Honda RC211V Group Build

Hey Mitch, good stuff!

Mine is starting to like a bike - at long last. Just added the front fork last night and put it on the stand (which still needs a bit of work). Aaah, it just feels so much better!

Cheers for those positive comments. Hopefully will have some more updates shortly. Sounds like your getting on OK Seabee. Any chance of some pics???

On my own build. Had a not so good day yesterday. Put the decals on the swingarm before attaching the hugger, suspension etc. Left it over night to cure. So came back to glue the other bits on. Put them on, and whilst admiring my work noticed that the "unit pro link" decal on the chain side had come off! Argh! No where to be seen. Lost and don't have a spare. Will need to live without that on the swingarm.

If that wasn't bad enough i then sliced my thumb open with a #11 exacto trying to trim down the exhaust hanger! Not a good day at all yesterday. Think I need afew days off to recouperate!

Hope you guys are having more fun than me at the minute.

Looking great Mitch. The engine looks well painted. Thanks for the pics.

Now, for my progress, which at the moment, isn't very much. I haven't done any work on my build for a few weeks. It's actually back in the box at the moment while I struggle with another (much more painful) build. I'm hoping to pull it back out again soon though.

For now though, here's a pic of where I'm up to. The bodywork pieces still need a clear coat over the decals and the engine needs the clutch cover added. Hope you like it so far.

Looking good pingtang! nice paint job on that engine and the fairings! Nice shine on those even before the clear coat. Get back into it as soon as you can mate. Looking forward to seeing these builds finished off.

One for the guys that's allready finished one... I was about to install some of the tubing on the front side. Before starting on the new tubes, I had a look at existing tubing that has to be done. Ah, the "A" tube must be attached, seemingly below the right side.

Now this is where you guys come in. Where? I simply can't see any place to attach the A tubing anywhere? Am I loosing it? Are my eyesite going? Have I just missed something? Where does the A tubing attach? Can't remember the step number, but it's the one where you add a bunch of tubing on the front side, cutting B, C and D, if I remember correct. It's from the 03 Camel kit, if it makes any diffs.

Help will be much appreciated! Comments on my mental well-being and the state of my eyes will be carefully considered...

Pingtang, that's looking good! I will look towards adding a pic shortly.

Thanks fellas, your comments are much appreciated.

Seabee- One end of that "A" tubing goes to the small electrical box (part D2) stuck on the side of the fuel injection assembly in step 2. You'll see one end of the hoses in step 13. Then they feed over the frame and through the forks to the small knobs on the right hand handle bar (part B18 which is attached to part D53 in step 15).

Hope it helps you.

I have inserted the one end on the electrical box. Could not find the place to fix the other end(s) on the handlebar, though. Will check more thorough after work. Light will be better then, anyways! Thanks for the feedback.

Ehhrrrmmmm... consider part B18 attached (now!)

Now you can understand why I could see no attachment points for the tubing! Feel like a total idiot!

LOL. That's a good one SeaBee! I'm sure we all have those kind of moments from time to time. I know I have missed stuff like that before.

Looking for some advice on my decaling. Sprayed the fairings that I can (still waiting on the flourescent sprays to come through) and i should hopefully be decaling the front fairings shortly. Was wondering what you guys do when having to split a decal? I'm talking about the ones that sit across 2 different fairings. i.e the lower fairing and the side ones. I know of at least one on each side that sits across these 2 and I'm sure there is another on the rear seat cowl.

In order to take the fairings off in future these decals will have to be split. I'm sure you guys understand what I'm saying but just want to try and make it as clear as possible.

Before when I have had to do this I have layed the decal on and cut it after it has cured. Is this the best way or should I try and cut it before I apply? Or is there another method available. Want to try and get it looking as good as I can as all attempts I have made at this before have been a bit rubbish to be honest.

Any helpmuch appreciated folks.

Mitch- That's exactly what I would do. Just apply the decal over the crack and wait for it to cure. Then just cut it with a new blade. It's hard to judge where to make the cut if you do it before you put the decal on.

I got some alclad chrome the other day, so now I am getting back into my bike. I want to see how the stuff looks on my exhaust pipes. I've got to get some carbon fibre decal soon too, so I'll have to wait a while for that.

Hey, waiting for my first alclad to arrive as well from the other side of the water. Won't be here for a while, though. Looking forward to it very much!

Mitch, I replied on your other thread. Basically, I agree with Daniel. But I cut it whilst still not fully cured. Sharp blade, hold onto both sides. That way you can get the edges conforming nicely to the contours. Also, you can move it around a bit for a better look, should it be needed. Sometimes I found it necessary.

Cheers for that guys. Will give that a blast next week. just letting the piant dry for afew more days before I do anything with them.

Will try and post some pics to show you how I get on.

A tip could be to mount the fairings on the frame/engine block so that you will get the exact position. Otherwise it works to tape them together on the back with masking tape. I too cut the decal whilst it is not yet fully cured. That way I can press the decal down into the crave.
best regards
Joel

I must just again say how impressed I am at Tamiya's effort with these kits. Glad this is the one kit I have several of! Everything went together well, despite my best efforts. The onlt small thing that did not give me a fuzzy feeling of warmth, was the fit of the cowling for the seat. Caused a very minor struggle with the rear cowling, but not a problem.

The highlight was their new invention - the next best thing since better defined rear wing element grooves on their more recent F1's... - a glueless "visor" window.

Anyways, here is how it looked during the week - hope it works. Busy decalling at this stage, will take a few days, then I'll be done.

SeaBee: Engine looks great. Did you paint the frame? Seems to have a slight more pearl effect than the original plating. Only thing I could think of is that you should paint the silver rivets on the brake discs. Perhaps it's on is way but that would highlight the front.
best regards
Joel

Hmmm... will definitely do so. Agreed, it will make a big difference. Thanks for the feedback, Joel!
And no, I "cheated" on this one. The original plating looked very good to me and so I left it on. Most often nowadays I tend to take it off, though. But this was, as you can see, in good enough condition. Also, as you mentioned, the colour looked a bit different from the usual chroming. Why, I don't know... (and it's not just the pic!)

Great looking progress Seabee. What did you use for the chrome on the exhaust? I ask because I've just painted mine with some alclad, and I love the stuff now. Thanks for sharing the pics.

My progress has started again. I did the exhausts as mentioned, and am now starting to assemble the frame and swing arm.

Joel, it must be the photo... maybe the way the flash well, or something, but when I checked it out yesterday eve, I saw that the rivets actually is painted. Really does not look like it on the pic, though! I know I usually do it and I felt rather silly for seemingly having forgotten it.

Daniel, don't laugh, the exhausts was done with good ole Tamiya TS-17... My alclad should be under way shortly. Till then, I'll stick to "rattlecan silver". Touched pipes up with a bit of metalizers brass and exhaust.

Pingtang; Do you use polished aluminum or chrome when you use Alclad for the exhaust?
SeaBee; "The camera never lies" is a terrible lie nowadays ;-) I imagine that the flash has done some bad this time.
best regards
Joel

I used chrome for my exhausts, but polished aluminium would do the job. Mine didn't turn out the greatest ever, but I can see the potential. I think mine would have looked better if I had of worked harder on getting the gloss black base coat smoother.

QUOTE: Daniel, don't laugh, the exhausts was done with good ole Tamiya TS-17... My alclad should be under way shortly. Till then, I'll stick to "rattlecan silver". Touched pipes up with a bit of metalizers brass and exhaust.

Your exhausts look great seabee. I didn't mean to sound like I was putting them down or anything. I was just stating how much I like alclad.

No, never thought it being anything else than a question. Never saw anything in there that put me down. No worries!
As for the alclad, I just got a mail that mine has been shipped (along with a kit I ordered). Got both chrome and polished aluminium. So soon I'll start seeing how good that stuff really is!

I have finished the bike and will start the next one this week. Took some pics and all... and promptly forgot them at home today.

OK, finally I'm back in! Got that V-22 fiasco out of the way and now I'm back in the bike world where I belong! Got the parts washed, and the panels ready for airbrushing tomorrow. I know I'm WAY behind most of you, but if I make the most of my weekend, maybe I can narrow the gap. Think after all this is over and we all decide on a possible end date, maybe we could throw together a YZR-M1 GB? Or am I kidding myself due to the somewhat limited subject matter (Gauloises out now, Fortuna next month)? Just wondering, my M1 kit is practically screaming at me to be built.

Glad to hear your back on board! I'm felling slightly jealous as my build has been on hold for the past 2 weeks. A mixture of decorating the house as well as still waiting for the MS colours I need for the wheels and fairings. Hopefully they should be through soon.

Count me in for a Yamaha M1 build. I've got this kit ready and waiting to be started after my RCV is done so I'd be up for that.

Happy buliding!

I likes the sound of a M1 group build. I've got the kit sitting in my cupboard. I might wait and see if someone brings out decals for Melandri's spiderman bike. I think that scheme looks awesome.

Work on my RC211V is going well. I have got most of the fairings clear coated and finished. Most of the frame and engine is all together, with just the forks really needing to be done. I'll hopefully finish soon.

GARRR!!! OVERSPRAY! I painted the fairings on my '02 Repsol today. Did the orange first, then the blue. Now, I'm waiting for a few more hours for the orange to dry on the side farings so I can try and airbrush that corner section blue. On your advice, those of you who have built this kit before, I'm keeping the blue and orange completely seperated. That was until I got some orange on an area I was later going to do blue. Now I can't get the Tamiya Vibrant Orange paint off. Tried brush cleaner, windex, no go. I don't want to have to sand since there's a rivet molded in that area that I don't want to disappear. Any ideas?

I'd just spray over it. I don't think there should be too many problems with spraying the blue over the orange. I think there is more of a problem the other way.

Yeah, M1 GB sounds great. Still waiting for my decals to arrive, though. And please give me chance to finish the RC211V I just started first!

Quick question on that: does Baros make use of rear padding on his seats?

SeaBee; No rear padding for Barros.

Pingtang; Isn't the Spiderman livery stunning?! They will be released in april. Renaissance will print Eric Evains work, wich you will find here - http://perso.wanadoo.fr/eric.evain/

Regarding my own work it has come to a complete stop since my airbrush has started to back feed the air into the paint jar. Probably some O-ring that has burst but it's a pretty rare AB so I don't know if I can get spares. Probably will invest in a new Iwata or Evolution air brush.

best regards
Joel

Thanks Joel! Hey, I had an AB go last year as well. And allways just when you need it... Good luck and happy hunting!

Despite that being a miserable race for Melandri, if I remember correctly, I will for sure like that Spiderman scheme as well. Or was it in one of the practices he ruined that bike with a crash? Think it was the race. Well, being Melandri, propably both...

QUOTE: Originally posted by SeaBee Or was it in one of the practices he ruined that bike with a crash? Think it was the race. Well, being Melandri, propably both...

haha, probably...


/Joel