1/10 Mospeada Armor Cycle VR-052T (Ley Type)

Review by Atom

M.O.S.P.E.A.D.A stands for - Military Operation Soldier Protect Emergency Aviation Dive Auto and is from the Japanese anime series Genesis Climber Mospeada which originally aired in Japan in 1983. While Mospeada has achived a bit of a cult-like status in Japan, most collectors stateside were first introduced to this saga and it's technology as the third generation of the Robotech Saga. Robotech really helped pave the way for Japanese anime here in the States and still holds a special place in old-school collectors' hearts to this day.

Today we are taking a look at the Beagle 1/10 scale Mospeada Armor Cycle VR-052T (Ley type) from Mospeada. This particular line is a collaborative effort between Japanese toy maker, Beagle, and American toymaker, Toynami. Beagle distributes under the Genesis Climber Mospeada brand in Asia and Toynami distributes it under the Robotech brand here in the States.

These two “different” lines are the exact same toy from the exact same manufacturing plant and from the exact same production runs. The only difference between them is: the language the manual comes in, the head sculpt used, and the box they are put in. That and if you're a stateside collector, you can get the “Rand”-named and Robotech-branded box and head-sculpt for an average of $50 less than the Mospeada counterpart because you don't have to pay the international shipping.

I had thrown my lot in on the Mospeada-branded Beagle-boxed version because having had seen photos in advance, I preferred the subtler line art style of the Beagle head-sculpt, so I will continue the tradition for the rest of the series.

The box for this is identical to the first: a window on the front with the name of the piece printed across in white and original artwork featured on the back. It's an interesting hybrid between the new-school “window-box” and old-school “sealed box/original art work”. The window lets you ohh and ahh at the craftsman ship, while the artwork is meant to inspire your imagination. That is a sign the toymaker knows what a toy collecting aficionado really appreciates.

This second release's box has been trimmed a bit and sits about an inch thinner. Inside all the parts and pieces are neatly arranged and entombed in clear, vacuum-formed trays. Besides the rider and the cycle you get in the box:

• Stand
• Galant Rifle
• Galant Pistol
• 3 spare hands (2 open hands and 1 gun holding hand
• Helmeted head (with working visor)
• HBT Canister

The Ley action figure itself is fantastic! The figure stands just shy of 8 inches tall and features more than 45 points of articulation. Now when I say action figure, I mean it. This isn't a “doll” or Real Action Hero style body. This is a very well constructed, highly pose-able, tightly-jointed figure. What's a nice touch is the cloth suit that covers the limbs of a hard plastic underneath.

It looks like they left a bit more room in the cloth on the Ley release than they did on the Stick, giving the suit a slightly less fitted look (almost baggy), which I think may be intentional – Ley wasn't military so the suit wouldn't have been fitted for him. The Mospeada armored cycle he uses was one he had claimed from a crashed supply ship from one of Mars Bases' failed assault attempts to reclaim Earth from the Inbit. It's a subtle nuance and not very noticeable unless you compare the releases.

The Armored Cycle Mode is equally as fantastic. Measuring 8 inches long and 5 inches high, it is the pinnacle of toy engineering, yet remains a solid, playable motorcycle. Rolling rubber wheels and all.

This bike is almost identical to the Stick release except the front housing on the right doesn't have holes to hold the Beam Cannon and new wheel guards/wrist guards. Ley features a beam cannon mounted to the right side and a blank shield on the left.

... and of course. The real test of a great motorcycle mode is whether or not the rider can properly “ride” the bike, and I am happy to say Ley can. You can get him posed on the bike and drop the diecast metal kickstand and let it sit there. Have a moment to play? Stow the kickstand and feel free to roll the bad boy across your desk (I know you want to...).

They even designed foot-pegs for the rider to place his feet on, something only one other manufacturer has tried (CM Corp) but the small tiny scale and fiddle bits made it impractical for all but the most patient of collectors. It's much more successful on this toy.

The bike is primarily high quality ABS plastic, with the engine block and joints being made of POM. Diecast metal is only used in the “arms” that hold the wheels in place, the collarbone hinge in the frame of the bike, and the kickstand.

Transformation seems a bit daunting the first few times you do it. However if you follow the clearly illustrated manual in the order it presents things it's not as fiddly as some have reported. Once you've done it a few times it's not bad. But it is a piece that requires attention to detail for everything to sit right, but the end results are fantastic!

The one thing I did notice that was different from the initial Stick release is some of the hinge joints are much tighter, allowing you to fold them out of the way and staying where you put them.

In Armored mode, the Cyclo.... er I mean, the Mospeada looks magnificent and stands at 8 1/2 inches tall. The thigh armor connects the boots to the rest of the mecha and the shock absorbers act as pistons for the arm guards. Both actually have range of motion built into the joints to work like a “real” Mospeada.

However should you want to disconnect them to extend range of motion on the figure for posing, you can.

Last, they have included an incredibly well thought out stand. Not only does it allow you to display the piece in either Cycle mode or Armored Mode...

...they also have designed a "footlocker" into the base to store all the extra parts and pieces.

A clip is included to attach it in cycle mode, allowing for angled posing without falling off the shelves. An "arm" is included for Armored mode, allowing either standing poses or mid flight poses.

You can also forgo the stand and just use the extendable part of the arm to brace the figure in action poses without the entire base.

Which brings up a point I would like to clarify from the last review. Apparently I was not very clear when I said he can't stand by himself without the arm.

As you can see they can be posed in a neutral pose without the arm, but understand that it is very precarious. It's not that the joints can't hold it all up; they're fine. It's that the design is too back heavy.

So I do want it known they can be posed without any sort of support, but I wouldn't leave them on the shelf that way. They're guaranteed to take a header sooner or later. Besides, with the stand, it makes it easier to fly it around your office... (Don't lie, I know you do.)

So yeah, once again I am strongly praising the makers of this toy and suggesting you get one. QC gets even better (when I didn't think it was possible) and besides we all know Ley was the cooler one, he did actually “get” the girl after all... My only complaint is, again, the big screw hole in the neck. Come on Beagle, fix that in the next two releases and include a plug for the first two.