When it comes to 1:12 scale motorcycle models, no, make that motorcycle models in general, the best of the bunch by a long way are those produced by Minichamps, but can they keep their crown in the wake of new competition from the likes of LCD Models.
LCD Models are a Chinese company who have been making OEM models for many years and more recently have commenced production under their own name for the consumer market. Whilst they primarily make model cars of Land Rovers, Pagani's, Honda's and Suzuki's, what we are looking at here today are the first of their motorcycle models.
And, what better way could there be to start off than with two of the most iconic bikes that the World of motorcycling has ever seen, the Honda CB750 Four and the Honda Super Cub.
Starting with the CB750 Four, now this is a bold move, going head-to-head with Minichamps by producing the exact same bike that they replicated many years ago. So, is it a match for Minichamps? For those who don't want to beat about the bush, the quick answer is, no. However, the quick answer doesn't tell the full story; Minichamps haven't produced a 1:12 scale bike in ages and when they do, it's with a near £140 price ticket - over a hundred pounds more than an LCD bike.
Then there's the quality. We see a lot of models here and unboxing this one was definitely a wow moment. The detail and finish really took us by surprise, the proportions, tooling, paint finish and decals are all a beauty to behold and that chrome, is just like a mirror. It's only when you begin to look a little closer that differences between this and the Minichamps model become evident. The Minichamps bike is perhaps a bit more faithful to the original; it has a raised tank badge whereas the LCD model uses decals, there is a bit too much chrome on the LCD model and it doesn't have the vents cut out in the side panels, and the most obvious difference is the lack of cables and hoses on the LCD model. But do we care? Not at £29.99, we don't, we'll take the hundred pound saving and still have a stunning bike model any day.
Moving on to the Super Cub. It's unbelievable that up until now, outside of Japan, no one has produced a model of the World's best selling motorcycle which harks back to the 1950's and is still in production today. Thus, no competition here in the UK for LCD and nothing to compare it against either, other than the full-size original.
As per the CB750 Four, the quality and finish is first class and again missing cables and hoses, but the Super Cub is such a tidy bike that they are barely noticeable on the real thing so their absence on the model isn't really noticeable either. Again at £29.99, who cares?
At £29.99, you don't get a nice strong collectors box as you would find with the Minichamps bikes, instead it's a regular card and Perspex window box, but the models are mounted on black plastic plinths. You may well want to pop these models into a display case, although depending on your view of £29.99, you may just display them freely and live with them getting a bit dusty.
These are just the first couple of bikes that we have received from LCD Models, the next one that we should see is the 2020 spec. Suzuki GSX-R1000 in three different colourways, blue, black, and silver. Now, these models are expected to be £105, so we're expecting great things considering what LCD models can churn out for a mere £30. Keep an eye on our website, they're already 3 months overdue so could arrive anytime.
