Produced during WW2 by the Excelsior Motor Company in England, UK, the Welbike was specially designed for airborne troops to use during missions.

This lightweight mini bike had folding handlebars and a telescopic seat which allowed it to be folded neatly into a standard CLE1 parachute drop canister.

And although created to give airborne troops mobility once on the ground - almost 4,000 were produced from 1942 - using it was a challenge!

• Only lightweights could ride this machine.
• It was too small for the average-build man. 
• The small diameter 10 inch wheels, made it impossible to carry equipment.
• It was also useless off-road, due to the wheel size.

Designed to be removed from its container and be ready to go within 11 seconds, a paratrooper had to unfold the handlebars and the footrests then push start it.

It also had the minimum of equipment - no lights or suspension and only a rear brake.

It was powered by a 98cc two-stroke Villiers engine, but before it could be used, the fuel tank had to be pumped by hand to pressurize it due to its low gravity position.

However, although it carried less than a gallon of fuel it could reach 30 mph.

The bikes were used primarily by despatch riders who were able to deliver information between posts, much faster.

They also became a favorite find with RAF personnel who would “accidentally” stow them with their equipment for personal use on foreign air bases.

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Image of bike and canisters courtesy of:RAF Museum Cosford

Rept0n1x - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11309006

Image of bike folded inside canister taken by author.

Image of paratrooper with bike courtesy of: historybyzlm.com

http://www.cybermotorcycle.com/euro/wikig/Excelsior-Motor-Co.html - history of Excelsior Motor Comp