Moto GP / GP bike enthusiasts

Managed to grab another half hour tonight while the other half had to work late:

Coming together now, its not looking as bad as I thought it would at one point, but unfortunately in handling it tonight I snapped the right hand handlebar off so i need to fix that and do some finishing touches, a few small decals here and there and a bit of touching up, oh and the clear coat. But apart from that its almost done. yey....

Sorry about the quality of the photos, I had to use my phone as the camera was playing up...

Very nice Chris, I think you have done this one justice. How do you attach your windscreen to the fairing? How will you mask the windscreen off to do the clear coat without ripping off the decals (yes I have done that before!)

Bushpig - thanks for coming to the rescue with the decals, if it wasnt for your generosity this one would be back in the box!

To do the clear coat I wont mask the windscreen as such, I use the Johnsons Klear stuff and a small brush to do the edge of the fairing. If you do it carefully you can sort of run the brush edge right up to the edge using the surface tension of the klear i think and just follow it round. I will try to get a colse up when it is done.

How do you mean without ripping off the decals? Do you mean on the screen or elsewhere? When I am putting on the Klear around the rest of the bike I usually hold the back wheel and try not to touch any of the bike while I apply it everywhere I need to. However on this bike the rear tail section has already had the klear put on so I will be able to hold it with this.

I have a few more details to finish it off with, sand the tyres, put some matt black in the exhausts, paint a few extra little bits here and there, oh and reattach the right handlebar that i clumsily managed to snap off yesterday by mistake.

 

Chris: That bike looks so great! I'm stunned that you did that using regular brushes...

Bushpig: I allways remove the screen when clear coating, or just clear coat the top cowl before putting the screen in place for decalling.

/Joel

Thanks for the comments guys, all the body is definitely hand painted with brushes but I have to admit the wheels were sprayed with the remnants of the tamiya flouro orange can i had for my valencia rcv, you can see in some of the pics there wasnt quite enough and the back wheel hasnt got great coverage all round but i'll have to live with it as it is.

Anyone stopping in with a few beers for first qualifying of the season tonight? Come on Valentino and JT.....

Nice race on sunday, pity it had a definite same old feel to it. I was impressed with the new boys on the block, they certainly are starting to show Vale is coming to the twilight of his career. Sad but true!

Seabee hope you had a good argus ride, I saw you Ha Ha Ha. I rode, managed a 4:03 which is not bad for a first timer

My RCV is going a bit slow but I will get a few hours in at the bench and hopefully get it done in the next week or so.

Hey Bushpig! That's good to hear - I was also on my 1st Argus. We rode almost exactly the same time - so maybe we did see each other between the couple of (yeah riiight!) people that were there. I was with the Nedbank "group". I took it casual and chatted to everybody interested in (and some not!) talking on the day! Went for the there'll-never-be-another-first-Argus-approach - for the experience of it, rather than time - enjoyed the views, the outing, the people, it was great fun! Tbh, had some cramping issues as well over the last couple of races I did and it was a very conscious decision and effort not to race hard and rather enjoy it! Also had the priviledge to "meet" one of the few guys that did all of them, we had a nice chat along the 66-to-go mark. Unfortunately got split up in the bunch before I could ask his name. Great event - I will definately be back next year! And very lucky with the weather, it started raining the Monday evening till Wednesday!

Back to modelling - I did take the pics, but has not as yet got it posted, will try over the weekend. Had time to take the Kawa out the box and at least started assembling the engine block.

O/T: Bushpig - check this out - they had even more fun than me!

Its finished at long last. Hoorah. Its taken a while but I got there in the end.

Just watching the grand prix and the snow falling outside scuppering any plans to do anything constructive outside today so contemplating sarting another build. But the question is what shall I make. Here are the options:

14107 Konica Minolta, 14105 YZR M1 (with Rossi decals), 14103 D'antin Ducati, 14096 '03 Repsol RC211V, 14091 YZR500, 14089 RG 500, 14086 Gauloises YZR500, 14084 ZX-12R, 14076 Red Bull YZR500, 14070 CBR-1100XX, 14069 MotoGuzzi, 14065 Suzuki Katana, 14064 Talkor TZ250, 14063 Ducati 888, 14061 Cup Noodle NSR250, 14059 Repsol NSR250.

What do you think - let me know... 

Konica Minolta is a great livery, I think you should try your luck on that one!

Totally off topic: anyone know what has happened to automotive forums? Haven't been able to connect to the site for two weeks...

/Joel

Nice one Chris. It is always nice when they finally come together. I have not seen a 250cc on any of the builds so for my vote I would say go with the Repsol 250.

Once again, sorry for the delay on the pics - as well as the quality of them, even blotches on the lens - small kid... But here they are. I even started on the Kawasaki during the week. TS Kawa green turns out to be awesome, looks very thin when applied and runs easily, but the colour is great.

Joel: I haven't had any issues - maybe just a shortcut issue?

Side shot: 

Front section:

 

Great work SeaBee, I've always loved that Gauloises blue!! Only thing I don't understand is why you skipped some cf on the right heat shield and on the rear mudguard? Shouldn't have taken too much time, would it?

(AF problems sorted out by the way, some dns issues between my ISP and the one hosting AF...)

I have a question for you guys. I saw the new Stoner sheet from S27 the other day. Wasn't there supposed to be a sheet of the 2006 "aussie" side scheme as well ?? Maybe it was just rumours but it would have been a nice bike to build.

/Joel

Joel, you pinned me! What's happened, is just life... You'll experience it shortly!

When I did the L heat shield, I realised I did not do the R-hand one... And before I got to it, I got distracted by my daughter. I still remember negotiating feverishly (with a 2-year-old angel!) to be able to get the one done - and obviously never got around to the other one!

Same with the mudguard. There the plan was to do it in gunmetal or something, to just have a bit of a different CF effect. Now it's too late for that, so what I'll do is to use the 04 kit's to make the CF cut-out and slide that in, no issues. The guard is in the open, so easy to do!

Am about to do some decalling this weekend anyways, so this will slot in perfectly. Thanks for pointing it out!

Regarding the S27 decals - I also saw the Stoner sidecowl decal sheet with different decals advertised for months and months now and it never seems to happen... They started mentioning it before I started my Stoner bike and I was sontemplating waiting for it. Good thing I didn't! Even I am two bikes down the line... 

Hey Seabee nice work on the M1, I have a decal sheet that allows 2 versions of this bike and have been contemplating doing one for a while so you have inspired me.

I may be on the wrong track here re the Stoner cowel decal set but saw this on the new items page at Mediamix, it just says it is for #27 RC211V 2006 so I assume this is his?

http://www.mediamixhobby.com.sg/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=5755

I have also received a supply of stuff I ordered from mediamix so have about 7 or 8 Rossi bikes to do, better get going before the 800cc versions hit the shelves! I really should finish the Mugello NSR which gave me so much grief as well!

SeaBee wrote:

I even started on the Kawasaki during the week. TS Kawa green turns out to be awesome, looks very thin when applied and runs easily, but the colour is great.

Seabee is this the TS52 candy green? I am really really struggling to find it in the UK or anywhere that would ship to the UK. Can I ask where did you get yours from? Was it your local shop or airmail from anywhere?

Chrisga, it is the TS colour they brought out specifically for this kit. Not TS52 (or TS22 mentioned in the instructions). It's called TS Lime green with a small description stating "1/12 Kawasaki Ninja XZ-RR" on the round label on top of the lid. I got it locally (in South Africa). Since you're in the UK, you can try the Zero paint range from Steve (Hiroboy). Just note he's got one (Kawasaki Lime green) for the touring bike and metallic, so not correct, but recently also one for the new kit. I've heard TS sprays had a bit of a labelling issue and was pulled off the shelves over there...

But if you can lay your hands on it - this one is a good match for the decals. Not only does it look good! (And after all my good intentions, I only managed two decals on the bike.) But they are both dead ringers and matches the colour sprayed real well.

Bushpig wrote:

I may be on the wrong track here re the Stoner cowel decal set but saw this on the new items page at Mediamix, it just says it is for #27 RC211V 2006 so I assume this is his? http://www.mediamixhobby.com.sg/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=5755

Yes, this is to make some of the set ups of the 06 stoner bike (and you can say he had a few...) but I have another livery in mind. The race of the Australian GP had the livery below.

Looked damn nice and I've wanted to build it since. There were a lot of talk about it and I assumed this would hit the shelves pretty fast, but no luck so far.

/Joel

Hi Joel, I agree this does look like a nice version and I am sure if there is enough demand it will come eventually. Seems like one could start to build a nice collection around Stoners versions of his bikes, I am doing much the same with Rossi and once you get a few done it starts to look really nice and is interesting to see how the bikes developed over time.

I have been toying with buying this Renaisance decal set that allows you to make up Edwards bike at the 2006 USA GP with the US flag on the cowels, just because it looks so good!

http://www.mediamixhobby.com.sg/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=2_7_15&products_id=5061

Why has your onetwelvth site gone so quiet, I used to enjoy going there for regular updates?

New trend from Tamiya? Jeez, like the Stoner bike's, these decals are playing hard to get. You need really very warm water to get them moved off the backing paper. Once they're off, they are superb, thusfar.

Btw, these talk you guys have regarding 800 models - is that wishfull thinking, rumour or fact? I get totally depressed by the sight of hlj upcoming auto's site featuring not a single Tamiya product other than prebuilts and mini 4wd... No cars, no bikes... 

Bushpig wrote:

Hi Joel, I agree this does look like a nice version and I am sure if there is enough demand it will come eventually.

Hopefully you are right, I just remembered someone talking about it around the time of the LCR bike release...

Bushpig wrote:

I have been toying with buying this Renaisance decal set that allows you to make up Edwards bike at the 2006 USA GP with the US flag on the cowels, just because it looks so good!

Yes, it is a fantastic looking bike. I have a sheet for it and will definately build it soon. I'm a bit scared regarding those large side pieces though.

Bushpig wrote:

Why has your onetwelvth site gone so quiet, I used to enjoy going there for regular updates?

I agree, almost a year now since I made any updates. I will definately get to it again, I just fell out of it when we started building the house and all. I'll have a go at it next week! Thanks for pushing me in the right direction Bushpig!

/joel

I got the S27 LCR sheet mentioned above in the mail yesterday. Small sheet but the quality looks super. 

Heeelp! Anybody with the Kawasaki... and still have a full decal sheet. I started applying the decals and in the cutting process removed the numbers above a decal - can somebody please tell me what the decal number must be? The decal is a smallish almost-rectangle black decal down at the bottom, next to decal 15.

May be able to figure it out through elimination, but thought I'd rather be sure by asking you guys - one of you will surely have this in the to-do pile... 

Hi Guys. I finished this one over the weekend. As I said I started this ages ago for a friend of mine and never got round to finishing, better late than never! It is basically staright out the box, no CF etc and just a bit of heat stain on the exhaust. Not sure what to start next so will ponder for a few days on that.

Bushpig: How was the decals to work with. This is a fantastic livery and from looking at the sheet tamiya has made them pretty straight forward to apply!

SeaBee: Sorry mate, I don't own that kit yet. But for sure some one else does?!

/Joel

Hi Joel. I found them quite straightforward and certainly easier than some others I have done before (some of the NSR liveries spring to mind which I found really challenging around the tail section). They look pretty big on the decal sheet but are actually in easy to handle sub-sections.

My advice to anyone doing this livery is to attach all the cowels to the frame once painting is complete and apply the decals, once set etc you have to carefully slice between front fairing and side fairings and again between side fairings and bottom cowel section to separate them (after slicing I again applied a little Microsol to get them to bed down into the join between each cowel). Same again on the tail section you have to slice through the decals on top to allow you to separate the 2 sections. Once separate I then applied clear and it all comes back together again nicely lined up.

Great race in China, and really nice to see Rossi back in the groove. I think this is going to be a brilliant season.

Holding my breath now for the first Tamiya 800 cc kit, my guess is they will follow trends of old and launch with a Honda so guess I will be waiting a little longer for my Rossi Yammie! I see they are launching their first road bike kit with a Kawa 1400, should be nice for the road bike fans to get their tools into!

I have started a new build, spur of the moment decision to go with the Kenny Roberts #1 Yamaha YZR500. I just want to see how it looks next to the M1 in the anniversary livery. Will keep updating on progress.

U guys are absolutely amazing, page by page of this thread only amazes me more and more..!

I've been doing mechas (gundams, evangelion, etc) model kits for quite some times now, but marking their panel lines are as far as I go when it comes to coloring them >_<

However, I'm also a huge huge fan of motoGP races, and just recently tamiya motoGP bike scale models really caught my attention. Surely I am not yet worthy to join the GB, but if u guys don't mind, I'd like to ask a couple of very basic questions, just to help me getting start on the motoGP scale models ^^

How does the surface primer's color would affect final result..? cuz I see that surface primer comes in various colors such as medium grey, light grey, white, etc

Any more methods/tips u recommend for creating tidy CF effects..? cuz I saw fabulous CF works in this thread. Such as bushpig's gauloises YZR M1 and joel's upcoming ZX-RR

One more thing: I once read that wrong selection of clear coat could damage the decals after a month or so, what are your experiences about this..?

Tq very much in advance..!

Sano, let me start off with a disclaimer - there are more knowledgeable guys here! I'll get you started off with what I know and the rest of the guys can fill in/correct me.

Your paint question: I only have experience with TS sprays and Zero paints. Esp the TS sprays have translucency, so the base coat affect them very much! The Tamiya grey primer is what I use for multimedia kits to get everything sanded smooth. For some weurd reason, the grey shows up imperfections very well. I use the white before I paint on all models, even where grey was previously applied. Have also experimented with putting down a coat of silver paint before I did the blue on my Spiderman bike - and it changed the blue completely, as I hoped.

For clear I mostly use TS13, sometimes Future. The version of Future we get in SA is not the same, so I stick to TS13 as far as I can. Have only had one issue and that was when I went for a wet layer immediately, causing some melting on one decal. You do get the effect of either bubbling or melting decals very soon - not after a month or so only. I also alleviate the chances of that also by letting decals and their setting solutions dry properly before even misting the clear. But test first, please! Most people will tell you to stay the heck away from TS13! For me, it's available and practical and has not bitten me badly.

I'll let the CF experts cover the CF topic. I just use decals with smoke over them. At other times I've painted in metallic black (MS5) or gunmetal (with or without smoke, depending on situation) to creat a slightly different pattern/feel. It also depends a lot on scale! Also throwed in some clear yellow beneath the smoke at times for variation. As you can see, I am also still experimenting (a lot!) here... Next thing I want to try, is the stocking technique: painting the part in grey, pull a sticking over it and mist a coat of SG black over it - where the stocking strands were, you'd get the grey weave.

But mostly - very welcome! Hope you enjoy this facet of the hobby. Do you have a kit lined up yet? If I were you, I'd go for one of the newer Tamiya releases, but one with a not-too-complex colourscheme.

Good luck, enjoy and don't be scared to ask!

And yes, great to see Vale back on form! Great race and 4 winners from 4 races is good for any series! 

Hi Guys. Things seem pretty quiet round this virtual workbench! I am almost done with the Roberts 500. I have enjoyed it so far, it is clear it is an old generation kit but is still good Tamiya quality. I have done a few mods, such as adding accelerator cables to the throttle and carburettor connector as this was not in the kit (had to add some wire attachment points to the throttle)! I tried something new with the exhausts, as they are older generation they had quite obvious welds. I sprayed them chrome (Alclad2) then by hand carefully added lines where I thought the welds would be in X10 and with a very fine brush. If I did it again I would choose a lighter colour such as XF56. Then I sprayed X19 with a touch of clear blue with a fine nozzle right over the lines, trying to keep the spray line as fine as possible. When this was dry I switched to clear orange and airbrushed on the 2 edges of the X19 line and the result is pretty convincing.

All thats left is to let the main Cowel dry properly after clear coat then put it all together. I took these pics as a lot gets covered up once the main cowel is installed.