Strelets Forum

Welcome to the Strelets Forum.
Please feel free to discuss any aspect of 1/72 scale plastic figures, not simply Strelets.
If you have any questions about our products then we will answer them here.

Strelets Forum
This Forum is Locked
Author
Comment
Motorcycles

One of my favourite figures is the Airfix dispatch rider mounted on a classic British single cylinder machine but apart from several sets of German sets and one of a Russian combination and an Italian in the Waterloo 1815 set no-one represents motorcycles of other nations. I appreciate that the Germans were by far the biggest users but many other nations did use them quite extensively, especially in the early part of the war. Personally I would love to see some British solos and combinations, American with iconic V twins, French motorised dragoons and NA Italians. Anybody else interested?

Re: Motorcycles

I have a memory of reading about a British commander organising a section of motorcycles into an attack force by fitting them with Lewis guns. This was during the blitzkrieg in France in 1940.

They ambushed & shot up a German motorised unit & got away scot free.

Wouldn't this make a great force to model?

donald

Re: Motorcycles

Nitto used to make a Harley Davidson in hard plastic in about a zillion little pieces.

Atlantic had one in their Nazi and Italian Facists sets that were terrible.

Waterloo 1815, Set 034 Italian Infantry Support Group has two excellent motorcycles.

Italeri did a great German one for the Afrika Korps but expensive and hard to find.

Hat made a couple of German WWII motorcycles in their MP set and they were giant sized.

But yes, there are far too few motorcycles in one piece soft plastic. I think British, German, American, Soviet, and Japanese, and French would be well received, if you got say, 12 in the set, not unlike cavalry, with different riders on the vehicles.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek
Bunker Talk blog

Re: Motorcycles

Paintdog
I have a memory of reading about a British commander organising a section of motorcycles into an attack force by fitting them with Lewis guns. This was during the blitzkrieg in France in 1940.

They ambushed & shot up a German motorised unit & got away scot free.

Wouldn't this make a great force to model?

donald
An intriguing story; sounds like the sort of thing that those old 'war comics for boys' that we used to read would have amongst the pages.

Early War Miniatures do the largest selection of WW2 motorcyles and associated troops of any manufacturer I know of; they are 20mm and metal, so more expensive, but worth a look. Amongst their products is, in fact, a BEF motorcycle with Bren gunner:

https://earlywarminiatures.com/product/norton-motorcycle-and-sidecar-brengun-with-3-crewman-separa/

They also produce an extensive range of motorcyclists for the French and Italian armies.

Shame

Minuteman
Paintdog
I have a memory of reading about a British commander organising a section of motorcycles into an attack force by fitting them with Lewis guns. This was during the blitzkrieg in France in 1940.

They ambushed & shot up a German motorised unit & got away scot free.

Wouldn't this make a great force to model?

donald
An intriguing story; sounds like the sort of thing that those old 'war comics for boys' that we used to read would have amongst the pages.

Early War Miniatures do the largest selection of WW2 motorcyles and associated troops of any manufacturer I know of; they are 20mm and metal, so more expensive, but worth a look. Amongst their products is, in fact, a BEF motorcycle with Bren gunner:

https://earlywarminiatures.com/product/norton-motorcycle-and-sidecar-brengun-with-3-crewman-separa/



I will blush with shame if my tale turns out to be from a comic.

I've looked for it on the web & can't find it, though the bren gun fitted bikes sound suggestive.

donald

Re: Motorcycles

Who does the Soviet combination? - I have been looking for them and wasn't aware they had been made.

Re: Motorcycles

Philip Ball
Who does the Soviet combination? - I have been looking for them and wasn't aware they had been made.
Zvezda released a nice WWII soviet motorbike kit (including 2 figures) in their AoT range last year. 👍

6277 - Soviet M-72 Motorcycle with Sidecar and Crew

Re: Motorcycles

Thanks - I must have missed them!