Laser Cycle

This article is about the sub-group from the 1990s Generation 2 toyline. For the 2023 Transformers: Legacy "Laser Cycle" toy, see Jazz (G1)/toys#Legacy.

The Laser Cycles (aka Lasercycles) are a pair of turbo-charging, road-ripping robots. Like the technologically-similar Laser Rods, they're more concerned with speed and flash than anything of much substance.

The Laser Cycles are:

• The Autobot Road Rocket
• The Decepticon Road Pig

Fiction

Ask Vector Prime

During the Battle of Sherman Dam in Primax 096.0 Beta, the Laser Cycle Jazz attempted to evacuate the surrounding area, with fellow Laser Cycle Soundwave in pursuit. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/06

Toys

Generation 2

Road Pig

• Road Pig (1995)

• Road Rocket (1995)

• Jazz (1995)

• Soundwave (1995)

The Laser Cycles were among the new molds released toward the end of the Generation 2 toy line in 1995. Like the Laser Rods, they feature clear plastic weaponry which illuminates using small red LEDs, though this time the wiring connecting the battery to the weapon is not removable since it doesn't have to light up a second "engine" part. Like most of the later Generation 2 figures, they possess a high degree of articulation for their time, though it's clear they were still working some of the kinks out of the system.

A second wave was planned, featuring redecoes of the first two molds as Jazz and Soundwave. These were never mass produced due to the cancellation of Generation 2, but a handful of fully-packaged samples of each have made their way to the secondary market.

In an odd reversal of Transformers history in 2000, the Laser Cycles were released in two decoes each by Takara for their Microman line, but with retooled handlebars and no electronics. The Laser Cycle pair were released again within Transformers, all with handlebar retooling intact but electronics restored, first as a 2002 exclusive from the 2001 Robots in Disguise toyline and a 2004-2005 regular release in Robotmasters.

Legacy

G2 Universe Road Rocket

• G2 Universe Road Rocket (2022)

• G2 Universe Laser Cycle (2023)

The Legacy toyline, which pulled characters and concepts from across the entire Transformers franchise, featured a new version of Road Rocket (minus the light-up gimmick, of course) as a redeco and retooling of the Deluxe "Prime Universe Arcee" toy. This toy was part of the first wave of the Walmart exclusive Velocitron Speedia 5000 Collection "capsule" in 2022.

This new tooling would be re-used a year later for a second Walmart exclusive capsule, the Toxitron Collection, celebrating numerous gloriously-gaudy proposed decos that never got made into actual toys. Thus "G2 Universe Laser Cycle", a new version of the canceled Generation 2 Laser Cycle Jazz toy... named "Laser Cycle" because there was already a concept-art Jazz redeco based on his Porsche form in the assortment, and naming two toys in the case "G2 Universe Jazz" would be confusing at best.

Notes

• On European market packaging, the Laser Cycles were advertised as "Ninjas". Likewise, Road Rocket and Road Pig are portrayed as ninja in Japanese media.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Laser Bike (レーザーバイク Rēzā Baiku)
• French: Motolasers (France), Motos Laser (Canada)
• Italian: Motolaser