Often overlooked because of their points cost, space marine bikers can be a potent asset in any army if deployed properly. In an urban combat themed army like the Howling Griffons, even a small unit of space marine bikers is a natural fit.
What not to paint
Due to the complex nature of the final assembly, it's almost required that you paint bikers in pieces. This suits me just fine, but it's been quite a few years since the last time I pained a loyalist bike. I forgot about the strange angles that really don't need to be painted at all. It's because of the way things assemble that many of the details end up being covered up. It's good they're there, but if you're going for a standard build, you can flat out ignore several areas.The first and foremost offenders are the inner rims of the wheels. There is a mounting bracket on the front and the back of the bike that will cover the rims up completely. Second up is the engine block located near the center of the main body. Though you'll still be able to see it all, the large power armored legs of the rider will cover up most of the detail here. A simple wash and highlight will look just as good as an extensive detail job once the rider get in the way.
The pads where the feet will rest are all but covered up completely by the giant boots of the space marine; simply wash the outer edges. The forward shield the bolters are mounted to have these tricky looking interior panels that you can safely ignore, as they will be covered up by the aforementioned bolters once they are in place.
Note:When assemblng the final build, make sure you glue your marine's backpack on before you glue the upper torso to the lower torso. The proximity of the seat back makes it likely that something will be caught if you wait.
Easy custom poses
I knew I wanted to do something unique with the bikers, and I found two alternate poses for them that turned out to be easy and effective.
Banking
For this first pose, you're tilting the assembled bike to the side until it comes to rest about halfway between upright and on it's side. The footrest will naturally stop the bike from falling, and will serve as a good new base for your guy. For this shot, I took an extended pistol arm and cut it so he was holding a meltagun. This sort of drive-by shooting gives him a cool, characterful look without having to spend an excessive amount of time converting.
Rearing up
This pose has two main components: the pin and the base. Once you determine what angle you want your guy rearing up at, you're going to drill straight into the rear tire for a good solid pin. Make sure to use a heavier gauge wire; you'll want the strongest possible reinforcement, and you can really take advantage of the extra-wide tire.
The second component of the pose is a piece of secondary terrain. Most of the time a space marine bike takes up so much of a base that there isn't really room for extra stuff on a base or much call for that matter. But when you have a bike popping up in the air, it exposes much of the base. The extra piece of terrain not only adds interest, you can slope it to provide a visual explanation of why your guy was airborn in the first place.
Weathering for speed
Not much says raw speed like a gigantic motorcycle, and a little bit of extra care can really push the g-forces. Even a few extra streaks when it comes to weathering can make all the difference. Consider extending the length of your weathering lines, while keeping them horizontal. With all the pock marks and mud stains clustered on the front of the model, you are adding that little bit of realism and extra care that separates a good model from a great one. Keep up the hard work and soon you'll have your very own group of (hells) angels ready to burn.
