Military Motorcycles Category

1. Ariel W/NG 350
The Ariel W/NG 350 is a motorcycle based on the well proven Ariel Red Hunter singles built by Ariel Motorcycles for the British military, and designed by the firm's chief designer Val Page in 1932 around an engine he developed six years earlier. Although the Ariel was not initially selected by the War Department, they were in great demand after the evacuation of Dunkirk when much of the British Army's materiel had been left behind.

Development
On the outbreak of the Second World War, Ariel submitted the 1939 VA 497 cc (30.3 cu in) overhead valve single for evaluation against the War Office's Norton 16H. The 1939 W/VA 497cc side-valve single was also tested. Both performed well and Ariel developed the W/NG specifically for military use. This was a 348 cc (21.2 cu in) OHV single based on a Scottish six-day Trials winning model and went into production in 1940.
Although the French military immediately placed orders for the W/NG, the British War Office rated it as "fair – for use only in emergency purposes". Following the loss of equipment resulting from the evacuation of Dunkirk in May 1940 the "emergency purposes" became necessary, and Ariel turned over as many motorcycles as possible to the war effort, including converted civilian machines – many of which still carried an Ariel badge painted over with green or sand paint. VH & VG (500 OHV singles), NH & NG (350 OHV singles), and even the VB (598 cc or 36.5 cu in SV single) models were put into military service, although most were used for training and civil defence.
The British Army, Royal Air Force, Admiralty, Ministry of Agriculture and Women's Land Army all used Ariel W/NG 350s.
Post War
After the war over 800 W/NG motorcycles were supplied to the Danish Army between 1946 and 1947. The remaining W/NGs that survived were mostly converted back into civilian specification for resale by dealers, so good examples of the military model are now rare.

2. Armstrong MT500

The Armstrong MT500 is a British military motorcycle made by Armstrong-CCM Motorcycles in Bolton, Greater Manchester, who acquired the rights to the Rotax engine enduro motorcycle SWM XN Tornado from the Italian owners and developed the MT500 for use by the British Army in the Falklands war. Electric start models were built for the Canadian and Jordanian armed forces.
In 1987, the design and production rights were sold to Harley-Davidson, who in 1993 released the MT350E. It is used by Canada, Jordan and the United Kingdom.
3. BMW R75
The BMW R75 is a World War II-era motorcycle and sidecar combination produced by the German company BMW. In the 1930s BMW were producing a number of popular and highly effective motorcycles. In 1938 development of the R75 started in response to a request from the German Army.

Preproduction models of the R75 were powered by a 750 cc side valve engine, which was based on the R71 engine. However it was quickly found necessary to design an all new OHV 750 cc engine for the R75 unit. This OHV engine later proved to be the basis for subsequent post-war twin BMW engines like the R51/3, R67 and R68.
The third side-car wheel was driven with an axle connected to the rear wheel of the motorcycle. These were fitted with a locking differential and selectable road and off-road gear ratios through which all four and reverse gears worked. This made the R75 highly manoeuvrable and capable of negotiating most surfaces. A few other motorcycle manufactures, like FN and Norton, provided an optional drive to sidecars.
The BMW R75 and its rival the Zündapp KS 750 were both widely used by the Wehrmacht in Russia and North Africa, though after a period of evaluation it became clear that the Zündapp was the superior machine. In August 1942 Zündapp and BMW, on the urging of the Army, agreed upon standardization of parts for both machines, with a view of eventually creating a Zündapp-BMW hybrid (designated the BW 43), in which a BMW 286/1 side-car would be grafted onto a Zündapp KS 750 motorcycle. They also agreed that the manufacture of the R75 would cease once production reached 20,200 units, and after that point BMW and Zündapp would only produce the Zündapp-BMW machine, manufacturing 20,000 each year.
Since the target of 20,200 BMW R75's was not reached, it remained in production until the Eisenach factory was so badly damaged by Allied bombing that production ceased in 1944. A further 98 units were assembled by the Soviets in 1946 as reparations. However the standardisation programme meant that machines that were produced by BMW and Zündapp used 70% of the same components. This simplifies the supply of spare parts for these vehicles, many of which are still in the hands of historic motorcycle enthusiasts. These vehicles are still highly desirable as collector's items because of their complex and durable technology, and are correspondingly expensive. A well-restored R75 can be still used for everyday purposes, on or off-road without problems.
In 1954 a small number of modified R75 models were produced at Eisenach (then in Soviet-controlled East Germany) for testing under the designation AWO 700, but were not put into full production. The success and reliability of the shaft-driven R75 during the war led to the US Army requesting that Harley-Davidson produce a similar shaft-driven cycle for American troops. This led to Harley producing their first ever shaft-driven model, the Harley-Davidson XA, which was a near duplicate of the R75.

Manufacturer	Production	Class	Engine	Bore / stroke	Power	Weight
BMW	1941–1946	Motorcycle/sidecar combination	745 cc flat-twin (OHV)	78 mm × 78 mm (3.1 in × 3.1 in)	26 hp (19 kW)	420 kg (930 lb) (dry)

4. BSA M20
The BSA M20 was a British motorcycle made by Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) at their factory in Small Heath, Birmingham. Although initially viewed as a near failure by the War Office in 1936, the M20 evolved into one of the longest serving motorcycles in the history of British military motorcycling, as well as becoming the most numerous type produced for World War II with 126,000 in active service. Many are still in use around the world today.

Development
At the outbreak of World War II BSA were Britain's largest motorcycle manufacturer with a long history of armaments supply to the armed forces. Designed by Val Page the BSA M20 started development in 1937 as a heavy-framed sidecar model with a simple 500 cc single cylinder side valve engine. It had low compression and plenty of low-end torque through a standard BSA gearbox.
Early K-M20 models from 1939 were made from standard civilian parts with the addition of military fittings, such as a large 8-inch Lucas DUl42 headlight (fitted with a black out mask), a timing-gear cover with a screw-in plug for access to the magneto drive-pinion nut and special filler caps for the petrol and oil tanks. These early military M20 models were also fitted with a long spiked prop stand on the rear nearside pivoted from a lug brazed on to the rear frame tube. Factory ledgers show that BSA exported K-M20 models to Sweden, South Africa and India, as well as civilian dealers and distributors.
M20 factory bombing
BSA workers employed making the M20 were killed in an air raid on the BSA factory in Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham on the night of Tuesday the 19th of November, 1940. The factory was one of the main targets for the Luftwaffe and at 9.25pm a low flying aircraft dropped two bombs which destroyed the southern end of the BSA building in Armoury Road. Rescuers included BSA's own fire brigade who pumped the Birmingham and Warwick canal dry putting out the fire. As well as 53 workers killed, 89 were injured and it was six weeks before the last of the bodies could be recovered. Much of the factory and equipment was destroyed or damaged but BSA had 67 factories so work was transferred elsewhere and production of the BSA M20 continued.
Modifications
From October 1939 the K-M20 was designated the W-M20 and modified to include girder-forks and removal of the valanced rear mudguard. During late 1940 some civil specification M20s were purchased by the War Office which were civil models with a military paint scheme. In 1941 front and rear number plates were removed and between 1941 and 1942 active service use in North Africa showed the need for easy adjustment of the fork dampers. Special damper knobs were made of bakelite (later replaced with pressed steel).
The DU142 headlight was replaced with a smaller 6 in Lucas DU42, with a hooded, slotted black-out shield, and a universal L-WD-MCT1A tail light was fitted.
From 1942 there was a shortage of rubber so handlebar grips and foot pegs were replaced by canvas covered metal items and production was standardised, with only minor modifications until the end of World War II. By early 1942 a new large rear carrier was fitted to hold universal WD steel pannier-frames and bags. This meant repositioning the long prop stand to forward of the nearside rear wheel spindle nut. In 1943 further modifications were made include redesign of the crankcase sump shield and fitting of the Vokes high capacity air cleaner, which was a box shaped canister on top of the fuel tank and was intended to assist operations in dusty environments. In early 1945 a push-button switch was introduced for the headlight and the main lighting switch relocated to a bracket beneath the offside of the saddle.
Military service
The M20 failed on its first submission to the War Office in 1936 due to 'unacceptable engine wear'. The prototype machine required a replacement piston and cylinder after approximately 6,000 miles. In 1937 three more M20s were submitted to the War Office for testing. Two of these machines only just passed the 10,000 mile suitability tests at Military Vehicles and Engineering Establishment, MVEE, Chertsey, while a third machine was used in service trials.
In 1938 when a small batch was commissioned.Criticised for being heavy and slow, with poor ground clearance it was saved by its reliability and ease of maintenance.As the need for transport quickly gained pace orders were placed for larger quantities. Most BSA M20 motorcycles were used by the British Army but the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force also commissioned M20's from BSA. Designed as a general-purpose motorcycle for convoy escort and dispatch use, the M20 saw action in almost every theatre of war. After the war the BSA M20 model continued in military service throughout the national service of the 1950s and in smaller numbers until the end of the 1960s, partly due to the low cost and easy availability of spare parts but also as a result of six years of harsh conditions with no serious failures.

Manufacturer	Production	Engine	Power	Transmission	Fuel capacity
Birmingham Small Arms Company	1937–1955	496cc single cylinder side valve 4 stroke	13bhp @4,200 rpm	4 Speed / chain	3 gallons

5. Can-Am Motorcycles
Can-Am is a motorcycle producing subsidiary of the Bombardier Recreational Products, a Canadian corporation. In 1973, under the direction and leadership of an American Engineer named Gary Robinson and former motocross World Champion, Jeff Smith working with a team of California desert racers, Can-Am began producing motocross and enduro bikes using engines provided by the Austrian Rotax company, another Bombardier subsidiary. The machines made an immediate impact with riders winning Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at the International Six Days Trial, a form of off-road motorcycle Olympics. The following year, the company swept the 1974 AMA 250 cc motocross national championship with Can-Am riders Gary Jones, Marty Tripes and Jimmy Ellis, finishing first, second and third. Can-Am rider Skip Olson finished second to Dick Burleson in the 1976 AMA Enduro national championship. The bikes gained a reputation for their high power outputs.
The Rotax motors used a slightly unusual style of intake. A rotary disc system was employed and this plate was altered repeatedly between T'n'T (track and trail) and MX models. This plate is accredited with the horsepower gain over conventional piston port motors used on Japanese motorcycles. The MX3, produced in 1977, was the pinnacle of Can Am. Its 36 horsepower (27 kW) was 6 more than the closest competitor.
However, soon after the Can-Am introduction, the Bombardier corporation shifted its priority from recreational products towards diversification into the transit equipment industry and then, several years later, into aircraft manufacturing. As a result, investments in the young Can-Am division were reduced substantially. In 1983, Bombardier licensed the brand and outsourced development and production of the Can-Am motorcycles to Armstrong-CCM Motorcycles of Lancashire, England. 1987 was the final year Can-Am motorcycles were produced. In 2006, Bombardier Recreational Products reintroduced the Can-Am brand with its all-terrain vehicles (ATV). In 2007, the Can-Am brand was also used to introduce the Can-Am Spyder a new three-wheeled roadster.
6. Harley-Davidson MT350E
The MT350E is a motorcycle manufactured by Harley-Davidson.
7. Harley-Davidson WLA


8. Harley Davidson XA