Source: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
The usage of motorcycles in war is nothing new. In fact, they saw widespread use starting in World War One where motorcycles were used primarily by reconnaissance units for scouting but also served a more vital role as the mainstay of communication units where dispatch riders found the motorcycle indispensable as a means to relay documents and orders between units when radio links were not available. To a lesser extent, motorcycles were used as transport for personnel and supplies. More recently, special forces around the world have adopted motorcycles as they are easily airdropped, small, and provide rapid off-road movement. The advent of viable electric motorcycles able to handle the rigors of the battlefield have added an element of stealth for special forces operators who no longer have to worry about the obvious engine noise of conventional petrol powered motorcycles.
However, what was quickly learned was that motorcycles have little place in assaults. It was tried in World War One and the outcome was a disaster and the concept quickly abandoned, never to return. That was until the Russo-Ukrainian War, which started in late February 2022. The Russian Federation, in response to high losses of armored vehicles and logistical vehicles, has seen units more and more fill out their ranks with ATVs, civilian cars and trucks, and motorcycles. While it would be within reason that such vehicles can work well enough behind the lines, Russian units use them on the front lines. Notably, motorcycles are used in direct assaults against Ukrainian lines.
The Russian logic for “assault motorcycles” on paper seems somewhat reasonable. Motorcycles are fast, permitting the infantrymen riding them to rapidly close with the enemy. Once near, they dismount and fight on foot. Second, motorcycles are not heavy enough to set off landmines designed to target far weightier armored personnel carriers. Third, motorcycles are more maneuverable in comparison to bigger and slower armored vehicles which makes the job of FPV drone operators a bit more difficult. Combine the latter with man-portable drone jammers, that job gets a little harder.
But, the disadvantages of using motorcycles in the assault are pretty plain to see. Motorcycles are not armored nor do they offer the rider any measure of protection against bullets or artillery/rocket fragments. Secondly, the rider cannot deploy his weapon with anything close to usefulness. At least one hand needs to steer the motorcycle and being accurate while “one-handing” an AK-74 is pretty laughable. Third, the rider has to divide his attention between the enemy and the terrain, especially when “off-roading” lest he run into a shell hole or hit an obstacle. To be fair, a lot of Ukrainian terrain is relatively flat with low grass in areas where cropland is not able to be planted. Finally, Ukrainian FPV drone operators are more than capable of hitting a Russian motorcyclist at speed and drone jammers are absolutely no guarantee of safety. That is because there is no way of knowing if a particular drone running down a motorcycle is using a frequency that rider's EW (Electronic Warfare) device is capable of jamming. Needless to say, the Russian Federation is finding out what other countries learned a while ago...motorcycles in the assault does not produce worthwhile results. But that hasn't stopped the Russian Army and so losses are very high with motorcycle troops having quite a short lifespan.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces, notably the Ukrainian Army and Ukrainian Special Forces, do utilize motorcycles. Besides being used for the age-old roles of dispatch and scouting, they are also used by logistical units to quickly run supplies to front-line troops. They are not used for assaulting Russian lines. The particular motorcycle seen here, used by a soldier (drone jammer on his back) of the 58th. Motorized Bridgade “Ivan Vyhovskyi”, is a Skybike CRDX-200. Skybike is a brand name held by the Chinese company Sky Team, Ltd. which is a manufacturer and exporter of motorcycles. The CRDX-200 has a retail cost of around $1,500USD.
Power comes from a 1-cylinder, air-cooled, 4-stroke 197cc engine that develops 14.3 horsepower. It is paired to a mechanical, 5-speed transmission. The engine is provided with both electric start as well as the more standard mechanical kick starter. Maximum speed is 71 miles per hour. The fuel tank capacity is 1.5 gallons. The CRDX-200 uses front and rear disk brakes while for suspension, the front utilizes inverted telescopic forks while the rear is a pendulum-style monoshock absorber. Thanks to a lightweight steel tubular frame, impact-resistant plastic components, carbon alloy exhaust pipe, and light alloy front forks, the CRDX-200 weighs 220 pounds.
