When Ole Kirk Kristiansen started The Lego Group in 1932, he always knew he wanted to market his products exclusively to kids. Beginning his fledgling toy company with product lines comprised of a pull-along duck, a racing car, and a piggy bank. This ethos was so strong through the generations that “senior management actually thought [adults] were detracting from the brand,” according to Paal Smith-Meyer, a long time senior executive of the company.
But in 2003, facing bankruptcy, Lego learned to embrace their AFOLs or Adult Fans of Lego. The turnaround was nothing short of inspirational. By 2014, Time magazine crowned it the “Most Influential Toy of All Time,” assisted by the enthusiasm and buying power of these ‘kid-adults’. Even marketing changed: shifting from slogans like “Just Imagine…” and “Play On” to its latest motto: “Adults Welcome.” Also gone: Age ranges for most of their products save Duplo targeted specifically at children.
Adults and Lego: a form of mindfulness
There’s a certain calm in clicking small, interlocking bricks together and turning piles of multicoloured plastic into something recognisable. In fact, it’s the very same impetus that drives us as children to turn clay and plasticine into animals, houses or battlefield vistas with miniature soldiers.
This ritual has become a kind of guided meditation with a tangible reward at the end: a big city skyline, an iconic building, even today, “pixel art” of famous paintings and photographs, or perhaps something for the more gear-minded: A Lego Technic Yamaha MT-10 SP.
The company’s popular kits comprised of the Central Perk cafe from the sitcom “Friends” and a vintage 1989 Batmobile tap into Gen X nostalgia, adults are also more likely to drop $800 on a 7,541-piece Star Wars Millennium Falcon set or $400 for the Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle or for Lord of the Ring’s Helms Deep fortress. But Lego Technic series is something else: beyond a world of imagination, it is a line of Lego interconnecting plastic rods and parts where you create advanced models of working vehicles and machines.
Learn, bond, build: Lego Technic Yamaha MT-10 SP as a family
By any real life standard, Yamaha’s MT-10 is a high-performance motorbike: Horsepower, technology, and it helps that it looks like this is Batman’s other motorcycle — you name it, the bike’s got it. Hence, it is no surprise that Lego chose to replicate this platform. With this kit, you can admire all the details inspired by the premium styling and stripped-back aesthetic of Yamaha’s flagship Hyper Naked range.
You can not only assemble the MT-10 SP’s famed 4-cylinder engine and 3-speed transmission but also its shift drum, shift fork and gear shift ring. Suffice it to say, this extraordinary replica of the real motorcycle in Lego Technic form combines the boundless power of imagination with the heart-racing thrill of the open road, resulting in a true masterpiece of engineering and creativity.
Furthermore, Lego Technic sets are well-designed toys that are built for real applications in physics and science. Through the intricate combination of bricks, beams, pins, gears, and other specialised components, anyone can build real working machines – in this case, a facsimile of the Yamaha MT-10 SP. From simple exercises in levers and friction through more complex gearing combinations, the entire family is making things engineering students have to learn in university, all while bonding over the build process of a beloved motorcycle.
The 42159 Lego Technic Yamaha MT-10 SP delivers an unparalleled building experience, uniting motorcycle enthusiasts and LEGO fans in a shared passion for precision, innovation, and the pursuit of excitement. To complement this remarkable set, a display stand is included, allowing builders to proudly showcase their creation. Measuring over 25 cm high, 44 cm long and 15 cm wide, the set serves as an exceptional gift idea for motorcycle collectible aficionados and devoted Yamaha enthusiasts.
