Moto GP / GP bike enthusiasts

So it's that bad, is it? I had hoped for quite some quality actually but just looking at the parts I recieved was a bit of a disappointment. Thin and fragile resin I can live with (by the way, go for a Studio 27 resin next time and I tell you that THIN resin isn't the problem) but warped parts are as low as it gets. I'll try and build the two 2001 nastro kits from Renaissance if I get to finish the Spidy. By the way, got a new decal sheet from Decalman, so if anyone else ever figure to build the SMS spiderman kit and is looking for extra decals just send me a line.

/Joel

Yamafreak your bike looks good. I also struggled with the rear fender decal, it seems to me that sometimes these decals are expected to contort into the strangest places. I might re-do my whole bike at some stage!

Judging from your comment it seems we all get to a point where the enthusiam drains away and you start to think of the next kit. This is usually when there are a hundred little things still to finish and they seem to go on forever. This is just about where I am with my NSR Mugello bike but hope to finish in the next few days.

 I note your comments Joel on the test kit you have received (btw Joel your Kawa is looking great) As I have said before this Mugello kit from Rennaisance is my first resin kit and to be honest I have found many problems. I had written most off as part of the deal with resin and vowed that I would probably never do this media once I had finished the South Africa NSR test bike. As you mention the resin in places is very thin, I spent ages repairing nicks and damages, the parts of the cowl do not line up properly (I tried heat to bend them to shape but did not have much luck, will have to try and  sort this out when finally putting it together), the chassis is very crooked once put together. The mounting hole for the main fairing support on the left side of the frame is simply missing. BEWARE the rear shock is extremely fragile, mine has snapped a few times now (especially when you put the spring in under compression, I cut the spring shorter to relieve the pressure which seems to have worked for now), I think it would be better to remove the thin part and relace it with a bit of metal rod before putting the whole thing together. I have found the decals quite difficult, very thick and not too responsive to solution (to be fair with some patience they have ended up quite nice). The main issue with the decals is that on the main side cowls the printed hole for over the side vents is just too big and far forward so you end up with a white edge when it should be blue. This is all the top of mind stuff and I am sure there are a few more things I have forgotten, as you can probably see I am pretty disappointed!

Anyway will finish it and probably do a straight out of the box Tamiya just to restore my faith.

Gents,

 Some mo-better pics of my NSR, thanks in part to SeaBee's camera help.  A few seams here and there, but I was really running out of steam on this one.  Will probably order some c/f decals from SMS tonight and start on my Fortuna M1.  Speaking of c/f, it's there on the NSR, rear fender for one instance, but hard to see in my pics. 

YamaFreak: From what can be viewed in your pics I think you've done the kit justice. Looks like quite a troublesome livery to me... Will have to try it out sometime. (Seems like there is a lot of transkits using the Nastro kit as a base kit... besides the 2001 Mugello and Test versions of the same team, both 2002 NSRs from S27 use it. I think I have 6 of this kit...)

SeaBee: I just got the nsr test transkit myself this morning. I haven't seen any pics of this bike, are you sure the black areas are to be CF? If so I think it's quite bad of Renaissance not recreating that in the kit. I also think my resin parts was very thin, on the brittle side which was quite disappointing. Will have to be careful when removing all that flash...

/Joel

YamahaFreak, very nice kit. I am actually looking for one myself, having built it ages ago and it was ruined in a move. Have the 2001 test run decals for it as well, somewhat disappointed since they've been done in black (thus you paint the yellow) and it's not quite enogh of a CF look - maybe it looks better when applied.

As for the pics, I have just a normal point-and-shoot, frustrating the living daylight out of me, having been used to a very nice SLR "film" camera. But try to use the macro mode setting (most cameras nowadays will have it) on your camera. This may enable you to get closer with good focus. 

Hey all,

Well here it is, my Nastro Azzurro NSR 500.  Finally.  Hope you guys like.  Will post closer pics when I figure out the camera a little better. 

From the pictures I've viewed I'd say both the LCR and the Kawasaki bikes from the 2006 season have painted on black sections. So you're safe there :-)

Thanks for the input on the Spidey. I got a treat from Decalman so that I can fix the messed up parts. I'll see what I can do with the Fortuna markings.

/Joel

*Phew* Stunning, Joel! That looks great. Giving me some ideas for the upcoming Kawasaki release. I never knew it was bare CF, thought it was sprayed black as part of the colourscheme. That's what I get for never seeing anything but the races on telly! Which brings me to the black bits on the LCR Honda - are they CF or black colour?

Back to the Spiderman decals. Mine was biggish, yes. But sounds not as bad as yours. The bottom leg of the F is a bit around the front curve, still visible though, the bottom of the o just on the curve. The top of the t and bottom half of the u touching around the edge of the vent. Quite a tricky mother to apply, because the top parts of the u just also never look right from multiple angles, you have to choose one you prefer. I, for example, alligned them for a good view side-on and thus it looks utterly crappy when viewed from a 45 degree angle, as an example.

Some progress...

Let me first direct a huge thanks to Steve Hemming at Hiroboy.com for the VERY kind gesture shipping out some Solid Lime Green before I had the time to say "damn".

So, to fix the green issue I just sprayed the solid green paint on top of the pearl one. Put on a new coat of clear and I was home safe. The new green covered the old one perfectly.

I first thought I'd mask and spray some black on the lower cowl where I was to put some CF but then I changed my mind. I was afraid to get a ridge between black and green forcing me to put yet another coat of clear on before I could start decalling this monster up. I took a shot at trying to put the cf on without a dark base. It turned out great in my opinion.

All decals besides the CF are supplied with the kit. CF is from Crazy Modeler. Kit decals went out without problems, they are quite few and small. CM carbon fibre decals was a pleasure to work with and a new aquaintance. Went on well and conformed great with some decal solution and the heat from the old hair dryer. Decals are yet to be clear coated.

Off to do some exhaust pipes...
/Joel

Thanks!

/Joel

SEABEE (or others that've built the Spiderman M1 using the SMS set. I was applying the left side Fortuna logo yesterday and it was just too damn big. Did you encounter this as well or was I putting it on in a wrong way?? Seems pretty straight forward to me... When I tried to put the decal into position so that the cut out in the middle would fit the air intake I had the F and half of the O around the front end... I can use the markings from one of my other sets but I was cureous if I did something wrong here.

I also messed up the lower cowl left side webbing. Damn. Honey comb decals is troublesome as well cause they tend to wrap. When the webbing does that it is pretty easy to unwrap it but the honey comb ones are too fiddly for me. Lucky me SMS gives you a rather big stripe of extra material.

/Joel

shanusa@centurytel.net

  Thank you

let me know your email and I will end the site to you translated by Excite. It may work if I forward direct to you.

Or look up translating pages "Excite" and  click japanese to english, then save on favorites   :-)

Rod. 

  Are there any good web sites out there that have good close up pictures of these bikes??  I wish i could read Max Moto modelings web site.

thanks 

Hey all,

 FINALLY, I have completed my Nastro Azzurro NSR.  I'm sure they're not as bad as the spidey decals, but the seat cowl on this thing was a genuine pain.  Will take pics and post probably tomorrow.  After the race, that is. 

Semper

   Thanks Joel...

   I guess Ill have to work on my masking skills.  I was planing to paint outside to inside but will give inside to outside a try.

  Your right that does look like a very handy tool... I think Ill put that on the list of things I need

Have a look at this tool on Mediamix website, it is one of the most useful things I have bought. I use it to cut out the masks for most of the painting needed for the front and rear brake disks. Especially useful to get the mounting bracket which sits over the carbon brake disk done

http://www.mediamixhobby.com.sg/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=3_47&products_id=3

Hi!

I use to spray the color of the inner section first, then mask that off with Maskol or similar and then spray the outer section. This is easily done with the newer kits where the inner spider is a separate piece. With older kits it's just some more masking to do and a third color.

Regarding the Kawasaki kits I think you'll have to wait a few more months to have it on the shelves.

/Joel

 Ok Question for you Moto guys?????

    Whats the tricks or how do you guys paint the front rotor on these bikes.. Its really the only thing giving me fits right now..  well Im sure there is going to be more down the road

I'll be writing a 20 page short story on the heads up regarding this Spidey sheet. It probably will turn out well in the end if not dissaster strucks.

Three mistakes today:

1. Didn't realize that the web goes over both the side cowling and lower part of the top cowl. 2. Didn't apply webbing on the engine covers inside the air intake scopes before applying the parts of the fortuna logo. Lucky me SMS gives you a bunch of extra web to work with.
3. Didn't follow SeaBees heads up to the full as I didn't paint the blue section on the frame far enough towards the swing arm...

Well, atleast I'm having fun and I'm happy that I even dared to start this build...

/Joel

No carrier film but you have a slight shading on the outer sides of the webbing that I fear can cause some silvering if I don't get them down on the surface the way I like.

TS-36 is crap, I agree with that.

/Joel

Joel, good to hear you're up to speed on the decalling! I could not bear to do more than a few section at a time, was too strenuous!

The only issue I had when I clearcoated was with  one decal - the "r" going over the bump on the main cowl part, just behind the opening. Maybe still some decal softer on it, it seemed to lift just a bit. But there's plenty of "spare" decals, just make sure on one of those spare part before the clear does something you maybe don't like. Maybe it dulls the chrome too much to your liking or something and then you blame me! 

I had more issues with my TS36 than anything else, it remained very "soft". Fortunately I was correct and it was my package from Steve - including fluo red - no more TS36.

And the beauty of these decals are, since there are no carrier film inbetween, there's no chance for silvering! By now you'd have found that out. I'm off to the hobby shop shortly (day off!) to get some primer and the dreaded TS13...  

Red portions of the seat cowl are decalled and it was a pretty fun job. Underside of the cowl has one decal for the webbing but I cut that one in two to be able to work more easily. This ment that the webbing turned out a bit different on the front portions when comparing both sides. Don't think it matter though and I'm really happy with the result. Have to see if I get any silvering when clear coating. Will go over the cowl with some setting solution tomorrow before applying the Fortuna markings and the nr 33.

/Joel

And it didn't affect the decals?

I put the webbing on the top of the seat cowl on. Looking so great. I see what you ment with the handling of those webs SeaBee... It curls up like I don't know what. I tried to have the part totally wet while placing the decal and it went fine but this is also one of the smaller portions.

/Joel

Painted the SOLID Kawasaki Green and the clear is to go on in a few minutes. This looks promising although a few dust particles that I thought I was able to sand away after the first layers now built to quite a ridge. I'll try and sand them off and go for another layer of green before applying the clear.

/Joel

SeaBee wrote:

Joel, you DON'T realise what that last post of yours meant to me!

You are very welcome I got my SMS sheet today and you are right, it looks promising. I had a thought though, did you clear coat the decals? Lot of chrome on those....

/Joel