Tag Archives: Speeder Bike

Why don’t you come along with me...on a Magic Carp(et) Ride

LEGO builders have often explored the theme of “speeder bikes” – flying motorcycle-esque vehicles with a grand and glorious racing tradition. (Or, for those looking for the possible origins of the trope, a callback to the forest chase scene in Return of the Jedi. Although usually built in minifigure scale for maxium swooshability, there’s no reason that one couldn’t make a larger version. In fact, Eero Okkonen has done just that in Kiirus Ögonblick and The Carp Speeder, mixing skill in large figure builds with…a fish. Not just any fish, though, but a carp. A blue and orange, jet powered, mechanical-hybrid carp….Because why not?

Kiirus Ögonblick and The Carp Speeder

See more of this fishy speeder bike.

Lean, green and mean.. Built for separating the pack.

Early in May, we showcased Inthert’s previous Speeder, and now barely a month later he shares another great one. His new LEGO Speeder Bike comes with the feeling of a deluxe personal outrigger, capable of some spectacular turns. Impressively bold in colour, Victor-Vine’s Bike looks striking with the simple but well-balanced gradient running through its core. The main body, built from twin green brick separators, gives way to its sleek design and powerful rear end. The steering pinion-shafts lead to the lengthy upper-stock, reaching the nose rudder with ease. It makes me wonder what sort of G’s it would pull taking a tight corner. The front end is held together with a couple of 2×2 white Rubber Bands, giving enough pressure to keep the nose assembly in fine form.

Victor-Vine's Bike

Towards the engines, we see some nice parts usage, tightly constructed and predominantly in black. I was personally pleased to see the white 1/2 Technic Bush and the Modified 1×2 Plate with Ladder. Such a simple element like this ancient ladder plate, tends to be abandoned for the 1×2 – 2×2 Bracket and a couple of 1×2 Grills, so it’s good to see it pop up here.

Take a ride on a flash of green and orange

Swoosh! This flash of lime green has become one of my favorite LEGO speeders of all time. Builder Crsbyslsnateyng used an orange and green color pattern that is uncommon for most LEGO models, yet fits perfectly into his speeder bike. I admire the level of detail that makes the bike look like it has working components, particularly the fuel hose that connects to the engine. While not minifigure scale, the bike clearly gives the image that anyone can reach into the picture, sit down, step on the gas and zoom away.

R-38 ‘Bullwhip’

Ghost speeder is scary cool

The animated series Star Wars: Rebels introduced, in my opinion, one of the most unique new ship designs since the Millenium Falcon. Hera Syndulla’s Ghost is a cargo ship packing enough firepower to take on a squadron of TIE fighters. The Ghost is also one of the more colorful ships in the Star Wars universe, with its teal, orange, and yellow highlights. This color scheme is reflected well in this speeder bike by SweStar. I love the black mechanical details along the bottom, including a few gold rings from the Lord of the Rings theme. And props for the use of official stickers from the LEGO set.

The Ghost

If this speeder bike looks familiar, the builder was inspired by another bike recently featured on TBB, the B9-Sokudo by Legofin.

Aratech 105-K Lancer Bike from Star Wars: Clone Wars

The 2003 TV series Star Wars: Clone Wars has always been one of my favorite pieces of Star Wars filmography. As a child, I think it was the first Star Wars saga I had ever seen. Yes, some of the moments in the show were impractical and far-fetched compared to those depicted in the canonical movies, but I think that’s what made it so memorable. Lancer bikes were a prime example. Why one would need to fight with lances in a world of laser cannons and starfighters, I don’t know, but it made for an epic and memorable scene. I’ve been trying to recreate the lancer bikes in LEGO for some time now with the goal of making the definitive version. Originally I had one that could seat a full figure, but it didn’t look the greatest, so I opted to disassemble the legs of the figure and made a version that ended up looking much more accurate.

Aratech 105-K Lancer Bike

While the dark red pattern on the stand is likely blood from a recent battle, I placed it there as a sort of allusion to the frequent dark red explosions that occurred in the series.

Clean-up in the speeder bike garage!

If you were to set out to build a speeder bike inspired by a sperm whale, you probably couldn’t do a better job than this one by LegoFin, although judging by the toppled oil drums, this particular bike likely won’t be winning any environmental protection awards. I love the slender but comfortable-looking seat and the color scheme, which matches the large white front with a subtle bit at the back. The fins and the transparent blue details reinforce the aquatic theme.

B9-Sokudo - Built for City Life

Super spiffy speeder bike and rider

The hovering speeder bike is a subject that has inspired many LEGO fan creators over the years, with many science fiction movies, comic books, and anime providing plenty of inspiration. Examples from popular culture often combine real-world mechanical bike features like windscreens, stickers, pedals and thrumming engines with fantastical fins, guns, and even bigger jet engines. Minifig scale versions are fairly common, but Djokson has opted to build a larger scale speeder bike complete with a sleek and racy rider.

Akiyama Sidewinder GT

Among the key details that get my heart racing are twisting flexible tubing running the length of the bike, connecting the front and rear engines to the fuel supply. Rubber tires turned inside out give the rider’s hips a smooth transition, and those boots made from just a few parts are a great visual focal point.