HGMobile Suit Gundam Build Divers

Machine Rider

A pocket motorcycle that turns any HG pilot into a stunt rider for the price of a coffee.

MechaGrade Score

3.4/5

Machine Rider · 1/144 · 2018

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2018

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is a genuinely fun little add-on kit, not a mobile suit review in disguise, and I think it earns its spot on a shelf once you accept what it actually is.

You're building a transforming ride-on bike for your other HG kits, not a Gundam, and once that clicks it's a quick, satisfying afternoon build. It first showed up in episode 19 of Build Divers, the Nadeshiko-athlon race episode, and Bandai built the kit around exactly that scene: a fast support mecha any HG-scale pilot can climb onto.

Best for: HG Build Divers collectors who want a cheap ride-on accessory to pose alongside their pilot figures

The full review

What it is

An HGBC support-mecha kit from Gundam Build Fighters Try: a rideable scooter mech that pairs with your 1/144 kits rather than a standalone mobile suit.

The catch

There isn't much to this kit in absolute terms. Seven runners, three swappable cowl pieces, and a compact frame mean you're done in well under an hour, and there's no inner frame or complex engineering to dig into the way you'd get from an actual mobile suit HG. The transformation between Ride Position and Stand Position is neat the first few times but it's a simple hinge-and-fold mechanism, not something you'll spend hours fiddling with. And because it's a niche accessory kit tied to one anime episode, there's very little build-log or forum chatter out there to lean on, so go in expecting a light, quiet kit rather than a deeply documented one.

Who it's for

Buy this if you already have a couple of HG Build Divers or generic HG-scale pilots sitting around and you want a cheap, quick project that gives them something to do besides stand in a display case. It's also a fun pickup if you like customizing dioramas, since the three cowl options let you reuse the same bike for different looks. Skip it if you're hoping for mobile suit engineering, real articulation challenges, or a kit that holds its own as a centerpiece. This is a supporting player, and it knows it, priced and scoped like one.

The build story

What the build is actually like, and the engineering worth knowing about.

Gate placement is straightforward on all seven runners and cleanup is quick since the parts are small and simple, closer to a vehicle model than a mobile suit frame. Fit is snug without being a fight to get together, and nothing here requires filing or trimming beyond routine nub cleanup.

The standout feature is the Ride Position and Stand Position transformation, letting the bike sit parked or hold a pilot mid-ride, and the three cowl variants are the real value add since they let you reconfigure the same seven-runner kit into different looks without buying anything else. Any HG-scale figure can mount it, which is the whole point of the design.

Lore & trivia

01Machine Rider is Bandai kit HGBC #41 in the Gundam Build Divers High Grade Build Custom line, released in August 2018 for 1,296 yen.
02It first appeared on screen in Gundam Build Divers episode 19, "Nadeshiko-athlon," the all-female pre-event race to the Raid Battle.
03The kit is classified in-universe as a Ride Mecha, built around a transformation between a Ride Position for riding and a Stand Position for parking or display.
04It ships with three separate cowl parts, letting builders change the bike's front-end look without any extra kits.