The Dickie Black Rider, or Taiyo Black Rider was a radio controlled car manufactured by Taiyo (Japan), and released into the German market, and others worldwide, in 1988.
Black Rider?
A version of the Taiyo Jet Hopper II, there’s no obvious reason why it was named the Black Rider in this instance, other than perhaps Dickie wishing to sell the product in the same market as Taiyo, and wanting to differentiate themselves perhaps? If anyone out there does know a valid reason why it was named the Dickie Black Rider we’d all love to hear from you!
The best and final Jet Hopper
After making its debut in 1986 and revolutionizing the toy R/C scene almost overnight, the original Jet Hopper was now long in the tooth, and falling behind its competition (mainly Nikko) by 1988.
Yet Taiyo was confident they could pull off another global sensation, not only due to their incredible track record, but now they had the finances of Tyco USA behind them, who would become a part owner in the Taiyo Toys company, and bankroll half a dozen spin off models including the Heads Up! range, Wild Thing, and Aero Twin Turbo Hopper, among others. The 90s was going to be great for Taiyo, or so they thought.
Performance
The Dickie Black Rider would ship with an assortment of fairly high end features for a supposedly ‘toy grade’ model R/C.
Released later that same year, the 1988 Taiyo Jet Hopper II included a mix of standard features and upgraded parts.
- 8xAA Battery Power
- Chrome Plated Rims
- (Upgrade) Heat Sink on Mabuchi 280 motor
- (Upgrade) Larger 1:14 Chassis
- (Upgrade) Rear Differential
- (Upgrade) Fat Rear and Front Tires
- Lightened in several areas
- Top Speed 27Kmh or 17Mph
Recommendation
The Dickie Black Rider is an uber-rare variant of one of the most popular and well known toy R/C cars ever created. If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on one, take care of it.
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