This LEGO Ideas Project Aims To Bring Back a Childhood Classic: The MKII Chopper

Well, one of the most beloved and successful models in this company's history was the MKII Chopper, the one and the same that has appeared in countless Hollywood flicks like The Goonies and even Back to the Future. Now it's getting itself a LEGO counterpart. After all, this bicycle has always been an icon; why not make it a LEGO icon and secure its place in the annals of history?

But how did this bike make it into a LEGO figurine? Well, to say that you can just go out to your local LEGO store and pick up this toy would be a lie. Currently, this project is part of LEGO Ideas, a platform where designers and bright minds can submit their LEGO ideas. With the proper support and backing from folks like you and me, the most awarded ideas go on to become real sets.

Now, this project is one that's been submitted by a lover and designer of LEGOs dubbed Vintage Bricks, and while this isn't the only bicycle project this mind has offered - another entry showcases the MKI - this seems to be a rather close-to-heart project. I say this because, in one of the images of the completed set, we can even spot an MKII in the background.

So, just how close does it get to the real thing? That's what we're here to find out. The way to do this is to take a closer look at the real deal and compare it to what Vintage Bricks has achieved here. Best of all, Vintage Bricks' project perfectly coincides with Raleigh's revival of this iconic bike, which was unveiled recently in late 2023. Yes, Raleigh recently redesigned and raised the MKII to modern standards.

Back in the 70s, nothing but good old steel was being used to craft bikes for the masses, and it still is today. To craft the MKII, Raleigh built upon the MKI, another of their bicycles that had been a big hit, all but some safety issues that the MKII was designed to resolve.

As for the clear stand-apart features, the chopper-like saddle and sissy bar are some of the features that define this bicycle, but so are the handlebars and reverse-mullet wheel sizing. Oh, and a chopper is no chopper without a pair of high-rise handlebars.

Yet, if you grew up in the 70s, you know that the real trick that set the MKII apart from all others is the gear shifter, that T-shaped lever you see bulging out of the top tube. For a kid to be riding around town with this lever between their legs, it's Top Gun all over again.

So, just how close did Vintage Bricks get? Well, starting with the ground up, we can tell that the wheels are hitting that reverse-mullet layout. Only the spokes seem to be missing on these wheels, but that's a piece that would be very difficult to craft; I don't even think LEGO has a spoked wheel as small as the one on the front of the MKII.

From the wheels, we encounter the frame, and this feature, albeit a bit warped here and there, clearly reminds me of the real deal. Even the split top tube is in place. The same framework of pipes and sissy bar is in place on this model, although a bit more squared off; classic LEGO. Then there's that chopper seat and handlebar, completing the whole chopper look. GG, Vintage, GG.

Still, the one and only feature that had to be present on this bike was the shifter. Stamped to the top tube of the MKII, a few LEGO pieces are used to bring forth this signature component. More attention to detail is brought on with the use of flexible tubing, signifying brake lines. All in all, it's a solid replica of the real thing. All that might be missing is a working drivetrain and chain.

But, no matter how good this project may have come out, there's only one way to ensure this machine makes it onto store shelves: to head to Vintage Bricks' LEGO Ideas page and give this project a good ol' thumbs up. I did. Maybe I just want to fiddle around with the 339 pieces this baby is made from.

As for why I gave this project the support it deserves, it's because this bicycle has been a symbol of an adventurous and free childhood for several generations, and with that, it's important to see where we've been. Only that way can we really know where we're going. Heck, even Raleigh themselves know just how amazing their MKII was; they revived it just last year, in 2023, including some striking new paint jobs. Just 294 days left for this LEGO Idea to become a real deal, and it's up to people like you and me to make it happen.