Are you a Mobile Suit Gundam fan who thinks to themselves, “I love Gundams, but I also love bicycles. Why can’t I have both?” Well now, thanks to Bandai, you can. On April 26th 2017, Premium Bandai’s online shop began taking pre-orders for their very first bicycle; and not just any bicycle either, a Char Aznable one.
Image Source: Premium Bandai Online Shop
True to Char’s iconic look, this bike sports an aggressive red and black paint scheme and is emblazoned with a specially designed Zeonic emblem. The bike is supposedly being made with both form and function in mind so as to not be merely a collectible item, and will come in two different frames; a carbon and an aluminum alloy. The technical specifications of the carbon frame model have been included below.
Image Source: Gundam Kits Collection Website
This is just the first planned item in a new brand that Bandai is looking to further develop called AvanGarage; possibly a play off of the phrase, avant-garde. They’ve already announced their intent to manufacture more bicycles modeled off Gundam characters. Char’s enduring popularity as one of, if not the most popular character from the franchise makes him a natural choice for the debut product in this line.
The aluminum alloy model will begin shipping in September of 2017 and is being priced at 150,000 yen ($1,330). The carbon model is priced at 350,000 yen ($3,100) and will begin distribution in October. Shipping and handling charges are not included, so if you’re really desperate for an import Char bicycle, it’s not going to come cheap.
What you can do for free however is view the amazingly dramatic video from Bandai’s website and CCP Toy advertising the bike. It may be the most amazing two minutes you’ve ever spent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cbigZLjUUw
Sources:
Official Product Page, Gundam Kits Collection Website, Anime! Anime!
