Snarler Cycle (2009)
Even though the Rise of Cobra movie and some of its figures didn’t impress me much, I did like some of the vehicles that arose from the line. The Snarler had a sleek look, a splash of color and came with two figures to boot. It also had a missile firing sidecar, which gave me warm fuzzy memories of the new sculpt era vehicles. No Sound Attack feature, unfortunately.
You could consider the Snarler a descendant of the classic Silver Mirage, with its armed sidecar element. There’s no body fairing this time around however, so the Joe operator takes his chances with a back-shot while riding this thing. The guy in the sidecar however is protected from such an unfortunate fate. Guess it pays to call shotgun in this case.
The design and color of the cycle might make you think of it as a non-military ride, especially if the sidecar is removed. It’s definitely more civilian crotch-rocket than RAM, but I can deal with a little extra style for the Joes. In fact, this is a bit of a refreshing change from the subdued reactive armor colors sported by most of the movie team. Build-wise, the bike is pretty solid, and that’s something I’ve appreciated in most of the modern line’s vehicles. There’s not much chance of anything snapping off or small bits to get lost, other than the huge missile of course.
Another toy that were I to come across it at a thrift store or garage sale, would NEVER be recognized as G.I. Joe. A Cobra sigil or the classic G.I. Joe splashed across it would help. But, I’d pass this by thinking it was a knock off toy.
Joe’s had a lot of bad toys. But, there was usually an aesthetic that at least let you know that it was a Hasbro G.I. Joe offering. This movie era really didn’t follow that notion.
*Sigh* I saw this in stores, and then later on at a Ross for a cheaper price. I should’ve pulled the trigger.
Incidentally, I wonder if they swapped the Airborne figure used as Rollbar here with the Air Raid from the Sky Sweeper for a specific reason…
As a biker myself I like it, looks almost like a Honda naked bike (Hornet, CB400 Supersport, or CB 500) without the sidecar. But those cruiser-ish handlebars! ! Sheesh. Also to be the reality nerd, sidecars are a whole ‘nother handling beast…not exactly lithe for dodging Cobra rockets and laser fire. Wish you took photos of a figure on it…and answered of it fits a vintage figure (I like when Formbx257 answers those burning questions).
The bike looks like it would fit well with Gristle should he become a Dreadnok. But, yeah, there’s nothing physical about this toy that would give someone the impression it’s a G.I. Joe toy.
In terms of yard sales, I’ve come across Beach-Head from this set twice, but not Airborne or the cycle itself.