Post-Listing Update: This Welbike got no action at the opening bid of $11,000.
At the request of the British government, Excelsior developed the Welbike, a tiny single seater that was designed to be dropped into combat situations via parachute-equipped containers, then unpacked and moving on the road within 11 seconds.
Italy, Germany, and America had similar designs – the American version was the Cushman Model 53. In a 2 year period, 3,461 Welbikes were built, though few actually spent time in combat. The Welbike was sparsely equipped so it would fit in the deployable canister. As such, it had no suspension, lights or front brake. Unfortunately, there were flaws in the design that came to light when the bikes were most needed: the weight difference between a soldier and the motorcycle meant they typically did not land near each other, and the bike had tiny tires and barely any power, often making it inadequate for traversing rough terrain. Because of this, many Welbikes were either captured by the enemy before they were even used or abandoned on the battlefield by soldiers who figured they could get to their destination easier on foot.
This example (Serial Number: 343) has been ‘restored with all original parts.’ Find this Welbike for sale in Caldwell, Idaho with an unmet opening bid of $11,000