We recently took a look at 71775 Nya’s Samurai X Mech, one of the larger sets in the new Summer 2022 wave of Ninjago sets based on the upcoming Season 15 of the tv show. Next, we swing to the other end of the spectrum and explore one of the more compact offerings. Ninjago 71768 Jay’s Golden Dragon Motorbike will available June 1st in the UK, and August 1st worldwide, from the LEGO Shop Online for US $19.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £17.99. This 137 piece set comes with the Golden Dragon Motorbike, as you’d expect, as well as a Crystal Spider, Vengestone warrior, and a very impressive Golden Dragon Jay minifigure. Ride along as we take this set for an early spin!
The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
Unboxing the parts, instructions and sticker sheet
This set is packaged in a mid-sized thumb-punch box. The Crystalized theme marks a return to the more cinematic box art associated with the TV show, as opposed to the more line-art approach in the EVO wave. The contrast between the golden motorcycle and the black/dark pink of the enemy characters creates a nice contrast to the scene. The age range is set at 7+, which feels like an accurate rating. For the curious, the neon blue sign in the upper left reads “Unite” in Ninjargon, the symbol-based Easter egg font of Ninjago.
The back of the box calls attention to the fact that those dragon wings aren’t part of the bike, but rather part of Jay’s powered-up appearance. The set’s play feature of a “chomping dragon head” is called out in an inset shot in the upper right.
Inside the box are four unnumbered parts bags, two loose tires, a stapled instruction booklet, and a small sticker sheet.
The sticker sheet is pretty minimal, with a small Ninjargon “R” logo partially hidden behind other details on sticker 3.
The parts
For a small set, there’s a pretty high count of cool and interesting parts. There are a number of transparent dark pink and yellow elements, golden armor plating, dual-molded wings, and dragon headpieces. Plus a cool wheel There are also some rarer colors for Technic bits, like this bushing in white and friction pin in red.
Spider-Bot
The build starts off with a Crystal Spider bot build. It’s a fairly conventional design, but the color scheme helps it feel interesting. What can I say, I’m a sucker for the smart use of transparent elements.
The build
The Golden Dragon Motorbike starts out with a very compact build at the front, with ample SNOT connections. The first two stickers are applied to the curved 1×4 slopes on the top, adding some gold coloration to match the rim of the front tire.
The rear wheel has some interesting construction, a technique we saw back in 2019 with 70672 Cole’s Dirt Bike.
The transparent yellow lighting effects at the rear may feel a little silly at this stage of construction, but they’ll feel right at home once we add on the rest of the bike’s fairing.
The dual gold/transparent yellow dragon head gets a couple of additional pieces attached at this point: handlebars and a 2×2 sloped curve adorned with the final sticker. Have I mentioned lately how glad I am that LEGO continues to expand its dual-molded offerings? These pieces just look great.
The finished model
The completed bike is a pretty swanky ride. As noted on the box, the dragon head can open and close in a “chomping” motion thanks to clip connections at the rear. That front tire is going to keep the bike from taking much of a “bite” out of enemies, though. The gold colors stand out well against Jay’s signature blue, and the low-to-the-ground aspect makes the bike look very speedy indeed. The touch of transparent yellow adds a flash of lightning to the ensemble, a thematic nod to Jay’s ninja specialization.
Speaking of Jay, the bike’s design really is enhanced when you put his minifigure onboard. The wings on his backpack feel like they’re part of the cycle’s construction, with the dual-mold colors matching the dragon head upfront.
From the rear, things also look very unified, showing off those wings to great advantage.
The best part is that since the wings are posable, you can create some great looks when you have Jay chase down his Crystalized foes. Are they air brakes? A threat display? Could be both!
The minifigures
This set comes with two minifigures. The first, a Vengestone Warrior, is the cannon fodder for the Season 15 adventures. This figure shows up in several other Crystalized sets but is unique to the theme. The Warrior has a dual molded head, dual-sided torso print, and leg printing. (And a transparent dark pink arm and leg!) The Warrior’s weapons vary from set to set, but here it’s armed with a crystal blade.
But if you’re buying sets for cool ninja variants, you’re probably here for Golden Dragon Jay, who is exclusive to this set. Wielding a pair of golden nunchucks, Jay has a giant winged backpack with wings dual molded in blended gold and transparent yellow. His new dragon cowl is also dual molded in the same colors. His head print is the same one from 70690 Jay’s Spinjitzu Ninja Training, but the other uniform designs are new. The logo in the center of his chest has a Ninjargon “J”.
Removing the accessories, you can see that Golden Dragon Jay features transparent yellow plastic for his head, arms, and legs. His torso and hips are cast in dark blue plastic. The dual-sided printing on his torso, as well as the printing on his hips and legs, feel like they’re crackling with energy. It’s a very cool variation both with and without the armor and wings.
Conclusion and recommendation
One of the nice things about the Ninjago theme is that there are cool sets available at a wide range of price points. For $20 US, this set provides most of the value for its 137 pieces in quality minifigures and cool parts. (That’s nearly 15 cents per, which might prompt more budget-conscious buyers to wait for a sale or other promotion.) But the build here is quick and easy, with an end result that is visually striking and, frankly, a blast to drive around making “vroom vroom” noises. Ninjago collectors will likely see this set as a “must-have” for the exclusive Golden Dragon Jay, but I think many other LEGO fans will find it tempting as well. If you’re looking for a swim in the less expensive end of the Crystalized pond, I suggest you give this one a try.
LEGO Ninjago 71768 Jay’s Golden Dragon Motorbike will available June 1st in the UK, and August 1st worldwide, from the LEGO Shop Online for US $19.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £17.99. It may also available via third-party sellers on Amazon and eBay.
The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.
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