Army Motorcycles

**FMolloy** · 7th April 2003, 13:57

Saw a pair of new Suzuki Bandit 250's bearing sigs badges down the Brugha yesterday. I reckon they got them for courier work. It's the first time I've seen bikes with sigs markings, the only bikes I've seen have been the cav's.

I wonder what will become of the cav's Kawasaki 550's? They were retained for the dispatch riders when the cav got the Deauville for the Presidenal escort.

**Bravo20** · 7th April 2003, 14:34

That was the intention, I remember reading about it at the time.

**FMolloy** · 7th April 2003, 15:16

I have seen the Kawasakis about town the odd time.

I wonder who'll be doing the deliveries now? Cav or sigs?

**Come-quickly** · 7th April 2003, 15:59

Shame they won't fork out for a diesel powered "nato" standard type like the KLR 250

**Ex-soldier** · 7th April 2003, 22:03

Signals have always had motorcycles!!

**strummer** · 7th April 2003, 23:39

Bring back the "SANDBLASTERS", Vroooom!!!

**Goldie fish** · 8th April 2003, 02:58

KLR 250 is pretty much Petrol you'll find...I didnt realise that the Bandit in 250 form was being imported officially.Could it have been the 600 model?Seems a Bit flashy for the Defence Forces..

Diesel motorcycles are still pretty much an oddity rather than commonplace. The yanks have one,while the Brits done a mad thing and replaced their MT500 Rotax engined thumpers(a certain LT in 3 Cav used to have 1) for Harley davidson built offroaders

...Prior to that the only diesel bikes out there was the primative Enfield..

The GT550 is a bit of a handful for just bringing envelopes from Parkgate to cathal Brughafine tho if you are going from Parkgate to brugha ia clonmel though...the MPs seem to be getting a few of them(they look just like garda bikes..:confused

.Had one myself for a while,great for distance,pretty good about town,everyone pulls over for you(specially if you dress"appropriately" with a white Arai Helmet and Yellow sambrowne),but bloody useless offroad..if she goes over,you wont get her offye!

Kawasaki GT550(Photo Sgt Ben Halligan)

Kawasaki Diesel Motorcycle

**yooklid** · 8th April 2003, 05:31

Ah the Enfield, (sniff sniff) sure even the S&T had one or two of them back in the day as outriders. I have a pic of myself age 4 holding me nads sitting on the back of one at my brother's passing out parade.....

**FMolloy** · 8th April 2003, 08:48

I didn't get a close look, but I'm pretty sure it had a 250 decal on it. Makes sense, the Kawasakis are a bit on the big side for jamming around town. I'd say the riders are happy, I know I would :D

Ex-soldier, the sigs might have always had bikes but I've never seen them. In fact, all the guys I've seen doing dispatch around town have been troopers.

Lost Watchdog · 8th April 2003, 11:15

When the 6FD MPs ran bike courses on the super sandblasters (I did three of them) we had a few bods from the 11th Sigs and Cav, even a PDF guy at one stage. Never actually saw a signaller on a bike after that.

**Goldie fish** · 9th April 2003, 02:55

Forgive my rare demonstration of non knowledge of such things,but what are these "sandblasters" that you are referring to?
While talking of 2 wheeled things,I notice the PSNI are using Big traillies these days for patrolling around town. Looked like a Honda Dominator ,Transalp or suchlike.

Lost Watchdog · 9th April 2003, 10:35

Sanglas (Spanish for piece of shit) were bikes purchased by some genius despite the fact they did not start in the wet, had a tendancy to go on fire while in use and for bits to fall off. I once drove from the Brugha to Cork with the kick-start pedal (not sure what the correct term is) in my pocket. But their best trick was when you had to use the kick-start a few times (the electric start never worked) was to build up such pressure on the kick-start pedal that you pushed it down hard the recoil would send you airborne.

**Aidan** · 9th April 2003, 10:49

FMolloy,

I've seen a few of those Suzukis around, the ones I've seen were all very definitely 600s (in blue). The looked very much like civvy spec bikes with army/sig plates just bolted on.

**hptmurphy** · 9th April 2003, 21:25

ahem...sorry to dissapoint but the3rd have had there own offroad bikes for the last two years.I 350 and a pair of 250s .the former came from 1 cav while the latter came from 2 Cav.Us ed in the DR role very handy especilly when we have a very enthusiastic transport officer who has his own HD offroad bike and has participated in the Paris Dakar rally.

Incidentley he is responsible for founding the defence forces motor cycle club which had its first off road event in kilworth 3 weeks ago with a large participatio both within and outside of military circles....nice one Philip...

**hptmurphy** · 10th April 2003, 22:59

no........you wouldn't apply for the last course for a 154.......hang on I'll ask the cheif of staff can the CAV school relocate to suit you....

**boforgunner** · 16th April 2003, 13:30

is there a branch of the DF motorcycle club in cork?????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????
?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????

**hptmurphy** · 16th April 2003, 16:26

I don't know but I'll find out as soon as I can!

**boforgunner** · 16th April 2003, 17:46

good man good man!!!!!

**FMolloy** · 16th April 2003, 17:59

Here is the Sanglas:

The pic is from Ben Halligan's site - http://homepage.tinet.ie/~benhalligan/

**Farel'** · 10th July 2003, 00:28

Does anyone know about the nice new machines ,complete with lollupop stick and strobes They Look Like suzuki Bandits..but in the same blue ars the dullvilles of the presidential excort. Why did they not select the same model?

**FMolloy** · 10th July 2003, 14:41

They are indeed Bandit 600's. There's a thread about this somewhere on the board.

**hptmurphy** · 30th July 2003, 21:57

while on the PSO exercise one of the PAs took a dislike to being stopped at a checkpoint by an RDF trooper. when he attempted to move to the front of the column at speed one of his rear paniers clipped the rear of his colleagues machine and he was propelled through the air without his machine which followed soon after wards and he then ingested a diet of humble pie.The whole episode was caught on video by the troop officer himself a motorcyclist of unquantifiable expierince......wait for it.....also a DF qualifield DR instructor and afounding member of the defence Forces MotorCycle club.........wounder how long it is before the individual involved is back on barrier duty on Rockall

**combatlogo** · 25th June 2004, 10:21

What kind of bikes do the Army & the GS use?

Does the Army maintain off-road capable motorcycles?

**Truck Driver** · 25th June 2004, 12:53

Unsure about the Garda bikes - I think the current ones are Hondas
Pan European is written on them, whether this is a special edition of a model
I don't know.

The Army have the Honda Deauville as the current motorcycle in the
Presidential Escort - very stylish machine, as seen below

Click here...

Am unsure about offroad capable motorbikes....

**Goldie fish** · 25th June 2004, 13:15

The Gardai Use the following Bikes.
Honda ST1100 PanEuropean
BMW R1150RT
Honda Deauville 650

There are also a number of older models still on the road including
Kawasaki GT550
Honda CBX750 Police Special

THe military police used to use the Kawasaki GT550,but now use the Suzuki GSF600 Bandit(with blue strobes,lollipop stick and massive pannier boxes)

Various off road models are in use by the Army,most are not pure off roaders, such as the Suzuki DR350

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