the army test. At the end of the war he watched a long line of army motorbikes being lined up on a beach in Ceylon ( re named Sri Lanka), a half track was then deliberately driven over them. My dad was disgusted by this waste and complained - he was told that the army had no use for them anymore, there was no way they were going to be shipped back home and leaving them in working order would skew the local economy. Norton, Triumph, BSA etc if you need spares take a metal detector to the beaches of Ceylon (as was) lol.

[@TheHistoryEngine]

Ouch. I had heard stories of such things happening after the war. I recall a story of how the U.S army dumped loads of Jeeps, heavy machinery etc in to the Pacific for the same reason.

[@henrya3530]

According to the founder of the company the correct pronunciation of Rokon is "Rock on". Unable to fulfil a contract to supply motorcycles to the Indian army in 1955 Royal Enfield sold the plans and tooling to an Indian company to make the bikes there. Thus the Indian Enfield Bullet came into existence and while the English company has faded into history the Indian company continues to grow. Armoured motorcycles are something of a rarity. In UK Triumph had a go with an armoured version of the 350cc 3SW in 1940. Carrying a Bren gun it had armour on one side only which may seem a bit daft. The idea seems to be that the armour would be used as a shield when firing the Bren while the machine was stationary. Sweden also produced several prototype armoured sidecar outfits from 1930 to 1932. The first, Landsverk-190fm/30, would not have looked out of place on a WW1 battlefield. Two years later the Improved Landsverk-210 had sloped armour all round and a Madsen machine gun. The "improvement" was a reduction in total weight to 650kg - earlier versions were too heavy to steer easily. Records show that none were sold until in 1938 Baron Friedrich Karl Johannes von Schlebrügge purchased one. (Fun fact: his granddaughter is the actress Uma Thurman.)

[@TheHistoryEngine]

Great knowledge there, Henry!

[@tom123-v6q]

ZUNDAPP,BMW,HARLEY DAVIDSON, INDIAN MOTORCYCLE,URAL,VESPA,JAWA , NORTON ,BSA,MOTO GUZZI ARE ICONIC MILITARY MOTORCYCLES

[@hodaka1000]

I heard years ago that when the Japanese nationalised the Harley factory they increased the bike's dimensions by 30 or it could've been 33 percent, even the diameter and thickness of the tubing was increased, this increase in dimensions wasn't just for motorbikes but for all vehicles built in their nationalised factories for military use So the bikes were huge and would not have been intended to be used without a sidecar And they were the worlds first Harleys to have metric speedometers My father was WWII veteran who was captured in Singapore and was sent to the POW camp at Sandakan in North Borneo he was one of six survivors from more than two thousand four hundred British and Australians originally held at Sandakan He testified at the war crimes tribunals at Rabaul and Tokyo, when he was at Rabaul he bought a Chevrolet sedan with bullet holes in the doors for five pounds to run around in and he bought a brand new Jeep wrapped in greasy paper for five pound I don't know what an American Harley would've cost there if you could get a new Jeep for five quid but the Japanese Harleys were worthless and the fellas involved in the disposal of equipment would "take them swimming" by ridding them off the end of a jetty As for the Jeep my father had organised with a ships captain to bring it back to Australia as deck cargo but the ship had to sail before the jeep could be delivered to the harbour and it was left on the wharf

[@markrowland1366]

BSA army riders in north Africa, Australians and New Zealanders, raced each other. That is now called motor cross. Modern bikes have suspension ranges of a foot orore. Hard tailed M20 BSA bikes three inches only at the front. Standing on the peddles all the way.

[@curatorartium]

Like it or not, the 350 Matchless G3LS had the best front fork in the business.

[@kieronwheeler3087]

I think you need to mention the Triumph TR7T, as a training and display bike used by the British army.

[@OpenCastCIC]

Nice show. What about looking at the WDB40?

[@indianfred]

At 10:37 the "Harley" with a side car is in fact a 1916-1917 Indian Powerplus.

[@tappedout300xc]

The great sport of Motocross was born from the WW1 Dispatch riders.

[@663rainmaker]

Makes my 1984 Honda GL1200 look 👀 super Modern

[@unfortunately_fortunate2000]

Paul Ayers super modern obsolescent machinery*, rather! However yes, compared to what they had, you may as well be a the proud owner of a hover bike!!! However I think you’d be surprised just how good these early dirt bikes/motocross bike were and still are, if you were to upgrade the power plant to something more modern and, of course, efficient in its power production, incredibly capable today. They’d keep up with a lot of the 100-125cc motocross bikes out there today, shit, they’d probably best a lot of the more economic motocross bikes out there!!! And goddamn do they look Great War good! Idk what it is, something about that era of motor vehicles just looks awesome. Same with the artillery of the era, it just looks better than today’s howitzer cannons and guns. Plus they’re sucksqueeze bangblow rather than the engulfing four strokes of today. ;) Ahhhh, ahhhhh!?!? See what I did there??!??!?!??

[@custodialmark]

Our dad, J Ferd. wud be recovering on this day in history, as hands nearly blown off one week after landing Utah beach. of few stories, He had rode some early bikes as worked garage in Norristown, an as war prepared vehices for water landings. when let chance to test ride the new biger bike,?harley, he near imediatly got bucked off frum its frist throttle. he guarded some pow on beach or towns, shot possible sniper behined parachoot ,as seen in movie. but by time i got to re connect with him, too old to ride bicycle to Philly by canal.

[@alancsalt]

Rikuo and Kurogane "Harleys" were used in the Pacific in WW2.

[@72chickensoup]

A Vespa with a recoil-less pazuka that could be fired while in motion. That I would like to see. I'd probably fall around the place laughing after seeing it happen. Madness.

[@onerider808]

The KLR 650 is the only bike that has a current US military part number (NSN), and sees active use by special operations. Seems like a big oversight to show old, useless bikes and skip active, performing bikes. Still, an interesting episode..thanks!

[@armedhippie]

Useless old bikes ? You smoke too much crack.

[@thetreblerebel]

Flying Fleas...YEEEEES!!!

[@johnmargetts5431]

BSA M21 for me. Ultimate beauty. In a house fire would I save the missis or the Beeza - mmmm?

[@ffrankenstein3]

Imz m72 was a side valve right ? You have mentioned ohv

[@stevesearle7612]

Liked the video how about ariel Norton matchless and Enfield all made military models o and triumph

[@Eclispestar]

I vote for the development of the Honda Valkyrie. And Gold wing

[@cloudstrifelv]

Could you do a video on Meguro motorcycles from japan? They have ties to keeping harley alive during the depression

[@kevinstreet5709]

Though they might have fitted knobblys on the vespa

[@victormuckleston]

DKW RT200VS ?just for the love

[@napadaanlng69]

of all the mentioned motorcycles, do they ever use headlight visor or fairings?

[@southronjr1570]

Only the French could have the balls to come up with a antitank scooter and keep a straight face. They planned for it only be dropped once anyhow so performance wasn't an issue

[@markzimmerman7279]

I want one ,perfect way to deal with asshole drivers..🚛💥🔥🛵

[@peroduanippa]

I have an interesting military bike, a Moto Guzzi Superalce, 500cc single with rear handlebars.

[@darrinwright6758]

I would love to see a picture of it. I love the Guzzi. That was one of my most favorite bikes.

[@Gizmomadug]

@@darrinwright6758 I think the bike is related to the famed Italian tanks of WWII, that had one forward gear and five reverse...

[@goodnightcharly5135]

Lucky man moto fuzzies are pride and Joy's every last one

[@SebastianSikano]

@John Barber are 2 handles in the form of a handlebar, to allow the passenger on the rear seat not to cling to the driver

[@peroduanippa]

@@SebastianSikano Check out Moto Guzzi Superalce on youtube.