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Set 857 Motorbike with Sidecar
Expert Builder

Motorbike with Sidecar

Set 857 dates from 1979, the Expert Builder years before the Technic name took over everywhere. It models a motorbike with a sidecar in 403 pieces and has no minifigures.

Set number
857
Year
1979
Pieces
403
Minifigures
0
Theme
Expert Builder
Different parts
93
What can I build with it?

Parts list 93

As BrickLink list (XML)

Import on BrickLink: Wanted → Upload, upload the file (or paste its content), pick a Wanted List and add the parts.

Spare parts (1)

These extra parts come with the set in case one gets lost.

Description

An unusual subject

Most vehicle sets pick something symmetrical: a car, a lorry, a tractor. A motorbike with a sidecar breaks that pattern, with the bike on one side and a passenger car hanging off the other on its own wheel. Turning that into a model means joining two quite different assemblies into one rigid unit, which makes for a more interesting build than its piece count might suggest. The subject also has a certain period charm, as sidecar outfits have long been associated with vintage motoring and classic film scenes.

Bricks with holes

Like other Expert Builder sets, 857 is built around Technic bricks, which look like standard bricks but have holes running through their sides. Pins and axles pass through these holes, while plates lock the layers together into a solid frame. Studless beams, now the backbone of Technic, arrived much later. If you only know modern sets, building this one is a useful lesson in how the system started, and it shows how much could be done with a comparatively small range of mechanical parts.

Parts and colours

The set contains 403 pieces spread over 93 part types. Its main colours are light grey, blue, black and red, with the grey being the original shade used until the mid-2000s rather than the bluish grey of today. That matters if you plan to replace missing pieces, as modern grey parts will stand out. Every element is listed with quantity and colour in the parts list on this page, which is the quickest way to check a used copy against the original inventory.

Collecting it now

More than four decades after release, 857 is a collector's set, and copies usually surface second-hand in varying states of completeness. The age of the parts means some may be discoloured or brittle, so it is worth inspecting them before building. If you log what you have, the ‘What can I build?’ tool on this page will show which other sets can be rebuilt from your pieces. That is a good way to put spare vintage parts to use rather than leaving them in a box.

FAQ

When was Motorbike with Sidecar 857 released?
The set dates from 1979 and belongs to the Expert Builder range.
What does the set represent?
It is a motorbike with a sidecar attached, a three-wheeled combination with the passenger seat to one side.
How many part types are in the set?
There are 93 different part types across its 403 pieces.

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