Imperial Speeder Bike & Scout Trooper

from "Star Wars - Episode VI: Return of the Jedi" (1983)

Scale: 1/24
Initial Release: 1983
Medium: Styrene
Kit Rarity: 3

About the Design

George Lucas’ affinity for high-speed motorized transportation took on a whole new dimension with this airborne motorcycle. The centerpiece of one of Return of the Jedi's most thrilling and memorable set-pieces, the speeder bike was conceived as a one-man ultra-light fighting craft and personal transportation vehicle ideal for use in dense, difficult-to-traverse terrain.   

Two decades later, the “speeder-bike” concept would be recalled and “pre-dated” in the form of Darth Maul’s flying Harley in 1999’s Star Wars – Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, and two decades later would make several appearances in the Disney+ streaming hit, The Mandalorian.

About the Kit

The speeder bike model kit was a large 12/scale kit that also featured its own fully uniformed Imperial Storm Trooper. While the model itself was well-executed, its flimsy display stand was woefully inadequate, often requiring builders to devise creative alternatives.   

Released in 1983, the kit was produced in large enough numbers that it was readily available on the retail market well into the early 1990s. Even today, kits are relatively easy to find at reasonable prices on the collectors market. 

This model was built from an original issue.