When we think about the First World War, we usually tend to think of the emergence of the tank, the use of cars and trucks, the mechanization of warfare, and the new kinds of weaponry that were used. Motorcycles, however, hardly ever come up as a point of discussion in conversations about the Great War. This might also be because horses were mostly used in the cavalry and as officers' mounts during the war, while mules were the primary transport animals.
However, motorbikes did play a small but important part during WWI. When the war began, motorcycles were mostly standard bikes with an attached engine. The British army then began developing bikes that were more suited for battles. In 1915, the Motor Machine Gun Service, a unit of the British Army in the First World War, was formed. It consisted of batteries of cycle/sidecar combinations carrying Vickers machine guns.
Related: 10 World War I Inventions We Still Use Every Day
The importance of motorbikes in delivering messages, too, was soon discovered. Since regular telegraph lines were often damaged during enemy artillery fire, the Triumph motorcycle came to the rescue. It went on to become a crucial tool for British communication on the frontlines.
The German army, too, tried motorcycles as a replacement for horses during cavalry charges. That plan backfired, though, as bikes were prone to flipping over on uneven terrains.
It’s estimated that more than 80,000 motorbikes were used in WWI. However, they were overshadowed by tanks and horses. But the war wouldn’t have been what it was if it wasn’t for the presence of motorcycles. Here, we look at some amazing bikes from the First World War.
Related: World War I Saw the Creation of Some Weird Vehicles
