{"id":24571,"date":"2011-12-21T12:35:57","date_gmt":"2011-12-21T12:35:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.influx.co.uk\/wordpress\/?p=24571"},"modified":"2016-01-05T12:00:38","modified_gmt":"2016-01-05T12:00:38","slug":"welbike-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adrianflux.co.uk\/influx\/blog\/welbike-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Welbike Love?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We were amazed this morning when we stumbled across this amazingly well conceived little piece of kit on the Aether blog.<\/p>\n

We had never heard of a collapsible motorbike that could be dropped into action behind enemy lines before. The lightweight issue (which is more or less a proto – Monkeybike) was designed by the British Inter Services Research Bureau, which was based in Welwyn, apparently, to give paratroopers increased range and maneuverability behind enemy lines.<\/p>\n

Naturally the bike had to be stripped down to the bare essentials in order to fit inside the standard drop container and so came with a single rear brake, no suspension or lamps. The fuel tank had to be pressurised by a hand pump, apparently, but gave a pretty decent 90 mile range at 30 mph.<\/p>\n

According to various sources, though, the bike turned out to be a bit of a liability in action. Because of the weight of them the bikes would usually land a long way away from the troops who were supposed to ride them, and the soldiers would have to fight their back to it.<\/p>\n

Once it was found, the bikes had to be assembled under enemy fire and were more or less useless offroad because of their lack of low-end twist.<\/p>\n

When load-baring gliders were introduced to airborne forces toward the end of the war the Welbike was phased out in favour of heavier ‘proper’ bikes like the Royal Enfield WD\/RE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A great idea, but, we think, not quite the full, Churchillian cigar.<\/p>\n\n\t\t