Review: 8371 Extreme Power Bike

[mostlytechnic]

I recently ordered a pile of older Technic sets on Bricklink. As I was browsing through the seller's store, I saw this cool-looking little motorcycle with a pullback motor for around $5 used. I was already spending several hundred, so I threw it into the order as well.

Name: Extreme Power Bike

Set Number: 8371

Pieces: 98

Price: $10 / £7.99

Ages: 8+

Minifigs: 0

Theme: Racers

Year of Release: 2003

The box

My used set didn't include box or manual, so here's a picture of the box from Bricklink. It's a nice box - shows the bike in action with simple, clear graphics.

The manual

Here are a couple manual scans from Peeron. The beginning of the manual has a few pages of cheesy comics, but I suppose the target young boy demographic would like them.

The instructions

The instructions are simple to follow for this small set. There is no B model, but there are instructions for combining this set and another pullback motorcycle into a pullback 4 wheeled car. Not very helpful unless you have another bike set though!

The parts

Almost all Technic parts - only a couple studded pieces at all! I'm mostly a Technic user, so that's fine with me, but since this set was for my 4 year old son, it's not as easy to mix with his studded Lego collection. Also, given the fairly few parts and the complex shape of the motor, it'd be hard (I think) to make much else out of this set on its own.

The motor

The most important part is the pull-back motor. It works nicely for motorcycles with that rear fork, but could be used for a car as well with a long axle. There are no studs though, so you have to mount it with axles/pins.

The rear wheel

I found this odd. One side of the rear wheel gets a stickered disk for looks. The other side has axlepins, bushes, and a thin liftarm.

The build process

The build goes fairly quickly, with few pieces and nothing complicated.

The final bike (front)

About ten minutes after beginning, you have this. A nice little motorcycle, albeit one with strangely wide wheels and no steering. Those (visual) shortcomings are quickly forgiven though when you pull it back and let go!

The final bike (rear)

One drawback to used sets - often the stickers are pretty rough. I don't mind though - with my son, they won't last long anyway...

The video

(available in 720P if you click the video)

I was actually pretty disappointed in the structural strength of the bike. There is lots of flex in it because several parts (like the entire front end!) are held on with a single axle at the very bottom. At the end of the video you can see how quick it is though - this is a fast bike. The pullback motor provides plenty of power to shoot this bike across the room or even jump small ramps. You can also see the benefit of having no steering and wide wheels - the bike is stable enough to even climb the back of my photo set!

The ratings

Value: 10/10 - This hits just at the 10 cents/part baseline, and with the powerful pullback motor, it seems like a great deal. Even better buying it used now on Bricklink :)

Design: 5/10 - A mixed bag. I like it visually, but it seems to have just the minimum structural strength. It's easy to knock the small parts (handlebars, exhausts) off in wrecks. It seems like a small redesign could have made the body stronger, but the flimsy decorative bits are just standard for Lego.

Playability: 9/10 - As is, it's a great bike with great playability. I knocked off one for the low redesignability.

Parts: 8/10 - This one's a bit of a mixed bag. If you want the motor, it's great for just that. If you're looking to grow a studded collection, it's poor for that. If you're looking for a variety of small Technic parts, it's got a wide variety but few of each. I give it 8 mostly for the motor.

Overall: 9/10 - I know this isn't an average of the other rankings, but that's the way this set goes.

Despite what I consider structural weakness, this is a cool little set. The motor gives plenty of power for a small bike like this, and the playability factor is high. Especially if you have young boys (I have a 4.5 year old and a 7 month old), this set (or the other sets in this series) is a no-brainer to pick up if you see one. They can be found easily for under $10USD on Bricklink as used sets, so I know I'll grab more if I'm placing an order. I know my boys will love building and racing these down the driveway or across the living room. Verdict: BUY!

Links:

Bricklink

Peeron

Brickset

Edited December 7, 2010 by WhiteFang
Indexed

[Flare]

Excellent review!

[Orange Juice]

Thank you for sharing this review with us 'Mostlytechnic' I had never been interested in technic motorcycles, but there's something about this one that I really like.

[prateek]

Great review. I have the Exo-Force Bike from this line, and I think it's way better than this. It doesn't have any flex whatsoever.

[Mrlegoninja]

Great review. I have all the bikes from this line, and this is the second best. The blue bike Sucks!

[XimenaPaulina]

Neat review mostlytechnic, thanks for sharing this. Like O.J., I'm not really into technic sets but this one is one of the nicest looking small technic sets I've seen. Just look at it, it really looks good, not to mention its pull-back functionality.