Friday bike

Was at a museum this week and saw this weeks 'Friday bike'.

 ex British Army Can Am 250

The Army bike was based on Can Am's 'Track'n'Trail (TnT) 250, a successful enduro bike of the 1970s.

The British Army bought 5,000 bikes in two batches, 1978 and 1980, and it was also used by the armies of Canada and Belgium. The British Army used them for a very short period as they were replaced from 1983 onwards by the Armstrong MT 500, and remaining bikes sold to the general public. A lot were used as enduros and I saw some being used by couriers. They were very cheap and I seriously thought about buying one in the mid 80s as a winter bike before being given my first MZ250.

Army bikes usually had these panniers (which looked like old WW2 backpacks!)

They were usually referred to as 'Bombadiers' due to the engine manufacturer's name cast on the side of the engine, but pronounced the British way rather than the French way the company used.