23. Excelsior Welbike
Source: worldwar2presentations
Move over moped, meet the Excelsior Welbike Mark 1. This single seat, single engine motorcycle produced during World War II was used by United Kingdom Special Operations Executive, or SOE. The build was conducted at the request of station IX – the inter-services research bureau based in Welwyn, UK. It was the smallest motorcycle used by the British Armed Forces and they made a LOT of them. From 1942 to 1943 more than 3,600 units were produced, in addition to prototypes and pilot models. The best thing about the Welbike was it could be unpacked and assembled in just over 10 seconds. Its purpose was to improve mobility for airborne forces since the motorcycle could be dispatched via parachute or glider.