If you’ve bought cool custom machines or machine skins from the Machine Market in Kirby Air Riders and have no idea how to actually use them, you’re not alone. Many players are confused because the game doesn’t clearly explain that:
- Skins you buy are treated as custom machines,
- They are tied to a base machine (Warp Star, Wagon Star, etc.),
- And you don’t equip them from the shop – you use them from the machine select / Garage.
Kirby Air Riders Machine Skins and Custom Machines Explained
Before we talk about equipping, you need to know what you actually bought.
Kirby Air Riders Machine Market and Skins Basics
Kirby Air Riders has two big customization menus:
- My Machine – where you design and edit machines
- Machine Market – where you buy and sell custom designs online
According to detailed breakdowns of the system, machines you buy in the Machine Market are cosmetic variants attached to specific base vehicles. They don’t change the stats of the machine; they only change the look, sounds, effects, and decorations.
So:
- If you buy a Warp Star skin, it’s a Warp Star variant
- If you buy a Wagon Star skin, it’s a Wagon Star variant
- You still drive the same type of machine; it just looks different
Also, guides confirm that you must own the base machine first (through Miles Shop or checklists) before you can actually use a skin for it.
That’s why sometimes you buy something, but it doesn’t appear:
you don’t have the underlying machine unlocked yet.
Requirements Before You Can Equip Machine Skins in Kirby Air Riders
Let’s quickly check a small checklist so you don’t get stuck.
Unlock the Base Machine First
There are more than 20 rideable machines in the game, and many are unlocked by:
- Buying them with Miles in the Miles Shop
- Completing specific checklist challenges in different modes (Air Ride, City Trial, Top Ride, Road Trip)
If you bought a custom Hydra, for example, but you never unlocked Hydra as a machine, its skin will sit there unusable until you unlock Hydra itself.
Make Sure the Purchase Was Successful
From the Connect → Machine Market screen, when you buy a custom machine:
- Your coins (not Miles) are consumed
- The custom design is now added to your account as a cosmetic for that base machine
There is no separate “equip” button in the shop. The Market is only for buying or listing machines, not racing with them.
Know Where Custom Machines “Live”
According to customization guides, your custom machines (your designs + bought ones) are managed via:
- Extras → My Machines – for creating and editing
- Collection → Garage – for viewing and displaying them
But to actually race with them, you’ll use:
- The Character & Machine Select screen
- Or, in online lobbies (Paddock), the Change Character and Machine option
Step-By-Step: How to Equip Custom Machines in Kirby Air Riders
Now let’s get to the part you really care about: how to actually equip the machine skins you purchased.
Step 1: Unlock and Confirm Your Base Machine
- From the Main Menu, open any mode where you can choose machines (for example, Air Ride or City Trial).
- On the machine select screen, scroll through the list and check:
- Does the base machine (Warp Star, Wagon Star, Turbo Star, etc.) appear at all?
- If you don’t see that machine listed:
- You need to unlock it via Miles Shop or checklist challenges first.
If you do see the base machine, continue.
Step 2: Go to Character & Machine Select
Whether you’re playing offline or online, the process is similar:
- Start a race, City Trial, or Road Trip where you can set your machine.
- When the game shows the Character Select and Machine Select screen:
- First you choose your rider (Kirby, King Dedede, etc.).
- Then you move to the machine selection part.
Players on community forums mention that equipping purchased custom machines involves pressing a specific button on the machine select screen to swap between the default look and custom variants.
The exact button (X / Y / shoulder button) can vary based on control layout, but the on-screen prompt will usually show something like:
“Toggle My Machine”
“Cycle Designs”
or a small icon next to the button label.
So keep an eye on the bottom of the screen where button legends are shown.
Step 3: Highlight the Correct Base Machine
This part is important because purchased skins are tied to specific machines, not to Kirby himself.
- Using the stick or D-pad, highlight the base machine for which you bought the skin. For example:
- If you bought a custom Warp Star, highlight Warp Star.
- If you bought a custom Wagon Star, highlight Wagon Star, and so on.
- Don’t press confirm yet. Just leave the cursor on that machine.
If the base machine is wrong, your skin will never appear in the cycle options.
Step 4: Use the “Cycle Custom Machine” Button
Now, with the base machine highlighted:
- Look at the bottom or corner of the screen for a button hint:
- It might show something like “View My Machines”, “Toggle Custom Machine”, or a small icon next to X/Y.
- Press that button (commonly one of the face buttons or shoulder buttons) to:
- Cycle between the default machine and
- Any custom designs / skins attached to that base machine
In most games with similar systems, each press cycles to the next variant of the same machine. Kirby Air Riders works on the same logic: purchased Machine Market designs are automatically attached to the base machine’s “variant list” and get cycled this way.
- When your purchased skin appears (you’ll see the preview change):
- Now press Confirm (A) to lock it in.
- Start the race as usual.
You are now using the purchased machine skin in real gameplay.
How to Equip Purchased Custom Machines in Online Paddock Matches
When you’re in the Paddock (the online lobby), things look a bit different, but the idea is the same.
Kirby Air Riders Paddock Machine and Garage Flow
The Paddock lets you:
- Walk around as a rider
- Join races
- Show off your Garage
- Change Character and Machine
To equip a purchased machine skin here:
- Enter the Paddock online.
- Go to the menu / terminal that lets you Change Character and Machine.
- From that screen:
- Choose your rider.
- Move to the machine selection panel.
- Highlight the base machine as before.
- Use the on-screen “cycle My Machine/custom” button to flip through variants.
- Confirm once your purchased design appears.
If your Garage is set to public, other players can also see your equipped custom machine when they inspect your Garage or see you on the track.
Kirby Air Riders My Machines vs Purchased Skins: What’s the Difference?
You might be confused between:
- My Machines you create yourself, and
- Custom machines you bought from the Machine Market
Practically, from the selection screen, they behave the same way:
- Both show up as variants of a base machine.
- Both are cycled using the same “toggle/cycle custom machine” button.
- Both can be displayed in the Garage and in online lobbies.
The main difference is how you get them:
- Your designs → created in Extras → My Machines using decals, patterns, accessories, and effects
- Purchased designs → bought with coins from the Machine Market in Connect
But from the player’s point of view in races, both are just “skins” for that base vehicle.
Why Your Kirby Air Riders Skins Might Not Be Showing Up
If you followed the steps and still can’t find your purchased machine skins, here are the most common reasons.
1. You Don’t Own the Base Machine Yet
As explained earlier, you can only use a skin if the base machine is unlocked on your account.
Fix:
- Check a machine unlock guide or your checklists.
- Unlock that machine via Miles Shop or checklist goals.
- Then return to the machine select screen and try cycling again.
2. You’re Looking in the Wrong Mode
Some machines are restricted to specific modes or behave differently across modes. Guides mention that certain machines are special or free-run only.
For example:
- A machine used only in City Trial Free Run might not appear in a standard Air Ride race list.
- Legendary or special machines sometimes have special availability conditions.
Fix:
- Try selecting machines in different modes (Air Ride, City Trial, Road Trip, Free Run).
- See if the base machine shows up there, then cycle skins from that point.
3. You’re Not Using the Cycle Button on the Machine Select Screen
Some players stop at simply highlighting the base machine and pressing Confirm, so they only ever see the default look.
But community answers explicitly mention that there is a button you must press on the character & machine select screen to access the purchased custom machines.
Fix:
- When the base machine is highlighted:
- Don’t just press Confirm.
- Press the button indicated by the on-screen prompt for “My Machine / custom / variant”.
- Press it multiple times to cycle if you have more than one skin for that machine.
4. Connection or Online Sync Issues
Because the Machine Market is an online feature and requires Nintendo Switch Online membership, there is a chance that:
- The purchase didn’t fully sync due to connection issues.
- The game may need a reload to recognize your new items.
Fix:
- Close the game and reopen it.
- Make sure your internet connection is stable.
- Confirm that you’re logged into the same profile that made the purchase.
Kirby Air Riders Machine Skins FAQ
Do purchased machine skins change stats in Kirby Air Riders?
No. Articles on custom machines clearly say that purchased designs are cosmetic only. They change how your machine looks, sounds, and sometimes the visual trail, but not its underlying stats.
Your performance still depends on:
- The machine’s base stats
- Your rider’s weight / bonuses
- Your driving skills
Can I have multiple skins for the same machine?
Yes. If you:
- Make your own designs in My Machines, and
- Buy designs for that same base machine in the Machine Market,
You can end up with several variants of the same machine. You’ll then cycle through them on the machine select screen using the variant toggle button.
Do I lose a custom machine if I sell it on the Machine Market?
No. Nintendo’s explanation of the Machine Market states that when your listed custom machine sells, you don’t lose it from your account; its price just goes up as it becomes more popular.
You can keep using your design even if hundreds of other players buy it.
Are Machine Market designs locked behind microtransactions?
No. All sources agree that everything is bought with in-game currency (coins or Miles) earned by playing, not real-money microtransactions.
You only need:
- Time spent racing
- Progressing checklists
- And online access (for buying community designs)
Final Recap: How to Equip Purchased Machine Skins in Kirby Air Riders
Quick recap in plain steps:
- Unlock the base machine linked to your purchased skin (via Miles Shop or checklist).
- Buy the skin from the Connect → Machine Market (using coins).
- Go to any Character & Machine Select screen (offline or in the Paddock).
- Highlight the correct base machine (Warp Star, Wagon Star, etc.).
- Press the on-screen “cycle custom machine / My Machine” button to flip through variants.
- When your purchased design appears, press Confirm and start the race.