Yeah, you're right. British anti-tank soldiers are now training in Ukrainian tactics now as a result. Don't have the link but it was YouTube from the BBC.
Australian troops have also been trialling e-Bikes for recce work in the Far North. Quiet and quick and a ton of fun for the lads. I rode a motorcycle as a Military Policeman but in the 80s only MPs, RACT transport corps outriders and Signals despatch riders had bikes. We used a Suzuki 400GS for both road and off road and they typically weren't much good at either job.
The German Wehrmacht used motorcycles extensively during WWII for recon and to reinforce threatened infantry units. Many had sidecars to carry a second soldier and often a machine gun as well. WWI taught them that horse cavalry could no longer perform those roles and early WWII experience with horse cav, reinforced that lesson. Certain German officers, notably Guderian and several others tried to eliminate horse cav entirely before the war, but the cavalry mafia was still well entrenched in the General Staff and it took some WWII combat time to convince the horse cav people to give it up. No more saber waving massed charges into machine gun fire.
The US and British Army also used motorcycles, but more for couriers and military police escorts.
I should note, that the Germans continued to use horse soldiers, but more in the form of dragoons. Those being troops, equipped and trained as infantry, who rode horses to get near the battlefield then dismounted to approach and fight on foot.
Motorcycles are still a viable resource under the correct circumstances. As are horses actually. Ask the Green Berets who went into Afghanistan and worked with the Northern Alliance during the early part of the war there.
While not motorcycles, the Japanese used regular peddle bikes to quickly move through Malaysia and onto Singapore during WWII. It enabled Japan to move so fast that the British and other Allied forces had a hard time maintaining a defense and it ultimately led to the largest surrender of British forces in history IIRC.
It's 2024 and I still think it's the most amazing movie ever since I saw it on cable in the early 90s. Also shout out to Michael Beck (Swan from The Warriors) as Barry Bostwick's able second in command. 80s action movies hit hard.
US forces have settled on one fuel type for all its field vehicles and aircraft. When someone comes up with a functioning, reliable motorcycle that runs in JP/Diesel we’ll have them again. The last attempt by the Marines was interesting but didn’t work out.
In the 80s, the US semi-experimental 9th Infantry Division (Light) used motorcycles and "dune buggy" off-road vehicles. They were obviously popular with the troops, but when the decision was made to shut down the division the idea disappeared fairly quickly. While they were appealing and cool, the utility was a lot more limited than at first glance.
*Megaforce* is awesome (I first saw it as *Warrior of the Lost World* on MST3K), but I cannot believe you missed an opportunity to reference Chuck Norris's classic motorbike attack in the Golan-Globus propaganda film *The Delta Force*.
I'm not exactly surprised, motorcycles were very common for the light troops of Germany and France until they were basically replaced with Jeeps. Since the Jeep has gone the way of the dinosaur, that part of infantry mobility is being served by motorcycle again.
Since Hezbollah is very hilly terrain with forests that reduce the efficacy of aerial surveillance, motorcycles will let Hezbollah troops move from place much more quickly than the Israeli armor and wheeled vehicles.
Also, the North Koreans have built assault tunnels, passing from Lebanese villages, under the border into Israeli territory. The Hezbollah plan is to blow up the tunnel opening and then motorcycle troops will be able to quickly fan-out in all of northern Israel, attacking Israeli civilian targets and blocking roads so that the IDF will be too busy to mount a counterattack.
Interestingly, Hamas also used motorcycle troops in the October 7 invasion. Apparently, if the Hamas troops were more disciplined, they would have had great success.
I saw something about Ukranians using electric bikes because they are quieter.
Yeah, you're right. British anti-tank soldiers are now training in Ukrainian tactics now as a result. Don't have the link but it was YouTube from the BBC.
Gonna have to check out Megaforce now too.
Watch Megaforce when you are stoned. Lol
Ryan's not lying, it is hot garbage
Australian troops have also been trialling e-Bikes for recce work in the Far North. Quiet and quick and a ton of fun for the lads. I rode a motorcycle as a Military Policeman but in the 80s only MPs, RACT transport corps outriders and Signals despatch riders had bikes. We used a Suzuki 400GS for both road and off road and they typically weren't much good at either job.
The LNR and DPR are not "Break Away Republics".
Words matter.
The German Wehrmacht used motorcycles extensively during WWII for recon and to reinforce threatened infantry units. Many had sidecars to carry a second soldier and often a machine gun as well. WWI taught them that horse cavalry could no longer perform those roles and early WWII experience with horse cav, reinforced that lesson. Certain German officers, notably Guderian and several others tried to eliminate horse cav entirely before the war, but the cavalry mafia was still well entrenched in the General Staff and it took some WWII combat time to convince the horse cav people to give it up. No more saber waving massed charges into machine gun fire.
The US and British Army also used motorcycles, but more for couriers and military police escorts.
I should note, that the Germans continued to use horse soldiers, but more in the form of dragoons. Those being troops, equipped and trained as infantry, who rode horses to get near the battlefield then dismounted to approach and fight on foot.
Motorcycles are still a viable resource under the correct circumstances. As are horses actually. Ask the Green Berets who went into Afghanistan and worked with the Northern Alliance during the early part of the war there.
While not motorcycles, the Japanese used regular peddle bikes to quickly move through Malaysia and onto Singapore during WWII. It enabled Japan to move so fast that the British and other Allied forces had a hard time maintaining a defense and it ultimately led to the largest surrender of British forces in history IIRC.
And yes, Megaforce was freakin' awesome!!!!
It's 2024 and I still think it's the most amazing movie ever since I saw it on cable in the early 90s. Also shout out to Michael Beck (Swan from The Warriors) as Barry Bostwick's able second in command. 80s action movies hit hard.
US forces have settled on one fuel type for all its field vehicles and aircraft. When someone comes up with a functioning, reliable motorcycle that runs in JP/Diesel we’ll have them again. The last attempt by the Marines was interesting but didn’t work out.
In the 80s, the US semi-experimental 9th Infantry Division (Light) used motorcycles and "dune buggy" off-road vehicles. They were obviously popular with the troops, but when the decision was made to shut down the division the idea disappeared fairly quickly. While they were appealing and cool, the utility was a lot more limited than at first glance.
Nothing like explosive fuel between your thighs.
Just a fun comment, Russians don’t do well in the Dakar race motorcycle category. Damn, send some Americans to mess them up.
*Megaforce* is awesome (I first saw it as *Warrior of the Lost World* on MST3K), but I cannot believe you missed an opportunity to reference Chuck Norris's classic motorbike attack in the Golan-Globus propaganda film *The Delta Force*.
Not to worry. "It's all on the wheel, it all comes around."
I'm not exactly surprised, motorcycles were very common for the light troops of Germany and France until they were basically replaced with Jeeps. Since the Jeep has gone the way of the dinosaur, that part of infantry mobility is being served by motorcycle again.
At the 2:00 mark, the video shows a soldier with a Russian flag patch labeled "Russia". Why doesn't it use Cyrillic letters ("Россия")?
Hezbollah has a very large motorcycle force.
Since Hezbollah is very hilly terrain with forests that reduce the efficacy of aerial surveillance, motorcycles will let Hezbollah troops move from place much more quickly than the Israeli armor and wheeled vehicles.
Also, the North Koreans have built assault tunnels, passing from Lebanese villages, under the border into Israeli territory. The Hezbollah plan is to blow up the tunnel opening and then motorcycle troops will be able to quickly fan-out in all of northern Israel, attacking Israeli civilian targets and blocking roads so that the IDF will be too busy to mount a counterattack.
Interestingly, Hamas also used motorcycle troops in the October 7 invasion. Apparently, if the Hamas troops were more disciplined, they would have had great success.
I seem to recall reading that the US milistary approached the makers of MegaForce about where they got the equipment used in the movie.
Great 80s action movie, especially when the equipment changed colour