The Speeder Bike is a nice surprise in that Hasbro didn't just rerelease or repaint the original Saga version, but instead retooled and added some parts which separates it from its Original Trilogy origins. One of the biggest differences is probably the front steering vanes which now have a different shape, and in between the vanes there are more cylinder gun-looking things. The second big change is the addition of a storage compartment at the back of the speeder just behind the seat. It is non-functional but looks pretty cool. A third difference is the deletion of the blaster that was attached to the bottom of the bike. Now, you have the option of attaching a huge projectile-firing cannon in its place. The Saga version and this version of the Speeder Bike share some improvements over the old POTF2 versions of the Speeder Bike. They have more accurate handles which are horizontal instead of vertical. There is also more engine detail with hoses and the air intake-looking thing now molded separately, thus adding more realism. One negative aspect (at least on this version) is that the balance of the bike isn't as good as older versions and thus it cannot rely on only its foot pedals to stand on its own. Another negative is the soft plastic which the whole outrigger is made of. The steering vanes on my bike are warped and the outrigger is slightly curved.

Articulation--3/5
The Clone Trooper features nine points of articulation: hinged and swivel neck, shoulders, loosely hinged right elbow, left wrist cut, hips, and bend and swivel knees. Pretty decent for a riding figure, but a wrist joint on the right arm is sorely needed. The action feature ruins thing in this department with the loosely hinged right elbow and the removal of waist articulation. The bending knees are a necessity but they also swivel below the knee which doesn't seem very useful except for making slight adjustments to his stance.

Features: Clone Trooper--2/5, Speeder Bike--4/5
The Clone Trooper has a built-in action feature that allows him to throw an ion grenade. Unfortunately, this is one of the worst action features ever conceived. I'm still not totally sure how this is supposed to work. Anyway, you press the large button on the Clone Trooper's back and his arm swings down. Release the button and his arm swings back up. Whether he's supposed to throw the grenade on his arm's way down or up is anyone's guess. In any case, it works equally bad either way so I guess it doesn't really matter. The Clone Trooper also features removable armor which I think is cool and is the only thing keeping the Clone Trooper from getting the lowest score in this category. You can't remove ALL his armor, but just the fact that his helmet is removable is cool enough for me.

The Speeder Bike features a missile-firing launcher that can be attached to the bottom of the bike, and moveable foot pedals and engine flaps. The foot pedals and engine flaps work pretty much like they always have--the foot pedals are spring-loaded and when the bike is "parked" the engine flaps are in the down position, covering the thrusters. Lifting the bike off the ground causes the foot pedals to spring downward, thus pushing the engine flaps up and exposing the thrusters. The only difference between this and the POTF2 versions is the fact that the foot pedals and engine flaps are not physically connected this time around. Instead, the engine flaps work by using gravity and the foot pedals simply push them up or allow them to fall down. The missile-firing cannon is pretty huge and intimidating. It attaches to the underside of the bike and can be removed easily if you so desire. A button on the side of the cannon allows you to shoot the missile across the room and is a good feature for children or adults who like to shoot other figures with projectiles.

Accessories--4/5
I don't think you can ask for anything more in a set like this. Besides the speeder bike itself, you get the Clone Trooper's removable armor sections, a blaster rifle and an ion grenade. The ion grenade is probably the worst accessory in the set mostly due to the poor action feature, but hey, no one is forcing you to use it. The blaster rifle is the standard Clone Trooper blaster but this one has an extra long...um ammo-clip-thingie...you know that thing that sticks out of the side of the blaster (the Visual Dictionary calls it a "Charge Magazine"). It's extra long so that it can be attached to the speeder bike via a small hole just between where the handles are. It's a nice little way of storing the weapon when not in use, or you can even imagine him using the blaster when it's attached to the bike. The armor sections are well done and fit snugly. The helmet is my favorite part not only because it is removable but because its sculpting is much more defined than on previous Clone Trooper figures. The fin for example is nice, straight and has very clean, sharp edges.

Paint--3/5Well done for the most part but there are few things I would have changed. One thing is the hinge joint of the Clone Trooper's right elbow. The pin that holds the hinge together is black, making it very obvious amidst the white elbow armor. Painting or molding it in white would have been a better choice. Another thing I would change is the Clone Trooper's eyes---they're RED! What the heck is that about? It looks unnatural to say the least. The bike is painted well with some decent weathering on the main body. The weathering on the foot pedals are pretty weak though, and you can barely tell that they've tried to paint it. On a positive note, I like the color scheme of this speeder bike; it's off-white color and the burgundy trim on the steering vane match with the color scheme of the Republic Gunships. I can also imagine this being customized for use with Snowtroopers or an Expanded Universe Hoth battle scene.
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Overall--3.5/5
In the end, this is a great set to pick up even if you already own the Saga version. The bike is different enough to warrant a purchase and will add variation to your Republic forces. The Clone Trooper works well both on and off the bike despite its poor action feature. I also feel that the set is a great value for the MSRP of ten dollars; you get another Clone Trooper and a nice vehicle for him to ride!