Hot Wheels Bad Bagger Is Back Thanks to a New Motorcycle Set

Not only do I plan on riding my 1999 Suzuki SV650-S for at least 5,000 miles (~8,000 km) this year, but I also want to bring you more motorcycle-focused stories. I'm waiting for a confirmation from Triumph to test the new Daytona 660; hopefully, I can do the same with Honda's CBR600RR. And who knows, maybe one day I can follow in Ewan McGregor's footsteps and go on a trip around the world on a motorcycle.

I hope I get to experience that before fading away into oblivion. Anyway, back to more accessible hobbies: it's Hot Wheels time again. I spotted a leaked photo of this set about a week ago, and now we can enjoy the first unboxing. It's a motorcycle-exclusive collection, which you may or may not enjoy. Mattel should invest more in wheel design to keep growing in this segment, as that feels like a weak point. But given the price range, it's still an interesting series.

Bad Bagger

The Bad Bagger is the only fictional/non-licensed item here, but it's not like one of Mattel's crazy fantasy castings. If you love cruisers, this is the casting for you and the oldest one on the list. Larry Wood designed it for its 2007 Classics (Series 3) debut, and all four variations featured a Spectraflame paint job that year.

I'd love to have either one of them in my collection, and it's reassuring to know they're not that expensive to buy. It reached Treasure Hunt and Super Treasure Hunt status in 2009, and you know what that means! The STH version is the only one in the line-up to stray away from the MC3 wheels in favor of the Real Riders MC5 design.

And it could be yours for $50 or less. But let's focus on the newest release for a second, as it comes after a two-year hiatus. The two-tone paint job looks decent enough, and I appreciate the different-colored seat. I normally prefer sportier motorcycles, but this time, I will have to vote for the Bad Bagger as the best bike in the new set.

BMW K 1300 R

The BMW K 1300 R is the first of the BMWs in the new mix. It has been around since 2013, and I remember ignoring it several times. The latest Motorcycle Club Series release is the 11th variation, and everyone has used MC3 wheels thus far. Mattel gave us a red one back in 2016.

However, there are some notable differences that make the newer model more realistic. The designers may be on to something here, which may change how we perceive Hot Wheels motorcycles in the future. Still, as much as I'd appreciate getting this as a present, I'd probably never buy one.

BMW R nineT Racer

The R nineT Racer is the newest casting on the list, as it only debuted in 2022. Lindsey Lee designed it, and you may remember some of her other projects, including the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, the Mercedes-Benz 500 E, and the Porsche 911 GT3, to name just a few.

Reportedly, the bike didn't do so well in the real world in terms of sales, and there aren't that many of them in Mattel's portfolio either. The only one that was even remotely interesting showed up last year as a Treasure Hunt special featuring an Atomic Blue paint scheme.

The 2024 iteration is almost decent in Aurum Yellow, but I can't look past those wheels. The ORMC (Off-Road Motorcycle) design may be cool enough if you're 10, but I don't think adult collectors are too fond of it.

Ducati Scrambler Hot Wheels Edition

That becomes a problem once you notice that the Ducati Scrambler has the same feature. It hasn't provided collectors with any alternative since its 2021 Baja Blazers debut, and that's pretty sad. Perhaps designing motorcycles at this scale is a Mission Impossible project, and I'm too hasty to judge.

But I would still rather spend some more cash on buying a 1/12th-scale model that is at least exciting to display. Other than that, the Silver Ice/Blue color combo could work for some of you, but at this point, I'm enjoying the card art more than I am the collectibles inside.

Honda Monkey Z50

The Honda Monkey Z50 is Jun Imai's work, and it's not long until it celebrates its 10th anniversary. I can get behind this design for once, and it's somewhat funny to see a tiny replica of a small bike. I can name at least three iterations I enjoy seeing, but the 2019 Treasure Hunt model isn't one of them.

The problem is that the latest release is similar to that variation, albeit with slightly more color. Even so, I don't think it can win this set's "least-exciting" collectible award. But it may still become a peg-warmer once it arrives in stores worldwide.