6 brands used on the battlefield

1. Indian
Indian Motorcycles’ most powerful model at the time hadn’t been on the market 12 months by the time the US military went to war in April, 1917. It was named the PowerPlus model (for the simple reason that it produced significantly more power than the F-head it replaced) and was powered by a 986cc V-twin side-valve engine capable of 17hp (12.7kW) and boasted a top speed of 100km/h. Like many motorcycle manufacturers of the era, Indian dedication the majority of its production capacity to its country’s war effort and, for the three years between 1917 and 1919, provided the US military with almost 50,000 motorcycles based on the firm’s flagship PowerPlus machine.

2. Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson claims that one day after the first world war’s armistice in 1918, the first American to enter Germany was riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Of course it’s hard to know whether there’s any truth in that but, what we do know is from 1917, when America went to war, 50 percent of its production was directed at producing military machines. The motorcycles eventually were specifically designed units and, as well as practical accessories like gas headlights and high-mounted mudguards, would often boasts features such as a sidecar suited for machine guns, for ammunition delivery and even for stretchering wounded soldiers from battlefields.

3. Douglas
Not surprisingly, the British Army used both Douglas and Triumph-branded machinery during the First World War and a Douglas 350cc, 2 and 3/4 horsepower affair was the firm’s military-spec bike. The British Ministry of Defence and the Douglas brothers William and Edward agreed on a deal to supply 300 machines to the war effort. According to legend, it’s understood the brothers agreed thinking it the contract was for 300 motorcycles in total, while the Ministry believed they’d just ensured 300 motorcycles per month would be supplied to the war effort. In the end, some 25,000 Douglas bikes would serve various and important roles during the First World War.

4. Excelsior
Not to be confused with the American firm, the British-based Excelsior Motor Company supplied motorcycle machinery for WWI, but it’s its ingenious Welbike used during the Second World War which is its stand-out military machine. Produced for four years between 1942 and 1945, the Corgi Welbike was a lightweight and foldable machine which was designed to fit in a standard parachute airdrop container of the time (38 cm high by 30 cm wide). Once on the ground, paratroops could assemble the machines in as little time as 11 seconds. They had a range of 140km from their 3.7L tank and weighed just 35kg. About 4000 Welbikes were produced for the British forces. It’s worth noting that Royal Enfield, too, produced the Flying Flea for the same purpose.

5. Triumph
It was 1915 when Triumph’s first model without pedals hit the market. Dubbed the Type H, it was powered by a 550cc side-valve air-cooled engine, a three-speed transmission and used belt final drive. It was also chosen by the allied forces as the machine that would replace horses for messenger and despatch riders and, as such, by the end of 1918 some 30,000 Type H motorcycles went to war. With a power output capability of four horsepower (3kW), it proved so reliable that it would eventually earn the nickname ‘The Trusty’ Triumph. And of course we couldn’t mention war and Triumph without tipping our lid to the Triumph TR6 made famous in the Steve McQueen film The Great Escape, but that’s a whole other story.

6. Norton
With little or contribution to the First World War, the Norton Motorcycle Company certainly made up for it by winning the 1936 tender to become the main military motorcycle supplier for WWII. It was the firm’s 16H model which got it over the line, the 490cc air-cooled single good for 14hp (10.4kW) and 110km/h top speed, was deemed by the British forces as the perfect battlefield bike. By the time it was all over, more than 100,000 units of the 16H models were produced over 10 years and it was believed to represent a new record for the longest time a war office secured one brand of motorcycle.