15. MOTORCYCLES & BICYCLES

15.1 Motorcycles are vehicular because they transport Riders and expend MP (rather than MF) as per the Motorcycle column of the MP Entrance Cost section of the Terrain Chart. Motorcycle counters are provided both with and without sidecars. For ease of reference, a motorcycle without a sidecar will be referred to as a "cycle"; that with a sidecar will be referred to as a "sidecar". The word "motorcycle" will collectively refer to both. Each counter with three overhead depictions represents enough machines to transport a squad and ≤ four SMC. Each with two overhead depictions represents enough machines to carry a HS or crew and ≤ four SMC. One machine (a single overhead depiction) may transport ≤ two SMC (≤ three if a sidecar).

15.2 PORTAGE: Cycles have no portage capacity. A Sidecar may carry three PP if squad size, two if HS size, and one PP if SMC size.

15.3 STACKING: Only the Riders of a motorcycle count for stacking purposes. The presence of a motorcycle in a hex does not affect other vehicular entrance or movement costs.

15.4 MOVEMENT: Motorcycles have no Inherent Driver. To move they must be mounted (placed beneath) or Pushed by Infantry. A Motorcycle counter may not be moved by an Infantry unit smaller than that which it can transport (excluding extra SMC). Each Motorcycle counter contains an M#, and is Pushed as if it were a Gun (C10.3) [EXC: a SMC motorcycle can be Pushed by one SMC, and one other SMC may help to Push it, giving a -1 DRM to its Manhandling DR (MMC Gun Pushing DRM apply normally)]. Motorcycles may not be moved, Pushed, mounted or dismounted during the APh. A vehicle may not carry or tow a motorcycle(s).

15.41 MOUNT/DISMOUNT: To mount or dismount a motorcycle requires one MF of the Personnel unit's basic four MF allotment plus ¼ of the total MP allotment of the motorcycle. The Personnel unit also loses one MF of his basic MF allotment for every ¼ (FRU) of the motorcycle's total MP allotment which he uses during that MPh. Once a Personnel unit uses all of his basic MF allotment he cannot be carried farther by the motorcycle - regardless of the number of MP the latter may still have left unused. A dismounting motorcyclist is subject to possible FFMO, but FFNAM always applies to mounting/dismounting Personnel (A4.6).

EX: A leader moves into an Open Ground hex (one MF), mounts a cycle counter (one MF/seven MP), rides the cycle a distance of 11 road hexes (two MF / 7½ MP including one MP for Starting and one MP for Stopping) but cannot dismount because he has used the basic four MF allotment of all conveyed Personnel units (A4.11).

15.42 A motorcycle may not use Reverse movement. A motorcycle pays no MP penalty for entry of a hex containing a wreck/Vehicle, but must pay normal MP costs for Starting, Stopping, and changing VCA.

15.43 OVR: A motorcycle may be ridden through an enemy-occupied hex. Sidecars may even make an OVR (Δ) in the same manner as any unarmored vehicle, adding ¼ of their Riders' FP (subject to TPBF) to the attack. A motorcycle may not be voluntarily dismounted in the same Location with a Known enemy unit [EXC: in Melee; A11.71].

15.44 SPLITTING: A SMC may create a single machine counter from any MMC Motorcycle counter at any time during the MPh in order to move separately from the MMC counter or immediately to accommodate combat losses (15.52). If a squad on a Motorcycle counter Deploys (or is Replaced by its two HS; A19.13), that counter is flipped to its HS side and another HS Motorcycle counter is placed to accommodate the other HS. See 15.52 for Casualty Reduction. Motorcycles of the same type may Recombine into larger capacity counters whenever the proper number occupy the same Location while unmounted, or whenever their Riders are eligible to Recombine into squads (A1.32).

15.45 TERRAIN RESTRICTIONS: A motorcycle may be mounted in and ridden out of terrain it is Pushed into; terrain restrictions apply only to entry, not exit.

15.46 WRECK CHECK: A motorcycle being ridden into shellholes or a stream, or across a non-road hexside via an Elevated Road, Double Crest or Abrupt Elevation Change, must check for wreck by making a dr. If it rolls a 6, the Rider breaks and is automatically dismounted at the Base Level of the hex it was attempting to leave, unless the hex it was attempting to enter has a lower Base Level in which case the wreck occurs in that hex. The wreck result is implemented prior to the occurrence of Defensive Fire attacks prompted by that MP expenditure. Bail Out does not apply. The motorcycle is still usable even if it fails the Wreck Check dr.

15.47 BOG: Motorcycles are not subject to Bog.

15.5 TARGET STATUS: Fire is directed at the Rider of the motorcycle - not at the motorcycle itself and therefore does not cause any Collateral Attack or Immobilization result. Motorcyclists are considered an Infantry Target Type with no Target Size modifier. However, all fire vs a mounted motorcyclist is subject to a -1 To Hit DRM for ordnance or a -1 IFT DRM for non-ordnance weapons. All ordnance hits vs motorcyclists are resolved on the IFT (but not on the ★ Vehicle Line). However, as Riders, motorcyclists are not subject to FFMO/FFNAM and would be subject to vehicular To Hit DRM. Any unmounted motorcycle is considered a SW for purposes of self- and Random Destruction (A9.73-.74).

15.51 KIA: Any KIA result vs a motorcyclist removes it and the motorcycle from play. Eliminated motorcycles do not create a wreck or wreck Blaze.

15.52 K/#: A motorcycle with either a squad or more than one Rider counter is subject to Casualty Reduction as per Random Selection. Any excess motorcycle capacity caused by the elimination/Reduction of the motorcyclist is removed by substituting the correct size motorcycle counter for its current Rider; any Riders not affected are then governed by the results of the subsequent MC or automatic break result.

15.53 #MC: A motorcycle does not take a MC but motorcyclists must. Should the motorcyclist fail the MC, he must Bail Out if the motorcycle is currently moving or in Motion and thereby chance elimination or Reduction. The motorcycle is not removed and is subject to Recovery as if it were a SW. If an MMC motorcycle has two Riders (a MMC and a SMC) and the MMC breaks while the SMC does not, the MMC motorcycle counter can be augmented by a single machine counter to accommodate the split. However, if a single machine carrying two SMC receives fire causing one of the two SMC to break, both SMC must Bail Out (although only one of them would be already broken and thus chance immediate elimination in the resultant NMC). If the motorcycle is stopped when the Rider breaks, it automatically dismounts with no further side effects.

15.54 PTC: A Pin result has no effect vs a motorcyclist so PTC are not resolved vs them - even in scenarios containing Booby Traps which are triggered by TC DR.

15.55 LLMC/LLTC: A LLMC/LLTC has no effect vs a motorcyclist, nor can a broken/eliminated motorcyclist cause a LLMC/LLTC (A10.2).

EX: A 75mm Gun Prep Fires on an Open Ground hex six hexes away which contains a 2-2-8 Infantry crew and a squad-sized cycle counter in Motion carrying a 4-6-7 squad and an 8-0 leader. All three units are subject to the Infantry Target Type To Hit Table with a Modified To Hit Number of 8. However, because the cycle is in Motion there is a +2 DRM (Case J) to it (in addition to the -1 DRM as mounted motorcyclists) so the crew will be hit by an Original To Hit DR ≤ 8, but the squad and leader on the cycle will be affected only if the Original To Hit DR is ≤ 7. Assume the Original To Hit DR is ≤ 7 and the resulting IFT DR is a 3. This results in a K/3 result on the 12 FP column of the IFT. A Random Selection DR is made to determine which of the three targets has been eliminated, wounded, or Reduced, and results in the squad being the unit affected and Reducing the motorcycle counter in size accordingly. Consequently, the crew and leader each take a 3MC which they pass. The HS fails the subsequent 3MC, causing it to break and take a NMC while Bailing Out. If it fails this NMC also it will be eliminated, but a HS cycle counter will remain in the hex. The leader, having passed his 3MC, remains mounted in the hex on a SMC cycle counter still in Motion. Had the HS passed its 3MC, both it and leader would have remained in Motion on a HS cycle counter.

15.56 WOUNDS: A motorcyclist which is wounded suffers no additional effects and may continue movement with his normal four MF allotment (A17.2). He does not have to Bail Out or dismount.

15.6 RIDER FIRE: Riders mounted on cycles may not attack on the IFT or CCT. Riders mounted on sidecars may attack with half FP as Mounted Fire, which could be further reduced as AFPh Fire/any other application of halving FP. The only SW use allowed on sidecars is LMG/Thrown DC; a single sidecar would need two SMC Riders to be able to use a SW.

15.7 CAPTURE: Since a motorcycle has no inherent driver, it is not captured like a vehicle - it is Recovered like any SW. There are no penalties for captured use.

15.8 BICYCLES: Bicycles are represented by cycle counters, but are considered SW - not vehicles. All cycle rules apply except as amended below.

15.81 MOVEMENT: Bicycles have no MP allotment of their own. Instead, they have the same MF allotment as their Riders would if Infantry (including Leader Bonus and Double Time, if applicable) and use Infantry - not vehicular - movement [EXC: they may not use Assault Movement]. Bicycles may be ridden only across road hexsides, where they halve the MF costs of their Riders - provided they are not in a shellhole or entrenchment hex, gaining elevation, on a dirt road during Mud, or on a non-plowed road during Snow. A bicycle receives a one MF bonus for each level of elevation it descends while on a road and a one MF bonus for remaining on a road throughout its MPh (as per B3.4). There is no cost to mount/dismount a bicycle.

15.82 PORTAGE: Bicycles have no portage capacity and cannot be used to transport SW counters. Bicycles may be portaged as one PP, but not during the APh because (like motorcycles) they cannot be moved during the APh.

15.83 OVR: Bicycles may not make an OVR attack or be ridden into a Known enemy unit's hex.

15.84 WRECK CHECK: Bicycles need not check for a possible wreck when entering a shellhole hex.

15.85 TARGET STATUS: Bicycle Riders are Infantry targets and as a result thereof, a bicyclist never Bails Out, but is treated as a normal Infantry target for all purposes, including "PTC" and FFMO/FFNAM effects, in addition to a -1 DRM as a mounted bicycle Rider (15.5).