Author Topic: Speederbike Question  (Read 9374 times)

Offline Valtar

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Speederbike Question
« on: December 7, 2003, 02:38 AM »
I have a photo here of the new clonetrooper speederbike...  As you can see the front bars have a real problem staying straight.  I have Tried heating in water and then holding straight in Ice cold water and yes it worked for about 3 days then it started Drooping again.  For the record I keep my house from 69 to 72 degrees at all times so it shouldn't be to hot for it.  Any suggestions/Idea's on what can be done to fix this.

I thought about pushing a needle up in it to hold it straight but I don't know where I could find a needle long and narrow enough to do this.    :(  

I have sent Hasbro a e-mail reguarding this along with this photo but it's been 2 weeks and no responce as of yet... but honestly I dought if they will respond to it.  I hope they fix this on any future Toys they make.  

« Last Edit: December 7, 2003, 02:45 AM by Valtar »

Offline jokabofe

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Re: Speederbike Question
« Reply #1 on: December 7, 2003, 02:55 AM »
hmmm, that's odd. yes they are made of some cheap - really, really cheap - plastic, but mine doesn't droop like that. i don't think the needles would work, personally... not sure what else to tell you if you already tried the hot water/cold water trick. i guess this plastic is just too flimsy to hold any changes in it... something that i've done in the past to straighten out some things that were bent was to place them on my desk and put a book or two on top of them for a day or two. but i'm not sure if that would work either in this case....  :(

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Speederbike Question
« Reply #2 on: December 7, 2003, 05:37 AM »
Wow that's bad.  Not surprising, but bad.

My suggestion would be to possibly (If you're into doing this) replacing the whole front end.  Take detail parts like the steering vains and whatnot, but the main forward rods would need to be made by hand, and of a sturdy plastic.  

The good news is (I think) that the main body of the bike would be a similar rigid plastic to the rigid rods you would need to replace the flimsy ones.  This means they'd weld together well with a good plastic welder like Devcon's or (My suggestion) Plasti-struct.

You'd have some cutting, fitting, gluing, and of course painting to do, but you'd have a bike that didn't droop.

Honestly, I'm planning to someday handmake my own speederbikes (For ROTJ) as the sculpt of the toy is way oversized, and I'd like to have a scale version.  

Hopefully you'll be able to fix that bike of yours though.  That's a shame that Hasbro's so cheap with their plastic, adn this is the result.  Sheesh...  :(
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Offline dustrho

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Re: Speederbike Question
« Reply #3 on: December 7, 2003, 09:01 AM »
First of all, where is that big gun that sits underneath the bike?  If you have that under there it might help hold that front end up.  Maybe.

Secondly, that is terrible you ended up with a crappy speeder bike like that.  You should try returning it back to the store you bought it for an exchange.  Tell the store employees in customer service that the toy is defective.  It's worth a shot.

Hope you get it fixed/resolved.
dustrho

Offline Matt

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Re: Speederbike Question
« Reply #4 on: December 7, 2003, 11:14 AM »


(Sorry, couldn't help myself. . .)   ;)
"The good news is that all that blood is actually ketchup. The bad news, however, is that all that ketchup is actually blood."

Offline Valtar

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Re: Speederbike Question
« Reply #5 on: December 7, 2003, 11:18 AM »
Quote
Posted by: dustrho

First of all, where is that big gun that sits underneath the bike?  If you have that under there it might help hold that front end up.  Maybe.

The big Gun, I just took it off for the photo... I have it and it doesn't seem to help.  I wish that was the problem but sadly it isn't.

Quote
Posted by: dustrho

Secondly, that is terrible you ended up with a crappy speeder bike like that.  You should try returning it back to the store you bought it for an exchange.  Tell the store employees in customer service that the toy is defective.  It's worth a shot.

I thought about that as well, but the Clone Speederbikes seem to be one of the more Rare Items in my area, and I don't think that the store I got it from could replace it.   :(

Also Thanks Jesse James and Jokebofe for the Ideas... I had a feeling I would have to do something like what you said JJ I was just hopeing I wouldn't have to.   :-\

Haha, ROFL I saw that one coming Virex  :P

Offline jokabofe

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Re: Speederbike Question
« Reply #6 on: December 7, 2003, 01:01 PM »


(Sorry, couldn't help myself. . .)   ;)

greatest. post. ever.  :D

Offline Scott

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Re: Speederbike Question
« Reply #7 on: December 8, 2003, 04:45 PM »
Typical BS Cost Cutting Crap that people haven't complained about enough to warrant a change...horrible :'( :'( :'(

Offline dustrho

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Re: Speederbike Question
« Reply #8 on: December 8, 2003, 10:12 PM »
I checked out my Speeder Bike and it's doing the same thing.  It's nowhere near as bad as your's, but it's starting to dip down.   >:(
dustrho

Offline DSJ™

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Re: Speederbike Question
« Reply #9 on: December 8, 2003, 11:11 PM »
Now you know why I leave my stuff in the package!  ;)

Offline Valtar

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Re: Speederbike Question
« Reply #10 on: December 8, 2003, 11:31 PM »
Quote
Posted by: DSJ™  Posted on: Today at 10:11 PM  
Now you know why I leave my stuff in the package!    

Hehe, ok thats fine for adults... but what about the kids they deserve quailty toys too.  When I was a kid if I had got a toy that drooped like a wet noodle, I dont think I would of played with it to much.  For that matter I would of thought I got a broke toy and told my dad to fix it.  Hey, but thats just me.  Todays kids deserve Hard Plastic Toys...  And so do I.   :P

Offline CorranHorn

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Re: Speederbike Question
« Reply #11 on: December 10, 2003, 12:33 AM »
Ugh thats horrible, I've noticed the less than stellar plastic Hasbro has been using lately, but to cause such an abnormality in a toy is just wrong. I have a suggestion that may be of help. Perhaps you can splice the steering vane from a POTF2 Speeder Bike with this one. You would have to do some creative tinkering but I think it could be done and perhaps that would stabilize things. Taking a quick look at my Clone bike, I notice mine is starting to slightly droop as well. I just had an idea though, what about using those small clear plastic bands hasbro is fond of using to hold their figures in the bubble and placing them around the vane but stretching back so they aer attached to the control handles so that the vane is actually being pullled back. If left to sit for a while like that, you could correct the problem....
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Offline Valtar

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Re: Speederbike Question
« Reply #12 on: December 10, 2003, 08:58 AM »
That sounds like a good Idea Corran... maybe I can find  a real cheap loose POTF2 bike on Ebay, as at this time I only have one of each of the POTF2 bikes and they are all on display atm.  Befor I buy tho I think Ill look into the ones I have an see if It would be worth buying one to tear apart.

As for the rubber bandsI had thought about that... but sence the plastic is so soft I feel it would just pull it the other way in any case just as bad.   :-\
« Last Edit: December 10, 2003, 09:01 AM by Valtar »

Offline Valtar

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Re: Speederbike Question
« Reply #13 on: December 12, 2003, 02:05 PM »
Well, I recived this in my e-mail today:

Quote
Hi Johnny,

Thank you for contacting Hasbro, Inc., and for bringing this matter to our attention.

Please be assured that we have shared your concerns with the product team. We will be pleased to arrange an exchange for you.

To help facilitate the process, please use the postage paid mailing label that is being sent to you at the address you have provided. Simply package up your return and place the mailing label securely on the package. Drop it off at the Post Office window and it’ll be on its way back to us.

Once the product is received at our returns facility, we will be glad to send a new replacement product. If there is a production delay and this product is not available we will replace it with a product of equal or greater value.

We want to assure you that all of us are dedicated to maintaining quality products. We hope you and your family will enjoy our products for many years to come.


I,m kinda worried about this statment :

Quote
Once the product is received at our returns facility, we will be glad to send a new replacement product. If there is a production delay and this product is not available we will replace it with a product of equal or greater value.

Why, because... I don't want or need any of the other packs and if they send me a damn Launcher Im gonna be so pissed.


Offline CorranHorn

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Re: Speederbike Question
« Reply #14 on: December 18, 2003, 02:26 AM »
Yep that's your standard reply from Hasbro. I got the same thing when I had problems with the first Jedi Starfighter I bought last year. They came through with sending the postage paid mailing label, but I didn't want to deal with the hassle of getting soemthing other than what I wanted back, in hindsight I woulda probably gotten a Starfighter in return since they were in abundance, but in your case with the Clone bike it's a tricky situation. And ya know since first reading this thread, I've been checking my clone bike and more and more everyday it's getting droopy. And that stupid missile launcher won't stay in place any more, stupid cheap plastic....
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