The only time your motorcycle cannot fire after it has moved is if it cannot dismount its rider to shoot.

A classic situation is as follows:
a). you make a successful command order and your motorcycle unit roars along a road at double its normal speed because it is wheeled, to the full extent of its move.

b). you want to make another Move order - off road now towards a wood - but darn! - you fail your Command roll (thankfully not a blunder). So your motorcycle is currently still mounted.

Your turn ends
c). your opponent moves out of the wood in-front of your motorcycle unit and you attempt Opportunity fire ... well sorry you cannot use Opportunity fire, as your Move order failed and you did not dismount at the end of your previous successful move order. Similarly, had the enemy unit been within initiative distance and charged the motorcycles, you'd not have been able to undertake and response fire either.

Now, this is going to cause all sorts of issues - as it will potentially end up with players dismounting their motorcycle or bicycle units at the end of each move phase. But short of requiring Bikes & Motorbikes to make a dismount move to dismount (which was something that players have been very much against) I think this has to be the situation.

Happy to be challenged on this though?

Great example!

I think the answer is simple -

To fire the motorcycle unit using it's own AP stats (e.g. German Army 1/40) - it must be transporting infantry.

So if dismounted - the unit cannot fire anyway ...and if mounted it can.

Players need to choose to stay mounted or not at the end of each Move (noting that a Deploy order is not needed to mount / dismount motorbikes)


If staying mounted : The m/c unit can fire using it's AP stats - but also the transported unit suffers badly if the m/c unit is fired upon
Or
If dismounted : the m/c unit cannot fire using it's AP stats - but the infantry unit can fire ....and is also likely better defensively.

The Motorcycle can in theory never fire - it is an inanimate machine - it is always the riders shooting (even if it has a side car ...). It is not like a half-track ot aerosani or even potentially a wagon that has a crew dedicated to it independently of any passengers.

The 1/40 stat is there for the instance (rare as they might be) that a motorcycle unit is assaulted whilst it has mounted crew on it. It can use the AP stat (1/40) to provide Response fire or Support fire to another unit being assaulted - think of it as if some crew have dismounted, hence it is not as effective as a fully dismounted unit (although it will most likely get the +1d6 for shooting under half range if applicable).

Normally - a Motorcycle rider/passenger cannot fire whilst mounted - its rider/passenger can only fire when dismounted (other than the circumstance above ... rare as that is).

Motorcycles are Transports (as are Bicycles) so you need to buy an Infantry unit to act as the passengers.
When dismounted these Infantry units fight and generally behave as they would if they are a normal infantry unit. They do not transfer any Special Characteristics to the Motorcycles - such as Green/Raw or Veteran (for example).

Does that help?

That's your lot for today .... you've used up your 3 magic questions 
I am off to bed now and tomorrow I must focus on the Errata update and also the Spanish Civil War supplement and the next set of new Commander rules.
So you will have to rely upon the good will of other forum members for a day or two Adam.

Happy reading

Mark

Thank you Mark - Yes....that really does help clarify the thinking...I get the rationale.

Personally i'm good with a rule where - "To fire the motorcycle unit using it's own AP stats (e.g. German Army 1/40) - it must be transporting infantry"- and allowing firing per other units...not just for Response or Support Fire.

Think this simply then works that same as Kubelwagen  / Schwimmwagen Vehicles who also have an AP capability ...and would also mean the 25 points cost works alongside other units (and a re-costed Kubelwagen Vehicle - per separate post)

Neater in my personal view - but fully understand the rule as written.

Many thanks again!

"Motorcycles, Sidecars & Bicycles, oh my! Motorcycles, Sidecars & Bicycles, oh my!...."

https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1920&bih=813&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=ENbzXLOfJ5aj1fAP-6m-mAk&q=firing+from+motorcycle+sidecar&oq=firing+from+motorcycle+sidecar&gs_l=img.3...56071.60000..60894...0.0..0.64.446.9......0....1..gws-wiz-img.7-rB0g4d0fo#imgrc=Ot7zzkX-hksLpM:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1920&bih=813&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=ENbzXLOfJ5aj1fAP-6m-mAk&q=firing+from+motorcycle+sidecar&oq=firing+from+motorcycle+sidecar&gs_l=img.3...56071.60000..60894...0.0..0.64.446.9......0....1..gws-wiz-img.7-rB0g4d0fo#imgrc=UFol75bzcEiSDM:

All it needs is an MG42

Save of a 3?

Remember you cannot fire a bazooka or a panzerfaust out of the side car, unless you ant to make a sharp left hand-brake turn 

Quote from: Big Insect on 02 June 2019, 04:00:49 PM
Remember you cannot fire a bazooka or a panzerfaust out of the side car, unless you ant to make a sharp left hand-brake turn 

Uhhhh, they're recoilless, just a back blast.

But, if you ever play Bolt Action one US player spotted a loop hole in the lists and put flamethrowers in the sidecars. They're deadly! 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1920&bih=813&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=PQX0XLEHo-zGA8fUlZAJ&q=flamethrower+in+motorcycle+sidecar&oq=flamethrower+in+motorcycle+sidecar&gs_l=img.3...11737.18350..18612...0.0..0.163.1331.22j1......0....1..gws-wiz-img.......0i67j0j0i8i30j0i24.CvqvLm4SKOw#imgrc=h_r94qxCuQhuUM:

Sorry - cant work out how to post a picture yet!

Here you go AJ