2018 to 2019 Motorcycle Group Build is Timeless. Bikes will be with us til the end of time

Looking really good there kev

Really coming along Kev! Looking

awsome!

Greg

My tires don't seem to fit on the rims. To refresh, this is the Revell Germany 1/8 scale US Police Motorbike.

I presume this is an older kit? I wonder if the rubber tires have mishapen over time or something? This is disheartening, sort of a big deal. The mis-fit is pretty bad.

At any rate, I am hoping those of you with experience building motorcycle models might have some insight? Maybe there is something I need to do that I'm not aware of?

 

 

John, the drive train (if I can call it that on a motorcycle) adds a lot.

Looking good!

Bill, I honestly don't know. The tires are numbered 1 and 2, yet I see no indication one is different from the other on the instructions, or at looking at them. I'd expect the rear tire to be beefier, but it appears the same.

Thanks for the idea, perfectly reasonable.

I suppose if they are both too loose its not the issue. I had a hard time figuring out which tire on the Norton was the f/b. 

I screwed up by assembling both wheels in the order of left/ right spokes, left/ right rims and then tire. Only to discover I forgot to put brake drum in the middle of rear wheel. Had to take it all apart. Italeri instructions are really hard to follow.

GMorrison

I suppose if they are both too loose its not the issue. I had a hard time figuring out which tire on the Norton was the f/b.

I think you're right. Also, I'm still not 100% convinced both of my tires are the same.

GMorrison

I screwed up by assembling both wheels in the order of left/ right spokes, left/ right rims and then tire. Only to discover I forgot to put brake drum in the middle of rear wheel. Had to take it all apart. Italeri instructions are really hard to follow.

That would be easy enough to do, especially with sub-par instructions. And I think it would mimick the loose fit I have.

I appreciate your interest in my problem, Bill.

Please see my next post below, with a progress report.

So on the subject of my loose-fitting tires, I may be getting closer.

Here's a pic of a tire. Note how squished together the sidewalls are.

Last night I was thinking if it were real I'd add air. This morning I tried stuffing a tire with a sheet of paper towel rolled into a little tube and trimmed to a length that worked. Almost. Added another roll.

The fit is much better, and I might try to jam in just a bit more padding. The next pic I think was after the first paper towel sheet was jammed in (the tire on the right). You should see the extra width that is helping with the fit on the rim.

I have some concerns about how permanent this stuffing will be, but it beats where I was yesterday, thinking of scrapping the kit.

PS, yes, I need to trim my nails.

Great idea Greg!

I got the front forks on.  The Tamiya Detail up add-ons are really worth it.  There's a metal resevoir for the rear shock, full turned metal front forks and silver and anondized blue fork nuts.   And I tried scale motorsport carbon fiber decals - I need practice but they work nice and react very well to setting solution.  There's a gaurd over the rear shock spring that I tried it on.

Your bike keeps looking better and better, John. Front fork assy looks cool with the gold color. All of the detail on the Tamiya kit is striking, a sharp contrast to the lack of same on my old Revell kit.

Never heard of the Tamiya add-on kits. I'm behind the times and will have to look into those.

Thanks for your nice comment, BTW.

Wheels on.  The most frustrating part of this build is the red stripes on the wheels.  They are 3 seperate decals per side and I suppose my own impatience is to blame but darn they are frustrating.   They are on, but need to put setting solution on - just terrified to touch them until the set up.

Pictures to follow. I spent all day between work calls stripping chrome. For an experiment, I got four pint soup bowls at Safeway and did - brake fluid. Easy Off. Simple Green. Super Clean.

Easy Off is the winner.

Glued up the yellow parts- gas tank, oil/ battery covers and fairing. Primed. Sanded. Painted. Sanded again and polished. There's one important seam uphill from the headlight and in front of the bug killer. Have to get it right.

Tamiya Lemon Yellow on the way, plus three Alclad aluminums.

Painted the cylinders black.

So what color to paint the front brake disk?

John, looks like a motorcycle now. Looks like you did well on those finicky red decals. Does sound touchy, at best.

Bill, that's a whole lot of work done in one day!

Thanks for sharing the winner of the stripping testing. Easy Off is the one I've seen recommended the most, and the one I have not tried! Does the Easy Off remove that funny yellow varnishy sub-coat too?

Looking forward to some pics......

It does remove that. The base plastic is a cream color. I accidently stripped the gas cap, which kind of ticks me off, and I lost a part that I had to dig out of the wet kitchen garbage. A lot of this model goes together with screws, not sure why but it's kind of fun.

John, that looks fantastic! Your work is really paying off.

GMorrison

It does remove that.

That is interesting, becuase most stuff folks use to strip doesn't remove it. Thank you.

GMorrison

The base plastic is a cream color.

Mine too. Kind of surprised me.

GMorrison

I accidently stripped the gas cap, which kind of ticks me off, and I lost a part that I had to dig out of the wet kitchen garbage. A lot of this model goes together with screws, not sure why but it's kind of fun.

Sounds like you are having almost as much fun as I am. Keep plugging away.

Lots of fiddley bits and plumbing going on.  I sprayed the body panels right out of the Tamiya can - Big fan of their rattle cans.  Probably wrap this one up this weekend.

GMorrison

Pictures to follow. I spent all day between work calls stripping chrome. For an experiment, I got four pint soup bowls at Safeway and did - brake fluid. Easy Off. Simple Green. Super Clean.

Easy Off is the winner.

Glued up the yellow parts- gas tank, oil/ battery covers and fairing. Primed. Sanded. Painted. Sanded again and polished. There's one important seam uphill from the headlight and in front of the bug killer. Have to get it right.

Tamiya Lemon Yellow on the way, plus three Alclad aluminums.

Painted the cylinders black.

So what color to paint the front brake disk?

The wheels.

 

Stripping looks good!  For rotors I like dull aluminum, steel or my favorite color  model master  dark anodic gray.  Calipers can be metallic or painted.  I did my last ones in dull aluminum. 

John, looking good. I don't know how you fast modelers do it.

Bill, I like progress pics, thanks. BTW, did you buy Easy Off in the spray container and just spray it on your parts, or in the new 'degreaser' pump spray, and fill a container for soaking with it?

I'm planning to buy Easy Off today. I want that yellowish lacquer-like substrate done, and both Super Clean and brake fluid seem to lose thier potence after being used once or twice.

I have a spray can of it. It's pretty nasty stuff. I didn't wear gloves and got a little spray on my arms, which stung.

I grabbed some paper soup bowls from the self serve line at Safeway on the way out the other day with some beer.

Sprayed the EO on the parts, it foams up. Left it on for about 1/2 hour and then went at it with a toothbrush.

Chrome either came off by itself or from brushing.

The yellow was in some locations, not others. Second app took care of that.

Then washed with soapy water.

GMorrison

I have a spray can of it. It's pretty nasty stuff. I didn't wear gloves and got a little spray on my arms, which stung.

I grabbed some paper soup bowls from the self serve line at Safeway on the way out the other day with some beer.

Sprayed the EO on the parts, it foams up. Left it on for about 1/2 hour and then went at it with a toothbrush.

Chrome either came off by itself or from brushing.

The yellow was in some locations, not others. Second app took care of that.

Then washed with soapy water.

 

Thank you for your excellent explanation, Bill!

Front fork is done.

Sorry about phone pic.

This kit presents a new pain with every part I remove from a sprue. Good experience, though.

Hey, when did my hands get so old and wrinkled???

Wow Greg,  that looks fantastic!  You certainly fixed the tire/rim issues.  The mix of metallics looks really nice.

Remaing details and decals tomorrow

Looks great, John. Hey, those finicky red tire rings look fantastic with the (almost) flnished scheme.

That bike is sort of like building an airplane, those sexy fairiings cover up lots of your detail work.

Thanks for taking the time to comment on my fork assy, btw.

invertman

Looking good Greg. I feel your pain with some of the older revell kits. I’m there right now with a revell Lancaster that I’m trying to finish for a group build I’m in on Facebook. But I’m pushing myself to finish it.

 

Thanks for your comment .......and empathy is always appreciated.

Calling this one done.