Motoroid

First spotted in use by the Roughriders A-Team, the first MZ-12 motoroids were known to have originated in the workshops and labs of 37 Fides. Motoroids are a transformable mecha, capable switching between a flight-capable humanoid form and a motorcycle form.

Motoroids are some of lightest transforming mecha, weighing in at less than two hundred kilograms without rider. Most of the frame is made from magnesium alloys, while the armour is a lightweight ceramic metal fibre-reinforced composite. It’s exact composition is a trade secret of 37 Fides.

It is capable of withstanding a direct hit from 20mm calibre weapons. Compared to a battlemover or landmate, a motroid is still very lightly armoured, and is closer to an oversized powered-exoskeleton. The pilot is exposed in a number of places.

Power comes from a combination of fuel-cell electric drive for the real wheel in motorcycle mode, and a pair of fusion-turbine powered gravity-rotors mounted in both halves of the seperating front wheel in motorcycle mode. The rotors themselves are conceptually similar to those powering B-36 Peacemakers. They allow the motoroid to skim the ground in atmosphere, or fly at low speeds in vacuum. They also grant the ‘roid an exceptional maneuverability, including the ability to hover in place, jink, and to continue travelling along a vector while turning to face a target.

Most motoroids are capable of supplying power for a 20mm railgun, using the same power supply as the main motor drives to save weight. They can also be armed with single-shot missile launchers, or conventional chemically propelled firearms.

Motoroids are sold to reputable factions on the open market... though with a few changes to armour compositions and electronics. Motoroids require a Stingray hardsuit to function effectively, and cannot be operated by an unarmoured wearer in slave mode.

Operation

A motoroid has three operating modes:

In motoroid mode, it operates independently in humanoid form, capable of providing fire support and backup to the wearer, or independently holding ground against attackers. Roughriders models border on D-grade intelligence, and are capable of operating on their own limited initiative. It is flight capable in atmosphere and open space.

In motorslave mode the operator’s hardsuit armour is physically docked with the motoroid, with the motoroid’s own sensors providing data to the wearer’s hardsuit. The Motoroids own armour provides additional protection, and allows the wearer to go toe-to-toe with heavier mecha if needed. Slave mode requires the operator to be wearing a Stingray model hardsuit. It is flight capable in atmosphere and open space.

In motorcycle mode they are capable of achieving 320kph on level ground, and being equipped with an automatic transmission and two wheel drive. They can be ridden by any humanoid capable of handling a heavy high-speed motorcycle.

Knight Saber Motoroid “MZ 20 Typhoon”

The Knight Saber motoroid, while appearing similar, is much heavier, replacing light alloys and composites with seibertron alloys. Externally, the Knight Saber motoroid is distinguished by being slightly bulkier, having larger actuators and power supplies..... and by having feet designed to mimic high-heeled shoes incorporating maneuvering jets.

Performance is estimated to roughly be on par with their Roughrider cousins, thanks to uprated actuators, drives and power supplies to compensate for the extra mass.

Knight Saber motorslaves use a slightly modified contra-rotating rotor design to enhance their stability and maneuverability.

Knight Saber motoroids use their extra mass to mount higher calibre weapons. Normally they carry a 30mm Grazny Shipunov autocannon firing high-explosive or armour-piercing shells, with one occasionally being equipped with a heavy railgun.

This design has a failsafe so that an unarmoured AI cannot use it. Nobody wants a DD Battlemover running around Fenspace, especially not with stories like the New Jersey Tripod and the Kentucky Cat incident already in the 'Dane memepool.

Heavy Motorslave “MZ-23 Judy”

A prototype heavier version of the motoroid, was gifted to Shinji Ikari. Designed with an enclosed cockpit as standard allowing it to be piloted by someone not wearing a hardsuit, it is intended for flight within cislunar space. It can be operated without a hardsuit, and is equipped with a self-stabilising and support system which operates in motorcycle and motoroid mode.

It is noticeable large in motorcycle mode, with a pair of additional panniers fitted to a longer chassis reminiscent of the original Highway star.

The Heavy motorslave is unarmed as standard, though has provision for armaments in an emergency.

Faster in open space than a motoroid, but slower on land. At less than 600kg it is still one of the lightest machines of it’s kind.

Originally known as Judy, Shinji officially renamed it ‘Misato Katsuragi’.

Common Quirks

• One size fits all: Unlike the hardsuits, adapting a motoroid to fit a different user is pretty simple. It could probably be automated if anyone had the inclination to bother.

• No shirt, no shoes...: User must wear a Stingray model hardsuit.

• Mad Machine: Motoroids use a much simpler constant-power actuator design, rather than a safer but more computationally complex constant force system. It’s hard to not break things wearing one.

• Hurricane: Gravity rotor drives whip up miniature tornadoes if operated in an atmosphere, picking up and flinging light debris if they’re close to the ground, raising dust clouds and generally annoying people.

• Skimmer: Limited to altitudes below 1km in an atmosphere.