Originally created as all-terrain military reconnaissance vehicle and later adopted by civilians for racing, it could roll on the ground at great speed, crushing enemy soldiers in its path. The legs were engaged whenever the craft needed to climb steep cliffs, especially useful on the sinkhole-filled planet of Utapau.
Grievous's Tsmeu-6 in walking configuration
At least three wheel bikes were stored in the tenth level of Utapau by the separatist forces. General Grievous modified his bike by replacing the passenger seat with a nd-53 double laser cannon. He used his bike while being pursued by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi—who had been sent on a specific mission to either capture or kill the General—on a varactyl named Boga.
After a long chase through several tunnels, Obi-Wan got close and jumped onto Grievous's wheel bike. This made Grievous lose control and the wheel bike went into a spin. Both Kenobi and the General were thrown off, and the wheel bike rampaged over the edge of a platform, falling to its destruction.
The young miner Jann Tosh used a 48 Roller wheel bike, which was a later model of this vehicle that was created near the end of the Clone Wars.
The real-life counterpart to the wheel bike is the Monowheel.
For Episode III, the wheel bike started off as a variety of fearsome vehicular concepts befitting the nasty droid general, such as included tank-like chariots. One idea was that the vehicle itself was an intelligent droid, mirroring Obi-Wan's faithful Boga as a "living" mount for General Grievous.
- Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Incredible Cross-Sections
- The Making of Star Wars Revenge of the Sith
- LEGO Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
- "The Vehicles of Episode III" — Star Wars Insider 83
- Star Wars Chronicles: The Prequels
- The Story of General Grievous: Lord of War on Hyperspace
- Star Wars: Complete Cross-Sections
- "Classic Moment" — Star Wars Insider 105
- The Clone Wars Campaign Guide
- Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 27
- Star Wars: Sith Wars
- LEGO Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
- Keeping the Peace