Review: LEGO Ninjago 71745 Lloyd's Jungle Chopper Bike

Today we take a quick look at the set 71745 Lloyd's Jungle Chopper Bike, one of the four boxes currently marketed in the LEGO Ninjago range which show the events taking place in the special episode "The unknown island" .

In the packaging, a modest inventory of 183 parts which allows to assemble (again) a motorcycle for Lloyd, a vehicle presented here as 2-in-1 by LEGO and from which we can extract a surfboard that will allow Nya to move. This relative "modularity" of the bike is in passing the main functionality of this small set sold for € 19.99.

You guessed it, the bike is assembled very quickly and the end result is nothing exceptional. It is in the details that it is necessary to look to find some interesting parts or techniques with for example two rims in Pearl Gold which until now were only available in the DC Comics set 76159 Joker's Trike Chase (2020) and a very simple but effective rear suspension, based on two Technic rubber parts on which the two beams which hold the rear wheel crash down.

For the rest, the body of the vehicle, about twenty centimeters long, uses a few Technic pieces on which decorative elements are grafted, a handful of stickers are glued and it's done.

The surfboard is then plugged into the back and the motorcycle then becomes a somewhat hybrid machine equipped with a fabric sail similar to those seen on the two boats in the set. 71748 Sea Battle Catamaran. These veils are only printed on one side and they will probably tend to get dirty and crumpled easily, the pattern on the other hand is very successful.

Even if the sand yacht loses a little of its splendor when the two elements are separated, this modularity offered by this product makes it possible at least to obtain two machines with which it is possible to play two without getting too bored. For a LEGO set at 20 €, this is already a weighty argument.

The pilot is well protected by a roll bar which folds over his shoulders but Lloyd has no handlebars to steer his machine. The young ninja therefore has his hands empty when he is standing in front of his control panel (a sticker) and it's a bit of a shame.

As in all the other sets inspired by the adventures of the little troop on the unknown island, LEGO includes in this box a copy of the Amulet of the Storm and this set is the cheapest option to obtain the item.

As for the three minifigs delivered in this box, two are available in other sets, Lloyd in version to Iceland with his tactical outfit and the Rumble Keeper with his colorful shield, and only Nya is exclusive to this set. The pad printing of this minifigure is also really very successful, with here also a detailed tactical vest that covers a blue pad-printed outfit on a background in Pearl Dark Gray and whose color is almost matched with those of the arms.

If you have to look for an argument to justify the purchase of this small box, it is therefore on the side of Nya's unseen minifigure that you have to look. The motorcycle with its onboard surfboard does not demerit but the machine does not revolutionize the genre, especially in the Ninjago range.

For fans of Nya: we know that the character will occupy a central role in the 15th season of the animated series, so there will certainly be some new never-before-seen versions of the girl to add to your collections.

In short, for 20 €, we are not going to ask too much and this small box is the ideal complement for all those who have already invested in one or more of the other sets on the same theme. The whole of this sub-range highlights pretty tampographs, a few good ideas and it refreshes a universe that often hums with reissues and a little less inspired sets. For me, it was a great discovery knowing that I am neither the target nor a nostalgic fan of the arrival of the Ninjago range in the LEGO catalog in 2011.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at April 2th next at 23pm. 

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.