Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

It seems to me that the Scout Bike models aren't quite right. Why do they have one exhaust, but the Marine bikes has 2??? To make it... quieter? Doesn't really make any sense. Why wouldn't a quiet bike have an electric, or hell, a nuclear powered engine?? And what is with the giant antenna swinging all nimbly-bimbly from the back? Kinda screams "hey, over here!" to me. My car in 2011 doesnt have that crap, so why would the marines have it in the 41st millenium?

Also, I think they should be repositioned so the bike is lower to the ground, and the rider leans over the front like a sport bike or "crotch rocket" as they say... not sitting upright with their fool, unhelmeted heads up in the air waiting to get shot off.

So... how do I model this? And more important, I plan to play at a GW store, so I want it to be as close to 100% gw as I can, and completely legal, even for the book throwing rules lawyers I may come across.

Any ideas?

chuckwilliams wrote:
Why do they have one exhaust, but the Marine bikes has 2??? To make it... quieter? Doesn't really make any sense.

Generally Scouts are the only SM's that use a lot of stealth tactics, though some Chapters (White Scars) are more stealth orientated.

chuckwilliams wrote:
So... how do I model this?

As for how to convert it using some of the idea you mentioned, here how I would plan it out:

a. I would carefully cut the bike into the 4 sections I show in the pic below.
b. 1 & 4 would be mainly unchanged. You could model a second set of exhaust pipes with GS and/or plastic tubing.
c. till section 3 forward to give it a 'crotch rocket' look. This will probably be the most complicated part, as you'll probably want to cut this section apart further and reassemble it with some parts re-sculpted with GS.
d. cut off both legs at the knees, trim and GS back in place as the proper angle for for riding a sports bike.
e. section 2 should be trimmed and placed on top of the front wheel as a fender/wind screen. I would mount the bolters or grenade launcher on the side of the new fender.
f. Reassemble the sections, patch holes, add details and you're done.

That's the general plan I would use. I would take a lot of work, but done right I could look amazing.

As long as it still fits on the base, is at least the same height, and is primary constructed out of GW parts I think you should be ok. If you want to make it lower to the ground, just add extra basing to raise it to the same height as the standard Scout Bike.

Good luck, and be sure to post pictures of whatever you end up doing.

EDIT: and if you don't like the antenna or the Scout not having a helmet; than go ahead and change it. It's your army, and as long as it doesn't affect the gameplay do what feels right to you.

chuckwilliams wrote:It seems to me that the Scout Bike models aren't quite right. Why do they have one exhaust, but the Marine bikes has 2???

Marines in power armour are heavier so need more robust bikes that can take the weight so bigger engines with more exhausts. Scouts are trying to cut down on the weight as much as possibly so have less armour plating and just the one pair of exhausts; that's the way I see it.

And what is with the giant antenna swinging all nimbly-bimbly from the back? Kinda screams "hey, over here!" to me.

It gives them greater range for comms allowing them to scout further ahead than regular bikes. A bike kicking up a dust cloud is hardly going to have its position given away by an antenna that would be much thinner looking in real life, even if a flag were attached to the top of it.

Also, I think they should be repositioned so the bike is lower to the ground, and the rider leans over the front like a sport bike or "crotch rocket" as they say... not sitting upright with their fool, unhelmeted heads up in the air waiting to get shot off.

I agree they should have a helmet option though you could probably use something like the comms head from the Cadians for that. As for crouched over, they need to be able to engage in hand to hand combat and fire hand weapons while riding, something that would be very hard to do if bending over like a racing bike which is not designed for combat.

So... how do I model this? And more important, I plan to play at a GW store, so I want it to be as close to 100% gw as I can, and completely legal, even for the book throwing rules lawyers I may come across.
Any ideas?

An unholy blend of eldar jetbike and marine bike? Use the rider and seat from the jetbike and somehow merge them together with the front and back of the marine bike. Use greenstuff to convert the rider or some fancy knifework to take bits off the marine rider and transfer to the eldar maybe.

Some great ideas here.

I wasn't implying they needed to wear helmets, im just saying that in military movies where people are going through boot camp, they're always being told to keep their heads down...

Still not sure why a bike in the 41st millenium needs an internal combustion engine, let alone an exhaust. Marines have Land Speeders... how are they powered?

antenna still doesnt make any sense, if my cell phone can download streaming porn from outer space without a giant antenna, surely a guy on a bike can transmit encrypted data a few miles

Think I'll definitely need new tires. Those monsters will pick up a rock and TAP TAP TAP across the battlefield... good luck infiltrating making all that racket!

Off to Bitz Barn!

Stop thinking of 40k in terms of 21st century tech.

Some things are more advanced, sure, but other things are barely out of Victoriana. It's a mish mash. No-one understands HOW stuff works anymore - they built machines to do it for them, then they lost the instructions for them, and the machines to build the machines were either lost or fell into disrepair.

Modern tanks can acquire targets, aim and fire on the move at speed (a speed greater than walking pace) - 40k tanks cannot.

A cellphone in 40k is as likely to be the size of a vox-set as it is to be an implanted piece.

As for rice rocket scouts. Aust SAS use trailbikes (but while they can do scouting missions, are not strictly scouts), not rice-burners as rice-burners are generally not designed for anything but relatively flat terrain. It's also harder to maintain balance crouched forward over a tank.

ok, these are hot... found on Master of the Forge website...

those last pics are very cool.