Odd Designs: Bikes And The Mechanics

43Supporter · 01-13-2020, 01:51 AM

[NOTE: Did I ever just date myself with *that* pun. :) ]

"Nightstrike" from _ADQ 1/2_ features among the Defender's cycles this rather unusual bit of kit (shown in undamaged form):

Hv. Cycle; Imp. Susp.; Md. PP [600 PF]; 2x Std. tire; Driver. MG [F]; Cargo: 3 sp./330 lbs. [1] Armor: F: 8; B: 7. $3,580; 1,300 lbs.

Lt. S-car; Hv. Susp.; Std. tire. Cargo: 2 sp./185 lbs. [2] Armor: all sides: 0. $1,650; 400 lbs.

[1: Contains 2 cases of Portable Shop -- $2,000]
[2: Contains other 2 cases of Portable Shop -- $2,000; as the cases are separable, this does not materially affect the P.S.]

Total: $9,230; 1,700 lbs. (loaded). Acc.: 5; TS: 95; HC: 3.

This is an aspect of the Biker Gang one rarely, if ever, sees depicted -- the Rear-Echelon Motorcycle. One often sees descriptions of "wrecks stripped by biker gangs", but how often does one see the bike ridden by the mechanic doing the stripping, or the bike which carries off the parts salvaged?

It's not exactly brilliant at the job -- most of its available hauling capacity goes to the Portable Shop needed to get the parts off a wreck to begin with; that sidecar is completely unarmored, so if this thing gets caught, there's every chance of the Shop getting shredded; it's sufficiently slow, it might well *get* caught if its raiding party gets ambushed; and the tires are weak and unprotected. It does have that one cargo space on the cycle itself which is (somewhat) protected by armor, so it's not totally hopeless; definitely *NOT* a "line-combat" unit, though. (As it appears in the scenario: Its raiding party *did* get ambushed, and it got chopped up a bit.)

Were I the soul riding it, I'd want to upgrade the tires for certain, for no other reason than to allow me that much more time before they are shot off. Adding armor to the sidecar might not be all that useful -- there's not quite enough weight to make it worthwhile. A powerplant swap to something which boosts Acc. to 10, at the expense of the cycle's third cargo space, might be a better option (if such a plant becomes available -- bikers can't always be choosers).

Still, it is interesting to see the author of the scenario showing the players the Other Side of the "combat/non-combat" fence.

01-13-2020, 01:51 AM	#1
43Supporter Join Date: Dec 2007	Odd Designs: Bikes And The Mechanics [NOTE: Did I ever just date myself with that pun. :) ] "Nightstrike" from _ADQ 1/2_ features among the Defender's cycles this rather unusual bit of kit (shown in undamaged form): Hv. Cycle; Imp. Susp.; Md. PP [600 PF]; 2x Std. tire; Driver. MG [F]; Cargo: 3 sp./330 lbs. [1] Armor: F: 8; B: 7. $3,580; 1,300 lbs. Lt. S-car; Hv. Susp.; Std. tire. Cargo: 2 sp./185 lbs. [2] Armor: all sides: 0. $1,650; 400 lbs. [1: Contains 2 cases of Portable Shop -- $2,000] [2: Contains other 2 cases of Portable Shop -- $2,000; as the cases are separable, this does not materially affect the P.S.] Total: $9,230; 1,700 lbs. (loaded). Acc.: 5; TS: 95; HC: 3. This is an aspect of the Biker Gang one rarely, if ever, sees depicted -- the Rear-Echelon Motorcycle. One often sees descriptions of "wrecks stripped by biker gangs", but how often does one see the bike ridden by the mechanic doing the stripping, or the bike which carries off the parts salvaged? It's not exactly brilliant at the job -- most of its available hauling capacity goes to the Portable Shop needed to get the parts off a wreck to begin with; that sidecar is completely unarmored, so if this thing gets caught, there's every chance of the Shop getting shredded; it's sufficiently slow, it might well get caught if its raiding party gets ambushed; and the tires are weak and unprotected. It does have that one cargo space on the cycle itself which is (somewhat) protected by armor, so it's not totally hopeless; definitely NOT a "line-combat" unit, though. (As it appears in the scenario: Its raiding party did get ambushed, and it got chopped up a bit.) Were I the soul riding it, I'd want to upgrade the tires for certain, for no other reason than to allow me that much more time before they are shot off. Adding armor to the sidecar might not be all that useful -- there's not quite enough weight to make it worthwhile. A powerplant swap to something which boosts Acc. to 10, at the expense of the cycle's third cargo space, might be a better option (if such a plant becomes available -- bikers can't always be choosers). Still, it is interesting to see the author of the scenario showing the players the Other Side of the "combat/non-combat" fence. __________________ "Dale who?" 79er The Jeremy Clarkson Debate Course: 1) I'm Right. 2) You're Wrong. 3) The End.