Introduction

I was not impressed with this set when it was initially revealed. Nevertheless, on a hunt for some Series 26 Collectable Minifigures, I came across this set for $10 AUD, so I picked it up.

Packaging, contents and build process

The box is of a decent size and my copy had a thumb tab (inconvenient as the box collapses into itself when you try to break the tab). The box art looks unfortunately bland, reflecting the contents of the set itself.

Paper bags have been appearing in new sets like this one. My copy came with two unnumbered paper bags, which had lines to tear along and thus were easy to open, however were slightly harder to check for stuck pieces inside.

An instruction manual and small sticker sheet (with one sticker) round out the contents of this set.

I built the set within ten minutes as an experience builder, and the instructions were mostly easy to follow although younger builders might need some help when assembling the rubber band function.

Minifigure

Zane is the sole minifigure included in this set. His muted silver doesn't contrast with the white as much as the yellow tone of other ninja with their suits. Nevertheless, the dragon scales on Zane's robes look great, and the light blue accents the suit well.

For some reason, the golden pauldron accessory included in all other sets this wave is missing from this minifigure, making him feel like a downgrade from the others.

My other issue with the minifigure selection is the lack of a second minifigure. For the price of this set, one minifigure is indeed somewhat fair. Yet LEGO have provided us with much better value in Ninjago sets just recently. The two Dragons Rising polybags 3065 Kai and Rapton's Temple Battle and 30675 Tournament Training Ground have both included two minifigures; one hero and one villain. 71805 Jay's Mech Battle Pack also included four minifigures for the same price as this set.

Due to overall rarity of the new dark red-and-purple Wolf Mask Warriors in this wave, I think including one in this set would have been a good choice.

The completed model

Zane's Ice Motorcycle adheres to the tried-and-true "oversized Ninjago bike" formula, with the bike looking comically oversized next to minifigures. The bike also has a forward rake which gives it a distinctive silhouette. Clips on the back allow Zane to store his katana.

Large silver blades are mounted on the sides of the bike, beneath even larger shards of trans-blue ice. These ice blades fold out with a feature that is satisfying to handle - by pressing down on the pearl gold tail element, two axle beams connected to the rear wheel push against the blades, smoothly deploying them.

This relatively simple mechanism is connected to a rubber band, so the blades fold back when you release pressure. Unfortunately, due to the amount of space taken up by the rubber band, there is a mostly empty gap where a seat should be, resulting in Zane having to stand a bit awkwardly and stretch to grip the handlebars. Overall though, it is a neat play feature that everyone will enjoy.

Playability

The aforementioned ice blades are the only play feature in this set, although I'm sure kids will have lots of fun rolling the bike around.

The lack of a villain minifigure removes the good vs. evil play experience, which is a disadvantage of this set.

Overall

Although the blade deployment feature is fun to handle, this set lacks in many areas. Though this set is inexpensive and can be bought on a whim, I can't recommend it further unless you are a fan of the Zane minifigure but don't want to/cannot afford 71814 Tournament Temple City.

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I hope you found this review informative and helpful.