Power Team Elite Military Motorcycle
Available as always through G.I. Joe HQ
M & C Toys seems to take another direction when it comes to producing their toys compared to the larger companies like Hasbro and BBI, and even when compared to some of the smaller guys as well.
While Hasbro's focus is on characters and storyline, and BBI looks more towards ultra-realistic military authenticity, Power Team Elite chooses another route. Combining basic realism with budget design, they are able to produce a line of somewhat realistic to-scale items, but make them much more affordable and much more diverse. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I'm not sure the Military Motorcycle really works. However, even though I'm not wild about the bike itself, the figure and accessories that come with it are still quite nice.
You may notice several similarities between this review and my review for the Military Quad, mostly because they both suffer some similar pitfalls, but also have a lot of the same strengths as well.
First, let's cut right to the chase. One of the moto's strengths is definitely NOT in the detailing. It is very basic and almost bland in design, and really looks pretty unrealistic. The shape isn't very streamlined, it's made from what seems to be mostly one solid piece of plastic, and it looks as if only the bare necessities were sculpted in. Where this lack of detail is very apparent is in the engine area, where the motor looks almost just painted on. There is some depth of sculpting and a little more intricate work done here, but it still looks as if it's all one part and the suspension of disbelief somewhat evaporates here.
The overall design of the motorcycle isn't all that appealing either. It looks like a somewhat dated bike, not very sleek, not very speedy, which is, of course, exactly what most military motorcycles probably are these days. Perhaps I was spoiled by the Silver Mirage, the RAM, and the most recent Ninja Lightning bikes from the folks at Hasbro...the unrealistic portrayal of military bikes has succeeded in making me scornful of a vehicle that is probably much more practical and much more real. But it isn't nearly as much fun.
Like the Quad, though, the motorcycle doesn't pretend to be a super-detailed intricate work of plastic art. It's charm is in the simplicity (and the price point) and the fact that the engine is less detailed means that we get a pretty impressive figure to ride on the bike. Not only do we get a pretty neat motorcycle driver, but he comes with some equally neat gear that really makes this set at least somewhat more worth your time and money.
First, I just need to talk about the backpack. I LOVE the fact that these PTE backpacks come equipped with pseudo real elastic straps, and this is one of the better backpacks that I've seen, Hasbro or otherwise. Like the rest of the PTE offerings, it's pretty simplistic in design and execution, yet very effective. It looks just like the communications pack it is supposed to represent, and still holds a firm place in reality. A great little accessory.
The rest of the figure and accessories are pretty darn cool, too. He's got the standard PTE body type, with pretty nice articulation and fun-to-play with figure design. He also comes with the rubberized tactical vest, which is always good and a pretty cool machine gun as well. His backpack fits him perfectly, too, and like many other PTE figures, his face sculpt is a really nice point about the figure. Even without a name and a real personallity, you can take a look at his face and get an idea of his level of experience and character.
This guy's been around the block for a long time, in my book, and will probably end up as a squad leader when I get around to using him in a dio. His face is hard, stern, and mean...very experienced and a sharp mind about him. The overall look of the figure is nice and as is to be expected, the camouflage paint apps work really well.
All in all, as with the other Power Team offerings, these items are very simple in concept and execution, yet remain quite effective for what they are. Considering these are meant to be no-named troop builders, the folks at M&C Toys do a terrific job. There are rumors floating around about PTE starting to bring named characters into the line, and I think this is a fantastic idea and cannot wait to see how they approach the concept.
This set is a decent set, and while the motorcycle itself isn't terrific, the figure and accessories more than make up for it, especially considering the price point. This is a great squad leader for your PTE team and comes with some great gear...snatch it up!
