Bike
Bikes are fast-moving ground vehicles capable of carrying up to one rider and usually mounting a light weapon. Bikes are used by several forces of the Imperium, Chaos Space Marines, Eldar, Orks and Squats, among others, often for reconnaissance and rapid support roles. Other species, such as the Kroot, Exodite Eldar, and Feral Orks, do not possess the technology needed for such vehicles, and usually employ living animals as mounts instead.[Needs Citation]
Contents
Known Variants
Space Marine Bikes
Most Space Marine bikes are armed with twin-linked bolters mounted between the handle-bars.[1] Chaos Space Marine bikes are of a nearly identical design, although the riders often carry Close Combat Weapons to slaughter their enemies in passing.[2]
Imperial Guard
Certain Rough Rider units of the Imperial Guard use mechanical bikes as mounts; although much less robust and heavily armed than their Space Marine counterparts, these bikes are used in very similar roles.[6]
Ork Warbikes
Ork Warbikes are ramshackle machines but are sturdy enough to fulfil the Ork desire to go fast. They are often painted red for extra speed and are deadly in combat.[3]
Squat Bikes
Squat bikes are sturdy and designed to move Squat warriors rapidly around the battlefield where they can engage in combat with various deadly combat weapons. The Squats also used Trikes, which were larger and had a crew of two. The difference in name reflected size and role, rather than number of wheels; both varieties normally possessed three wheels.[4]
Genestealer Cults
Outrider elements of the Genestealer Cults make use of Atlan-class dirtcycles.
Jetbikes
Jetbikes utilize rare anti-gravity technology that allow them to hover off the ground. They are commonly used by the Eldar (Craftworld and Dark Eldar alike), while the necessary technology has been lost to the Imperium, leaving only one functioning Imperial Jetbike in service, ridden by Sammael of the Dark Angels Space Marines Chapter.
Other
The Adeptus Arbites utilize the Rumbler bike.[5]
The Tau and Necrons do not use bikes, although they do employ special vehicles (Tetras and Destroyers, respectively), in similar battlefield roles.
Related Articles
Related Articles
Sources
- 1: Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition), [Needs Citation]
- 2: Codex: Chaos Space Marines (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex), [Needs Citation]
- 3: Codex: Orks (3rd Edition), [Needs Citation]
- 4: Warhammer 40,000 Compendium, pg. 182
- 5: Apocalypse (Novel) - Chapter 12
- 6: Games Workshop Online web article: Convershun Klinic: Cadian Rough Riders - Retrieved using Wayback Machine (Last accessed on 01/04/2023)