| abstract
| - The Assault Bike, like many other Imperial vehicles, has over the years had numerous variant patterns created by the Adeptus Mechanicus or various Space Marine Chapter Armouries with a wide array of different weapon and feature combinations. Out of these many variants those officially recognised by the Adeptus Mechanicus and most commonly employed by Astartes Chapters are featured below:
* Attack Bike - The Attack Bike is the most common variant of the Assault Bike and has been is use by the Adeptus Astartes since the Great Crusade. The Attack Bike adds a sidecar to the bike that is equipped with a heavy weapon and a passenger seat. The heavy weapon is operated by the vehicle's passenger and when an Attack Bike is attached to an Assault Bike squad it is used to add heavy firepower in the form of either a Heavy Bolter or a Multi-Melta. There are several Chapters that field Attack Bikes as part of their own, separate squads instead of attaching them to Assault Bike Squads.
* Scout Bike - During the final stages of a Space Marine Scout's training he is attached to a Scout Bike squadron. Scout Bike Squads are usually deployed as fast-moving reconnaissance and disruption units. These squads will operate outside of the chain-of-command and will only answer to their commanding Sergeant. Scout Bike squadrons are commonly used behind enemy lines to lay cluster-mine traps, call down orbital bombardments, and teleport homers to allow squads to deep-strike behind enemy lines. Space Marine Scout Bikes are nearly the same in all ways to the standard pattern of Assault Bike, except they are outfitted with lighter armour and quieter, baffled engines. Scout Bikes can also be armed with an Astartes Grenade Launcher instead of the standard twin-linked Bolters.
* Mark IV Raven Pattern Assault Bike - The Mark IV Raven Pattern Assault Bike is used exclusively by the Space Marines of the Dark Angels Chapter's Ravenwing (2nd) Company. Ravenwing Black Knights ride to battle atop Mark IV Raven Pattern Space Marine Assault Bikes, powerful machines outfitted with deadly Plasma Talons. To signify their exalted status, Black Knights carry Corvus Hammers, which are patterned after an ancient Calibanite weapon used to hunt the Great Beasts of that lost world. The Black Knights' riding skills are supreme, and they can drive at top speed through almost any impediments to close on their foes. During this approach, their Plasma Talons tear gaping holes in the enemy lines before they literally ride over their prey, cracking armour and sundering flesh with their Corvus Hammers as they go. Against more formidable opponents, those Black Knights trained in the use of the Ravenwing Grenade Launcher fire a salvo of specialised rad and stasis shells, which can make even the most potent of enemies more vulnerable to a sustained assault. A Ravenwing Black Knight is a vengeful killer who will not rest until he has run his prey to ground. If his Plasma Talons do not kill the foe, the razor-sharp bill of his Corvus Hammer surely will.
* Legion Mark IV Outrider Assault Bike - The Legion Mark IV Outrider was an older variant of the Assault Bike that was used by the Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. These Assault Bikes were used by Legion Outrider Squadrons to perform scouting missions and conduct guerrilla attacks behind enemy lines. What makes these Assault Bike variants different from the standard Assault Bikes used in the late 41st Millennium, other than their appearance, is not recorded in Imperial records. The Legion Mark IV Outrider, much like all other known Assault Bike variants, is armed with a set of twin-linked Bolters mounted on the lower front sides of the vehicle. They can be replaced with either a set of twin-linked Flamers, Meltaguns, or Plasma Guns for added firepower.
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