Yamato 1/60 VF-11 with Super Parts

We will start taking orders for this item on January 5th

Yamato VF-1D 

We will start taking order for this item on January 5th.

Please note we will be taking a winter break from December 27 to January
4.  No shipping or replying to enqiurys will be done during the break.
Business will resume as usually on January 5.

Happy New Years and hope to see you again soon!! 

As there is some confusion about the differences between the Beagle version and the Toynami version we’ll try to clear things up a little.  This is a English translation of a post put up on Yacolog, a Japanese Mospeada based blog, on December 22. The writer of the blog is much closer to Beagle then we are and his information is reliably.   This translation is being done with his permission.  

Differences between the Beagle Mospeada and Toynami Cyclone 

Sorry to keep everybody waiting.


I underestimated just how long it would take for me to get the time to start on Part 3. I’m writing the final installment while in the car on my way to meet up with some Macross World members at Frank and Sons in Southern California- jetlagged and hungry.

Beagle’s Armor Cycle looks spectacular with plenty of detail on both the outer and inner shells of the cycle. The frame of the cycle is mostly made of high quality plastic with a few parts made of metal. The kickstand is the only part made of metal I’ve found that doesn’t serve as a hinge or a transformation gizmo. Unfortunately the tires are not made of rubber. The plastic they are composed from keep the cycle from being too top heavy when in Armor Mode, so there is a plus side to Beagle’s decision not to use rubber.

Update: We’ve just been informed by Yacolog that in the latest prototype the tires are actually made from rubber and that the real product should have rubber tires. 

To be honest, the sample we were sent to review had been used and abused over the past few months which made the front end of the cycle loose and unstable. Now I wouldn’t start panicking because if you take a look at Yacolog’s blog he has a final release of the product.  He was able to do things we couldn’t do without the front end flopping out. Other than the front end, the rest of the cycle holds up pretty sturdy and both the front and rear tires roll nicely. If you compare our pictures with Yacolog’s you can see that the final release helmet shield looks less transparent also Stick’s soldier armor neck line and legs have been replaced with black plastic.?

Transformation from Armor Cycle to Armor Mode is more complex than any previous cycle release and it takes about two to three attempts to get the feel of it. There didn’t really seem to be any parts that were too fragile or feel prone to breaking from transforming it and back. Just keep in mind transforming any toy excessively will lead to loose ball joints and weakening parts. It is possible but more time consuming to transform from cycle mode to armor mode without detaching any parts of the cycle. Removing some parts will make it easier to transform but you may find reattaching these parts afterward a little bit difficult.  

The Beagle Armor Cycle is an amazing collector toy! I only wish that it didn’t get delayed until after the New Year. For our sake I hope it sells well and gets a second issue to insure that other variations of the cycle will be produced past the prototype stage.

Thanks for reading and have a Merry Christmas!

Adrian A. Lozano  

Update: A small post has been added that will address the differences between the Beagle version
and Toynami version.

Click here to read it. http://www.over-drive-inc.com/overdrive-blog/info/1943.html

Right after Part 1 was uploaded on November 19th Takashi and I went to check out the Miyazawa Mokei Business Show and while we were there Beagle informed us that the Japanese Armor Cycle release will be delayed. Looks like the earliest it could be coming in is at the end of December, but realistically it will be sometime in January 2009. The delay as of now is only official for the domestic Japanese release and may have no effect on Toynami’s worldwide release. We have seen some online retail shops have moved their shipping dates to February of 2009 though nothing official has been announced for the Robotech MPC Cyclone. Well we’ve waited this long what’s 60 to 90+ days, or am I alone on this?

The transformation from Armor Cycle to Ride Armor mode is a little complicated. It is not at all what you may be expecting it is entirely different than any of the previous ride armor releases which usually were based off the original Gakken toy. I would never try to tackle a first or even second attempt transformation without the oh so properly titled “Mospeada Manual Book”. The sample loaned to use came with an early black and white mock up manual which is in Japanese but very detailed. The transformation takes a little bit of time and practice. The sample we have has been through the transformation wringer a few times but still it was pretty solid and Stick mounts inside the armor nicely.

Credits for the Armor Cycle are FREX for Production Development, hush for package design, produced by Tsuyoshi Yoshioka, and lastly a very special thanks to Japanese Mospeada & Bubblegum Crisis blogger Yacolog. Something I found humorous was a page in the manual called Gravure. So before we finish up with the final installment Part 3 Armor Cycle and Ride Armor mode, let’s enjoy a little bit of the Mars Base Gravure Idol.

Stick’s alluring pose was coordinated by Oswald. See you in a day or two for Part 3.

Adrian A. Lozano

Click to read PART 3