Help Us Identify This Motorcycle With a Machine Gun Strapped to the Back

The hell is it?

By: Jonathon Klein

Apr 18, 2024 at 4:04pm ET

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OK, folks, I know I just did a whole story on becoming the boss of RideApart, and by that logic, I should know every motorcycle and powersport machine ever built. But I'm stumped. I came across this photo of a motorcycle technical on Reddit the other day and for the life of me, I cannot figure out what the hell it is.

I've polled Janaki, Robbie and EJ. I've put it up in my Insta stories. I've even texted RideApart's EIC Emeritus Jason Marker who's far more knowledgeable about Eastern-produced motorcycles of likely Slavic origin.

And guess what, we're all stumped. As Marker texted me, "It's a Motorcycle brand motorcycle." It's just such a common design, we can't figure it out.

I've zoomed in, did the whole movie-style "ENHANCE" with Photoshop, and tried my best to figure out what the lettering is along the tank and side plate. But I've got nothing, other than the side plate maybe says "750" or "T50" or it's in Cyrillic. Folks, I just don't know.

Honestly, based on the locale (Syria), it could be either Chinese, Russian, or Indian, or some combination of all three given how mechanics over there make do with whatever they have and make it work remarkably well. It also could just be a Honda CB with parts thrown onto it to, again, just make it work.

But I'm tired of having this question in my head and, by Slack Law, I've already devoted too much time DM'ing my Motorsport Network colleagues for it to not become this story. So I ask of you, our dear readers, what the hell is this motorcycle?

Here's what I do know. It's a captured Syrian Democratic Forces technical thanks to Recoil Magazine, which appears to be the original publisher of the image. I also know that the weapons platform mounted to the rear of the motorcycle is either an Iranian or Chinese-produced W85 and fires 12.7x108mm rounds.

It's also meant to be mounted to a stable tripod or a vehicle, though I sincerely doubt that the PLA would've considered a motorcycle in the "vehicle" category given this machine gun's recoil. But like I said earlier, they're making it work, even adding a spare ammunition box to the front of the bike.

Marker thinks maybe it's a Soviet Minsk, but I haven't been able to find one that matches up. So help me, and the rest of us, figure this riddle out and get it out of my head.