Welbike
The origin of the Welbike can be traced to the Special Operations Executive (SOE), the British wartime organization responsible for conducting espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in occupied Europe. The SOE recognized the need for a compact motorcycle that could be easily dropped by parachute and assembled quickly on the battlefield, giving troops much-needed mobility after landing. In response to this need, the design was developed by Excelsior Motor Company in collaboration with Station IX, one of the SOE’s covert research and development facilities located in Welwyn, Hertfordshire. The name “Welbike” itself was derived from “Welwyn”, a nod to the site where the idea was born and developed.
Excelsior, one of the oldest British motorcycle manufacturers, took on the challenge of building this ultra-portable vehicle. The resulting product was a 98cc single-cylinder two-stroke motorcycle powered by a Villiers engine—one of the most widely used lightweight engines in Britain at the time. The Welbike was designed with simplicity and speed of deployment in mind. It lacked a suspension system and had very minimal instrumentation, reducing weight and complexity. With a top speed of around 30 miles per hour and a fuel tank capacity allowing for a range of roughly 90 miles, the Welbike offered just enough performance for short reconnaissance trips or movement between objectives.
Its most remarkable feature, however, was its portability. The Welbike could be collapsed into a compact form and fitted inside a standard CLE (Container Light Equipment) canister used for parachute drops. Weighing approximately 70 pounds, it could be unpacked and made operational in less than a minute by trained soldiers. While it did not fold in the way that modern folding bicycles or motorcycles might, it was engineered to be quickly assembled from its stored configuration without the use of tools.
Between 1942 and 1943, approximately 4,000 units were produced, though estimates vary slightly depending on source. Despite the cleverness of the design, the Welbike had limitations that prevented it from widespread frontline use. Its small wheels and lack of suspension made it ill-suited for rough terrain, and it offered little in the way of durability under harsh combat conditions. Moreover, because it had no lights or weather protection, it was vulnerable in night operations or poor weather. Still, it found utility among certain airborne units and special operations teams who valued its portability and speed of deployment.
The Welbike was notably used during exercises and limited missions by the British Airborne Divisions, including elements of the 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions. There are also accounts of its consideration for use by special operations teams dropped behind enemy lines, although its limited off-road capability made it less attractive for such missions in practice. After the war, the design influenced other compact motorcycle concepts, including the Corgi scooter, which was based on the Welbike and sold to civilians in the postwar years.
