Our recent post on the Honda MotoCompo got us thinking about the origins of collapsible motorcycles, so we went back to source: the 1942 Welbike.  The lightweight collapsible “motorcycle” was designed by the British Inter Services Research Bureau to give paratroopers increased range and maneuverability behind enemy lines. In order to fit inside the standard 51 inch paratrooper container the bike had to be stripped down to the bare essentials and came with no suspension, no lights and just a single rear brake. The 6.5 pint fuel tank had to be pressurized by a hand pump, but gave the rider a respectable 90 mile range at 30 mph.

While the concept seemed like a good idea on paper, in combat situations soldiers found the Welbike to be more of a liability than anything else. The weight difference between the bike and paratrooper usually meant the two would land a considerable distance apart, and the soldiers would have to fight their back to it. Even if they did find it and were able to assemble it while under constant enemy fire, the bike had about as much low-end torque a pinwheel and was all but useless off-road. The final death-nail for the Welbike was the development of larger tow gliders that could carry full size motorcycles, like the Royal Enfield WD/RE .

Despite their brief role in history there are still a fair number of Welbikes that pop up on eBay from time to time. It may have been a miserable failure on the battlefield, but it certainly would be a blast for a ride around town.

[ Via Throttle Yard ]