40 Greatest Military Motorcycles

British motorcycles made between 1911 and 1954 were given the designation Norton 16H. The reference comes from the Norton 490 cc side valve engine. The letter H refers to the “home model” which is different than the “colonial” model. For World War II, Norton became the main supplier of military motor cycles. In total, almost 100,000 were produced for the British Army and commonwealth forces like New Zealand, India, Australia and the Canadian Army. Norton 16H motorcycles manufactured for the war effort were designated WD 16 H which stood for “War Department Issue.” They hold the record for being the longest war office manufacturer of a single motorcycle make and model.