SUZUKI RGV 1998 Nobby Aoki's

Hello all AF members it is very nice to meet you guys right here, this is my 3rd posting here as i was registered here with nickname "auditions", even though i had 3 posts @AF that doesn't mean my english has improved, still lacking in vocabulary and grammar knowledges, so pardon me if many mistakes would appears here.

This thread is about making Tamiya Suzuki RGV 1999 which converted into RGV 1998 model, and the rider was NOBUATSU AOKI, he was a Rookie of the year for 1997season and in 1998 he joined Suzuki factory team and finished 9th in overall
here are some pics about his ride and his riding the 1998 Suzuki RGV
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/wgp98r104_l.jpg
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/98ir_nb.jpg

i got the idea to build this model when i sat on the floor looking @ my unbuilt tamiya and those ruined kit i built when i was in college.
i do have 2 box of unbuilt 1999, and 1 box tamiya rgv 2000,1993 Studio27 kit
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_1916.jpg
and this ruined and broken model kit :banghead:
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_1919.jpg
so after spending 10 minutes i realize the 1993 S27 comes with it's own frame and swing arm also the fairing.. which mean i will have some spare for the 1999 parts
while to build the 1998 model, it is obvious that i need the 1999 frame and bodyparts.
Here are the differences of the frames..
the left one is 1993 RGV Lucky Strike
the upper right one is 2000 RGV telefonica movistar
and the lower right one is 1999 RGV Suzuki official team
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_1918.jpg
i can't use my ruined 2000 telefonica rgv bodyparts and frame because as we can see it is very different from those reference pics i found @ google images, things that i can use from 2000 telefonica are the engine and others small parts.
As usual, this project was started by filling to give it a more realistic look.
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_1917.jpg
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_1939.jpg
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_1945.jpg
because of too anxious and excited.. i forgot to take some more pics when filling these frames. Those above are all i have

To be continued...

please leave some comments... anything will do..

Punkshiiit - you're not thinking of using that St27 1993 Suzuki "lucky strike" "Kevin Schwantz" kit to build you "Nobby Aoki" version are you???? That would be a waste of a 1993 World champion GP500 kit - John

@John18d
off course i will not use the 1993 schwantz's rgv. what a waste.
i just have a ruined/broken 2000 roberts jr's rgv, so i will take anything i could like the machine, chain, spring, front fork, rear swing arm and other parts that i believe i can use.

To build this Nobuatsu Aoki 98 model,what i really need is Frame and rear cowl from 1999 tamiya model kit.
Note that the upper front fairing should be modified a little bit.

meanwhile due to lacking in reference pics, so i just try my best doing and making everything i can, only based on what i found on google images.

Punkshiiit - okay - just wanted to be sure you knew the value of the 1993 Schwantz Suzuki - John

some update of the progress
the rear shock absorber and the chain
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_1924.jpg
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_1925.jpg
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_1927.jpg
the rear swing arm with the wheels attached temporarily
and this is while i tried to snap fit the swing arm with the frame before i paint it
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_1946.jpg
i had painted the chain also the wheels and give some extra works like drilling the front sprocket
the decal "SHOWA" might be a bit different from what we got when we bought a model kit, this is because i made myself every decals for this bike.
and since i don't have printer that could print white so a lot of works here is done by editing with photoshop and corel draw.
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_2165.jpg

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_2159.jpg

update:
about the engine, i just paid some efforts on carbonizing some parts as i had paint this machine when it was still in the form of telefonica suzuki, As there's no reference for me about the 1998RGV so i think i can go on without having to spend to much time thinking about the machine's colour scheme.
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_2212.jpg
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_2208.jpg
this the front fork,
not really much difficult in this area except for colouring the brake disc and some modification to the breake fluids housing <---don't know how should we call it.

http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_2161.jpg
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_2163.jpg
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_2263.jpg
so here they are after being attached to the frame which already painted.
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_2214.jpg
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_2255.jpg
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x442/punkshiiit/RGV1998%20progress/IMG_2258.jpg

Punkshiiit - what did you use for the "gold" part - slider tube - on the front forks? - John

Punkshiiit - what did you use for the "gold" part - slider tube - on the front forks? - John
hi john, thanks for your interest in my built,
about the part you were asking, i believe it is something we called gold aluminium foil.
this is somekind of decal, it is pretty thin, and you can get in on any online store.
for me this is the fastest and the most easy way to achieve better result rather than paint it using alclad pale gold or following tamiya's instruction.
well if you compared it with top studio metal fork slider and just looked at a glance i believe you will think this way is the better way if the main topic has come to pricing.

It's all looking great, nice work so far..