European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 24, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By re vow enter wn.1 i,i,-.t fail  a rack up Hie anus s version of a hike gang training at Coleman har rack s in Mannheim Hie can Flag. Painted bikes with extended front Forks and metallic two stroke sound seem out of place in in army motor Pool but the soldiers who spend their morning s Hill climbing and afternoons racing around a dirt track enjoy the  refers to his group of cavalrymen As the Cav Angels and the soldiers talk Aboul wearing leather Jack ets and attacking the russians with Bike chains. The duty in t quite what they like to imagine but the 8lh inf div s 3rd in eth Cav is testing the use of motorcycles As a Means of transportation and communication in Hie fit id. Twi Lily. If i e two stroke. Olf the mad to i 11. An  nil in i.-. In id three to the 81 h inf c in s 4iiill/,i film the d,\r.kt s " up a i Ide re  part in a   Lin  inure in  the Zwiers Wil be into ride Cross coi Aitro at m Miles per  army officials  course includes learning Good Riding technique1, such As standing up i the jogs Over rough ground land ing after a jump in the tuck wheel first and downshifting without a Mun the . Gen. John h. L. Cleland. Departing commander of the 8th inf univ. Who admitted he is a Bike enthusiast himself said. The motorcycle is necessary Here to cause of the kind if War we might have to  Cleland who first Rode an army motorcycle in 1944 while attend ing a Parachute demolition school  30 Hercules 125-ec motorcycles his men Ore using Are powerful Quick and simple to  German army uses a special Hercules Bike de signed primarily for Street use. The a inf div almost bought a Fleet of the Street bikes but officials said they Are now Happy they did t. The Bike used by the German army is Only produced once every two years. To get it we would have to wait and we decided not to wait Cleland said. Five soldiers from the division recently attended a German army motorcycle training course where they used the German Bike. They plan to go Back to the school to show the germans lire . S dirt Bike they Are going to be sorry they missed this one one Soldier said. One of the soldiers who attended the German army school was sgt. Gary Pond of c troop. 3rd in. 8th Cav who said. Comparatively our Bike is better for what we want. The German army Lues their motorcycles fur traffic control More hum  else and the bikes perform very Well on the Street Bat off die Road the hikes Are Towlow. Ours has 10 inches of clearance exactly what you need the division is the first unit in Usa eur to use motor cycles although bikes have used by units in the ., Cle land  the . Some units had infantry soldiers on motor Tel the Iii l1 i la i Ems have l it in Mannheim maj. James f. Normanjr. C in i t Offu a of the cavalry unit  Sirmier in the the program were chosen on their knowledge of to Loryd and their Good standing As  explained. You have to have  people in this group. They Are going to get on a Bike Andy themselves ride off across the Countryside. You have to have soldiers you can  of the soldiers admit they have Little or no experience on dirt bikes. My brother in Law owned a Bike once and that s Aboul the Only Contact i be had with them one Pri vate said. He admitted he found the training rough i can l even Lei the clutch out without stalling the Liike. They the instr tetors Lell me it is Only Anu tit tlmi1 until i get i Down but i Dpi t seem to  making a it of Norman s ii   the so i is l of to in    Vij to have  is an instructor As Norman v. A. Ii i july one of u j to  d it Bike Riu s in. The  once raced on a Proli in l  track team in the . And has won Many . Now with the Zaidof several of the More experienced riders he ii teach Jug tic cavalrymen the basics of  they learn the basics Well Leach a week of combat motorcycle Riding to teach concealment map Reading and other tactical things. The Nio  should become an important part of our training fusions Norman  bikes will probably be mounted 0 1 a rack on the Side of the battalions armoured personnel carriers Norman said. There is a Ely enough room for the sol Diers inside a track so the Bike can t j is be rolled  other problems yet to be solved include Juliat kind of weapon the cyclists will carry and which army radio will a Best suited to their Type of duly. We will will probably end up carrying the m203," Pond said. The weapon is a combination of the Vioal Rifle and a grenade   soldiers will mostly Likely carry a radio of some sort on their  he  germ Uia my has mounted their radios on the Bike but on the Bike being used by the . The fenders Are rubber nuking the mounting of a radio impossible. Officials  motorcycles will be used during several Field training exercises this summer. Norman said. The soldiers will probably spend More Lime on their Bike than in a track. I think they la like Maneu vers a bit it ire  the bikers get lot of dust in their eyes and their Hel mets Are still camouflaged but the motorcycle has made training a bit More exciting for them. Failing in an at tempt to lift his Bike up on the Back wheel one Soldier said ill get u sooner or Ater. I be got lots of time to train and Don t want to miss a second of  top pay a one of the new Cav Angels can t seem to Tan Page 14 the stars and stripes easy riders from the 8th inf div Rev up and a is Friday