Like every other mode of transport, motorbikes have seen battle. John Wheeler looks back
In the second World War, German motorcycle regiments brought a new kind of warfare to the world. They were the fastest advancing of all Wehrmacht units - the riders and gunners on BMW and Zundapp outfits, equipped with a sidecar and machine gun, proved highly effective.
They screamed into towns and villages throughout occupied Europe striking hard at resistance and instilling fear in civilians.
The use of motorcycles in war goes back to the earliest days of the first World War. Belgium's first motorcycle unit was formed in 1914. In that war motorcycles were mainly used behind the front line for communications and supply.
By 1917 half of Harley-Davidson's production was taken by the Allied military. By the following year this had risen to two-thirds and, at the end of the war, the US army had over 20,000 motorcycles. The first American to enter Germany after the Armistice, Corporal Roy Holz, was riding a Harley.
In the second World War Allied forces used motorcycles in similar roles but rarely with sidecars. British and Commonwealth forces relied chiefly on the Norton 16H and the BSA M 20, both renowned for rugged dependability.
Their dispatch-riders were a vital element in communications in Europe and North Africa, as well as within Britain where they were relied upon to carry highly sensitive material in the run-up to D-Day.
These riders had to be highly adept. Their task was to get there on time, overcoming any obstacles or breakdowns en route - this demanded mechanical skill and ingenuity, given motorcycle reliability at that time.
The BSA M 20 was also adopted by the Irish Defence Forces. At the beginning of "the Emergency", 2nd Cavalry Unit personnel took part in the first motorcycling course under Comdt Stanley Woods, the world famous racing motorcyclist.
During the war the Russians were so impressed with the Wehrmacht's rapid advances that they dropped their own motorcycle research and simply copied the BMW. In the final days of the war the Russians captured Eisenach and transferred designs and tools to their factory in the Urals.
These machines are still being made and have proved highly effective in Chechnya and Kosovo. Today's Russian machines, mostly with sidecars, have improved armament. In a recent demonstration one took out an armoured personnel carrier at 3.8 kilometres.
Today's Western forces use motorcycles mainly for communications and reconnaissance work and for mobility for special forces. The Kawasaki KLR was used during Operation Desert Storm. SAS motor columns in Iraq used Cannon dirt bikes for reconnaissance.
Combat experience has proved that the motorcycle is still paramount in local conflicts and peacekeeping operations. It's at home in conditions where there is no clear-cut front line, and can operate after bombardment has made the road network impassable. Motorcycles can go further, faster and are less likely to be held up by the terrain than any other vehicle.
All military transport is now diesel powered, so the petrol fuelled motorcycle had begun to fall from favour. The US marines have adopted the Kawasaki M1030M1 Diesel, a 584 cc water-cooled machine with a 24 bhp power output and a fuel consumption of up to 120 mpg and an 80 kph top speed. British forces are considering adopting this machine.