Eighties Contest Entry: Barry Sheene's 1980 YZR500

[robrex]

Eighties Contest - Barry Sheene's 1980 YZR500
After a long break I have finally got everything together for my entry into this years contest. Barry Sheene was a great legend of Motorcycle racing, and a great guy, and once Studio 27 released the decals to make his bike it was an easy choice what to enter from the 1980's.
This model will represent his privately run YZR500. Reference pictures are quite hard to come by but I have the Pitwalk Photo Collection 3, which has detailed pictures of the YZR's from 1978-1988.


I've also ordered to Accustion PE set which is fairly basic but does provide good looking brake disc's. Most of the other details I'll add as I go.
First I listed the parts that I intend to turn on the lathe
Intake trumpets, Clutch details, Shock absorber, Gauges, Mufflers, Fuel Cap, Brake details, Front forks etc.

I had to start somewhere so I cut off the plastic shock and replaced that with a metal shock I made up of 4 pieces to better represent the original part.


That's all I've done so far. For now it's off to the Qld Model Championships with my Jag, CF TRD3000, West RC211V, YZRM1 and S15.
Wish me luck

[RallyRaider]

This will be a thread to bookmark.
The contest is starting to hot up already...


I'd wish you good luck at the Championships. Except I think it will be the other competitors who will need the luck to match your entries.

That is the real reason I'm in no hurry to get back to Queensland, the standard of competition will be too high with you there!

[freakmech]

Oh yeah, Robrex is in the mix! man I hate the 80's but this is gonna be a kick ass comp... watch your back cuz im building like i never have before

Good luck at the comp Rob.... like you need it .... more trophies for AF! rockin'

Im growing out my mullet starting today

wheres my damn Van Halen tape?

[sjelic]

My god this one will be fantastic, definitly my favorite Sheene bike.
Good luck on championship, allthou I don't think you need it with your models

[godfather23]

Originally Posted by robrex

Wish me luck

Luck? What do you need luck for? In my eyes, you´ll make this one as fantastic as the jag in the late LM contest. Everything looks very promising, so I´ll keep my wishing luck to you for me and use it myself...

[Nobbys Nuts]

Looking forward to this one and will be watching for updates regularly.

[klutz_100]

Awsome start!

I also add my (unneeded) best wishes with the competition.

[robrex]

A quick update:

I cut the kit shocks apart and drilled out the stanchion hole. I machined a new stanchion and rubber boot as well as the rebound?/compression? adjusters located at the top of the bars. I also modified the fork to represent Barry's bike (which doesn't look like it had all the factory bike updates for 1980 according to my references). I cut off all the molded bolt heads and have started replacing them with Sakatsu items. I also added some 0.01 wire between the bolts used to stop them rattling off during races.
Does anyone know a company that makes 1mm-2mm aluminium or mild steel hex rod??


Next I completely seperated all of the handlebar components and drilled them out. I machined new grips then sprayed them semi-gloss black followed by matt black after covering the grip section with a piece of material. I reckon the result looks very convincing!


Next I'll replace all the bolts on the bars and detail paint the lot before giving it a wash and light weathering.
That's all for now, I'd better get back to work.

[RallyFanatic]

wow, looking really good!
You're on a roll, i bet when you finish it, you'll have one completely scratchbuilt bike, and the standard version lying next to it in cutoffs.

[Technoman]

Barry Sheene was the man and this is my favorite Sheene mobile. Looks like you are going to do a fabulous job on it too. Excellent!!

[sjelic]

Very nice Rob, those details just cry for improvement but I never have guts to put so much expencive aftermarket stuff in one model.
As for the hex rod I tried to source some but at the end I went with plain PE hex nuts available from Scaleracecars, SMS and Acustion (also there are some interesting stuff from Renaissance lately).

[klutz_100]

Your builds are quite simply amazing - very instructive and inspiring

[robrex]

On to the engine

I decided the kit clutch was not up to scratch...so off it came
I machined the new clutch plates and the cover, used some Sakatsu nuts and Bare metal foil...done!

[klutz_100]

Originally Posted by robrex

feedback ...that's as little as I can make it j/k

Seriously awsome...any plans for the pistons in the cylinders? piston rings?

[sjelic]

Brilliant! Since you made such effort with clutch assembly I supose you will replace all of the molded nuts/screws on engine (I am dreaming of this but I hate to use so much material for one model , call me cheap )