During the early years of World War I, motorcycles started to enter military service, replacing the mounted despatch rider and providing a means of mechanizing machine-gun and stretcher units. This fully illustrated book covers the lively history of the military motorcycle,highlighting the varied role motorcycles have played, as well as how the vehicles have evolved over time. It provides a country-by-country overview of military motorcycles in France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, the USA, the USSR and Japan. An expertly written volume, it provides enthusiasts with key information about the history of these diverse multi-tasking vehicles.

As the motorcycle approaches its centenary, this reference work reveals the vast scale of military production. A comprehensive illustrated history, it describes every type of machine within its historical and national context

In World War I the American motor vehicle industry was tested by the sudden appearance of vast transport challenges. The nation’s immense manufacturing capabilities and abundant natural resources combined with increased standardization and mass production to enable the industry to meet the military’s needs. Motor vehicles and aircraft were quickly cemented as the most influential military tools of the early twentieth century. This book both describes the development and use of a wide range of specialized motor vehicles during World War I and analyzes how their advent indelibly altered modern warfare and transportation.

Set your pulse racing with this stunning visual guide to over 1000 pin-up machines - iconic symbols of wanderlust, speed, and the open road. From Gottlieb Daimler's gas-powered "engine on a bicycle" which set fire to the seat on its first outing, to superbikes such as the Ducati 916, Motorcycle: The Definitive Visual History takes you on an enthralling tour of the bike's history. It shows you bikes that appeal to the head - practical forms of transport - and to the heart - a parade of classic pin-ups including cult machines such as the Honda RC30, the Triumph Bonneville, and the Harley-Davidson XR750. Motorcycle: The Definitive Visual History shows the brilliance and impracticality of different designs and features detailed cross-sections of engines such as the air-cooled two-stroke. It explains how the great marques such as the Royal Enfield, the "legendary" Indian Scout, Vespa, and Norton all became household names. Whether you are a hardcore enthusiast or looking forward to your first machine, this is one title you cannot be without.

Perhaps the most far reaching of the many changes wrought on the military by the First World War was the mechanization of the armed services. After many centuries of use by the Army for patrols and communications, the trusty horse was finally supplanted by the new-fangled motorcycle. This mechanization process gathered pace during the interwar years and in particular for the military motorcycle between 1925 and 1939. By the outbreak of the Second World War the motorcycle had become an important part of the military inventory and deemed 'suitable for WD (War Department) requirements'. When it was first published in 1995, this fully illustrated book was unique in looking at all military motorcycles of British origin known to have been tested mainly by the Mechanical Warfare Experimental Establishment (later called the Mechanisation Experimental Establishment). Ten years on, the authors are producing a fully revised and updated new edition of their book that will include three new chapters covering standard parts, bike markings and paint schemes. There will also be a picture spread that illustrates despatch rider's clothing. New to this edition will be a 16pp colour section that will illustrate restored WD bikes, including detail shots of engines and components.