From the Toysit archive
Bandai Cyclaws RC
Discover Bandai Cyclaws RC’s striking wheel-and-claw outline, then invent a folding creature fieldbook inspired by its changing shape.
The play at a glance
A vehicle with a creature’s outline
Bandai Cyclaws turns the wheel itself into the most memorable part of the design. In Toysit’s photograph, curved tire sections spread around a low red-and-black body. The result suggests a little mechanical creature, poised between rolling vehicle and make-believe explorer.
Let the wheels become the character
A conventional car drawing begins with circles beneath a body. Cyclaws invites a different starting point: four wheel shapes that open into curved projections. The silver center body and red upper shell give the eye somewhere to settle between those busy edges.
Look at the original image one wheel at a time, then look at the whole silhouette. Does it resemble an explorer, a beetle from an imaginary planet or a machine with four elaborate shoes? Those are storytelling possibilities suggested by its appearance, rather than names for its actual mechanism.
Bandai’s surviving instruction text describes wheel-lock choices involving all four wheels or the front and rear pairs. That gives context to the earlier account’s different body arrangements. For handling a real example, the text requires both vehicle and controller to be switched off before wheel-lock adjustments; the exact model’s full instructions should guide its use.
Create a wheel-or-claw creature fieldbook
This original Toysit activity makes a fictional field guide from a folded page. Draw an explorer with round wheels on the closed sheet. Open the fold and continue the drawing with claw-shaped wheels, keeping its face, colors or emblem recognizable.
- Name its home. Invent a habitat such as a city of curled leaves or a moon covered in giant paper buttons. Draw the setting around the explorer.
- Make its mark. Draw the tracks you imagine each form would leave. Use loops, crescents or zigzags, and label them as imaginary footprints.
- Give it a greeting. Write the sound or gesture it uses when it meets another creature. Decide whether the greeting changes with its shape.
- Write a field note. Describe the moment an observer first realizes that both drawings show the same explorer.
Exchange fieldbooks with someone else and ask them to add one question an imaginary naturalist might ask. Answer it with a small extra drawing. The fold becomes the reveal, while the familiar colors keep the character connected across both forms.
Everything happens on paper, so the activity can explore fanciful habitats without treating them as suitable driving surfaces for an RC toy.
The historical record
Original Toysit coverage
The complete earlier product account and commentary are preserved below as historical coverage.
Rough terrain remote control vehicle with transforming claw technology
The gripping action of Cyclaws RC enables this remote control vehicle to power through rough terrain, overcoming backyard obstacles where other RC vehicles might require a smooth surface. Wheels transform into gripping claws. Additionally, tricks are possible, including wheels and flips. Thus it is both fast and capable of negotiating different terrains. The transformation to a claw gripper can be set to happen automatically when the vehicle encounters rough terrain. A sensor detects that the torque has increased, thus kicking in the grabbing mode. You can lock the front or rear wheels to give it a creature-like appearance, almost like a rolling robot.
Torque plays a crucial role in a vehicle's ability to navigate rough terrain. Essentially, torque is the twisting force generated by the engine, and it's what gives a vehicle its low-speed power. High levels of torque are particularly important when a vehicle is required to climb steep hills, traverse rocky paths, or move through muddy or sandy conditions. More torque means the vehicle has a better ability to move mass, which is especially useful in off-road situations where traction may be compromised. With higher torque, the vehicle can apply more power at lower RPMs, allowing for smoother and more effective navigation of obstacles. This is why off-road vehicles, such as 4x4s and ATVs, often have engines specifically designed to produce high torque at low RPMs. Overall, a strong torque output can greatly enhance a vehicle's off-road capabilities.
Sources and editorial notes
The available Bandai instruction text identifies models 88140/88141 and wheel-lock configurations, but the complete illustrated guide and basic-control sections were not recovered. It does not establish the archive’s electronic torque-sensor explanation. Terrain, speed and trick claims in the preserved account remain historical descriptions; this profile does not verify them or substitute specifications from the later Japanese CCP edition.
- Original Toysit image — Existing same-site image reviewed and retained unchanged.
- Bandai Cyclaws instruction sheet text — Manufacturer text for 88140/88141, hosted by a third-party mirror. Partial sheet only; supports wheel-lock context and power-off guidance, not a verified sensor or terrain explanation.
- Original Toysit coverage — Complete historical account retained, including its original claims and wording.
Images and descriptions are retained as historical material. How Toysit covers toys.
Created for Toysit by Tabbloza — the artwork in our header.