Marvel And DC Fans Will Kill Me For Doing This

But I don’t care. What I do with my LEGO, is my business and mine alone…

So, the other day I went LEGO shopping again and remembered there was a new Batcycle released, so I picked one up. As soon as the rumours started, I knew I wanted it, and I also had a very specific idea of what else I wanted to do with it after building it. Something abominable. Something that will probably make every Marvel and DC fan put me on a special list. But hey, I did it anyway. Before I tell you what that was, though, let me review the set itself first.

When it comes to superheroes, I was never in one camp or another. I honestly don’t remember as a child which comic books I got from my mother first, but I do have a feeling it was Captain America, aka Marvel. Regardless, I grew up liking all superheroes, be that Marvel, DC or whatever else. In terms of favourites, if we’re talking Marvel, it’s Iron Man. If it’s DC Comics, though, then I’m a Batman fan. The two have something in common, and that’s precisely why I like them more than others — they’re regular guys with powerful tech. I’m a tech guy and software engineer, so you can see how I can easily identify with both of them, so no surprise I went ahead and got myself the LEGO Technic Batcycle, set #42155.

At 55 bucks for 641 pieces, it’s not what I would necessarily call a fantastic value for money, but it’s also not terrible. For me, the bit that sold it, was the wide rear tire, and partially the design of it, though I have to say, this is by far not my favourite LEGO Technic motorcycle. But being a Batman fan, and everything else, the 55 euros felt justifiable. I do understand though if you don’t feel the same. In terms of design, it’s definitely not taking home any awards. It’s just OK. That fat rear tire saves it, I’ll say that much.

This is a 9+ set, so when it comes to the building experience, I can’t say it’s very surprising or that the techniques are particularly memorable. The one thing that stood out to me, was the fact that you start with the rear, you build most of it, then the front bit separately, you marry them and finish off with some final design polish. When building the rear tire assembly, do pay attention, as it’s easy to miss a couple of steps around the placement of the bush pieces, which could result in an off-centre position of the wheel. It’s a very easy mistake to make.

Functions and parts-wise, it’s a motorbike, so you get what you usually get, no real surprises there. Front and rear suspension, chain transmission to the engine. Perhaps here there was a bit of an unexpected twist, as I thought it was a two piston setup, but it turned out to be a four piston engine! The wheels also come with brake discs, which was nice to see. Speaking of the chain, this one is grey instead of the usual black. That fat tire I keep mentioning was only ever present in another set, the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy. That was another remarkable set that I unfortunately never bought.

One aspect that sets this bike apart from many other LEGO Technic motorbikes is perhaps the lack of stickers and fairly monochromatic design. Mostly black with a bit of grey here and there, but then again, this is a Batcycle, it’s meant to blend in with the dark (k)night — pun intended.🦇 🙂

Something that nearly all LEGO Technic motorcycles excel at, and this one doesn’t disappoint either, is playability. This is a pretty robust build. With great suspension, steering and working engine, this can be a lot of fun playing with. The built-in kick-stand also allows the bike to stand upright and even be displayed. The engine covers can be taken off, if showing the pistons is something you find more attractive.

While nothing to write home about, LEGO’s Technic Batcycle is still a decent replica of the actual bike, and DC fans will love it.

So, where’s the “abomination”?

Well, I did the unthinkable and brought Marvel to the rescue, because a motorbike with no rider is kind of sad, at least in my book. So, who else to bring to the party than, you’ll never guess… Groot! Yes. I turned the Batcycle into a… Grootcycle or Groot into Grootman? One or the other, but the result looks surprisingly good, even if you’ll feel reluctant to admit it at first. 😉

The thing with Groot, is that with a few invisible modifications, it can get very posable, and I had a gut feeling the scale of Groot would match the Batcycle. I was right. OK, Groot’s head is a tad too big, but Groot has a big head. Period. That’s not criticism, that’s a fact. Everything else works perfectly. I know, I know... I’m clashing two universes here, but it’s my LEGO, my rules!🖕

I honestly think matching Groot with Batman’s Batcycle is a fantastic example of LEGO enabling the crossing of barriers and putting creativity first. It’s all about “play well”, as it has been for 91 years.

Attila Vago — Software Engineer improving the world one line of code at a time. Cool nerd since forever, writer of codes and blogs. Web accessibility advocate, LEGO fan, vinyl record collector. Loves craft beer! Read my Hello story here! Subscribe and/or become a member for more stories about LEGO, tech, coding and accessibility! For my less regular readers, I also write about random bits and writing.