A motorcycle ambulance is a type of emergency response vehicle which carries either a solo paramedic, emergency medical technician, or first responder to a patient; or may also be used with a trailer or sidecar for transporting patients. Because of its small size and agile performance, a motorcycle ambulance is able to respond to a medical emergency much faster than a car or conventional ambulance vehicle in heavy traffic, which can increase survival rates for critically ill patients, especially those in cardiac arrest.

Motorcycle ambulances were used during World War I by the British, French, and Americans. At the time, the advantages of light weight, speed, and mobility over larger vehicles was cited as the motive for the use of motorcycles with sidecar in this role. The US version had two stretchers arranged one on top of the other. The French ambulance used a sidecar that held a single patient, who could either lie down or sit up.

The British Red Cross Society used an 8 brake horsepower (6.0 kilowatts) NUT motorcycle with a double-deck sidecar similar to the US version. During testing, it needed only a 9 feet (2.7 metres) turning area, versus 35 feet (11 metres) for a motor car ambulance, and had a lower fuel consumption of 55 to 65 miles per US gallon (4.3 to 3.6 litres per 100 kilometres; 66 to 78 miles per imperial gallon), compared with 12 to 17 miles per US gallon (20 to 14 litres per 100 kilometres; 14 to 20 miles per imperial gallon) for car ambulances. Due to lighter weight, they were said to be less likely to get stuck, and could be pushed out more easily than a large vehicle.

Sidecar ambulances were used in Redondo Beach, California in 1915, stationed at a bath house at a beach resort to reach drowning victims quickly. Prior to using the motorcycle, lifeguards had to run or row up to several miles along the beach to respond to calls. The Knightsbridge Animal Hospital and Institute, London, was using a sidecar ambulance to transport dogs in 1912; this mode was still in use in 1937 by the Maryland Humane Society. The International Fire & EMS Motorcycle Response Unit Association (IMRUA) was founded in 2009 in Hungary with the goal of improving already existing MRU's and also promoting the use of MRU's internationally.

In 1993, the Ambulance Service of New South Wales was the first ambulance service in Australia to introduce Motorcycle Rapid Response Team, crewed with an intensive care or mobile intensive care ambulance paramedic. Two BMW K100RT motorcycles were borrowed from the New South Wales Police Force Highway Patrol, with riders undertaking the police motorcycle course. At present there are two motorcycle rapid response crews covering the Sydney CBD at any one time utilising Yamaha FJR1300 motorcycles.

With Sydney's narrow streets, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, numerous parklands, and areas difficult to access in a conventional ambulance the 'rapid responder' motorcycles are able to arrive on scene and begin critical treatment of patients several minutes before the arrival of a conventional ambulance whilst still carrying most of the essential equipment of a full-size ambulance. It takes an average six minutes for a motorcycle rapid response paramedic to reach an emergency situation in the CBD, compared to twelve minutes for ambulances proving an invaluable resource.

In South Australia, there are paramedics who ride on a cycle or motorcycle; they complement the regular ambulances and are used in areas which might have less space to accommodate a bigger vehicle.

In 2012, Ambulance Victoria introduced the Motorcycle Paramedic Unit, equipped with six motorcycle paramedics for rapid response to emergencies. Different types of motorcycles have been trialed, including the initial roll out of Piaggio 500cc, which has now been replaced with the BMW F700GS. The unit operates during peak traffic and during major events and festivals, within Melbourne's inner metro area.