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