Matrix Games Forums

Which one moves faster? or is better overall?

I think buggies are better, maybe a bit more expensive?

so other than $$$ is there any other benefit of bikes vs buggies?

I have yet to try and play with actual motorbike infantry, but in my opinion, those two live in two similar but different niches.
Similar because they are both scouts, the motorbike infantry being significantly better at it.

Different because one is infantry, the other is an armored car, the poor regime's early tank.
Buggies can end up faster than motorcycles because you can design them so that the engine is overpowered. Slap some better armor onto them, and they can withstand small arms fire significantly better (look up the table of caliber vs armor thickness). Plus they do not suffer from as severe a penalty than infantry during the first two rounds of combat when attacking.

Motorcycle infantry is more akin to light infantry but quicker to deploy where you want it at, and better at reconnaissance and screening. Perhaps one could even say it's a cheaper alternative to motorized infantry, but that's just my guess, I still need to at least try it for myself to be able to say for sure.

Both use Movement Type "Wheel", so their speed is mostly identical. Movement modifier is where they warry

Bikes:
- at 7 Recon, the best in the game
- more fuel and IP efficient
- combat is focussed very on offense. Attack is equal to defense, instead of half
- very poor defense/hard terrain. Pretty sure they use modifiers as Morotized. And can not go past Padded Environmental Suit as armor
- no engine design, so no movement modifier

Buggy:
- at 5 Recon the 2nd best. Sensor Upgrades may improove that
- more expensive
- can carry tank level armor and a machine gun
- has the movement modifier, so it can be faster if not over-armored
- counts as hard target

For recon both are about equal. A minor edge for the Bikers, early on.
It really depends what kind of unit you want to have beyond a scout.