Honda NSR500 (1984)

If anyone wants the photos and the full build write up for this please contact me via PM thanks!

Hey all first posts on AF although been lurking here for a while!

Looks like some good motorcycle builders here and a few names I recognize too, so I figured this would be a great place to post my WIP's and get feedback and also learn from others here too.

So here is my 1984 Honda NSR500 which I have already begun on a few other forums so I will basically cut and paste until the present.

Thanks and C&C is always appreciated :)

NOTE: This is all cut and paste for the time being, updates will come soon

Next up on the bench!
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6209.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6209.jpg.html)
This one will take some time as I will be flying out to UK in a couple of weeks for a month. I bought the kit with the clear parts but I'm not sure whether I will use the clear parts or stick with standard parts. I have a habit of leaving off cowlings and engine covers as I am crazy about doing extra detailing on engines so thats why I originally bought this with the clear parts. Maybe if its possible I will do one half without the clear parts and the other half with. I am hoping that while I'm on holidays that Top Studio releases a chain set for this, so fingers crossed for that

Ok so not a huge amount done, mainly because I have been preparing for my UK trip as I have a fair bit of work to do while I am there. There will not be another update for over a month as I will be back home on the 23rd of September.

So here is the progress so far. I built the clutch and had to modify the kit clutch plate as the ones in the Top Studio set didnt match (which you will be able to see in the pics below). That said, Top Studio have done a great job with the quality and fit of all the clutch components. I have done a quick picture roll showing the various steps of the Top Studio clutch set.

Packaging, here you can see in the top left of the packaging the 3 resin clutch covers that covers pretty much all the Honda clutches of that era except for the 84 NSR500 (which I only found out about after opening the packet), normally you would choose which of the 3 covers to use based on reference:
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6215.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6215.jpg.html) http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6216.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6216.jpg.html)
Clutch basket with the different clutch spacers and plates:
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6218.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6218.jpg.html)
All together:
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6219.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6219.jpg.html)
The top plates which hold the clutch plates in position:
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6220.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6220.jpg.html)
One of the resin covers with the assembly. 2nd pic below shows the bolts that go on the surface of the clutch plate. 3rd pic shows how it would look with one set of bolts on:
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6221.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6221.jpg.html) http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6222.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6222.jpg.html) http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6223.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6223.jpg.html)
Comparison of the kit clutch cover and the Top Studio version (huge difference):
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6224.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6224.jpg.html)
Cutting the kit clutch plate to get it the right thickness to fit over the Top Studio clutch assembly:
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6238.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6238.jpg.html)
Modifications complete, I also smoothed the edges down of the kit part as it looked too blocky
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6239.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6239.jpg.html)
Completed with Alclad Steel and PE bolt heads:
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6314.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6314.jpg.html)

Next I began filling in the frame and rear swingarm with putty:
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6324.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6324.jpg.html)
And rear swingarm primered, modified for the PE chain adjusters, and ready for welds to be added:
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6323.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6323.jpg.html) http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6322.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_6322.jpg.html)

So I'm back from my holidays and I've managed to get over my jetlag finally!! On with the build!

Not much to report yet, just lots of filling and sanding work taking place.

I've almost completed the rear swingarm, just need the Michelin decal to go on which was not supplied in the kit so I ordered it from HLJ and hopefully the parcel will arrive by late next week.

The petrol tank on this bike is located at the bottom of the frame, I decided to try my hand at making weld lines with putty, not bad for a first time but once the paint goes on it will be easier to see how good or bad the job was done, luckily alot of it will not be seen as the engine will be sitting above where all those weld lines are. If the welds look really bad I will just sand them off and leave it as it is.

I also did a quick mockup to get an idea how the body panels sit on this one. I have seen some pics of how this bike is displayed in the Honda museum in Japan and so my aim is to possibly display it like that if its not too much hassle. Either way this bike will be displayed 'naked' as the main reason I chose to build this kit is because of the odd configuration of the exhausts and petrol tank.

Anyways enjoy the pics lots more still to come!
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7224.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7224.jpg.html) http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7223.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7223.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7222.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7222.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04449.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04449.jpg.html) http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04448.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04448.jpg.html)

Its been a while since my last update sorry about that but its been a busy few weeks and my time building has been somewhat limited.

I have been doing some work though and its all bits and bobs but eventually it will all come together and hopefully look alright http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.png

To begin I received the optional decals which include the Michelin branding on the rear swingarm and the tyres. The swingarm is getting near completion just need to add the chain adjusters and a few tiny details and it will be complete
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7359.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7359.jpg.html)
The rearsets are pretty much ready for paint. I used the Hobby Design PE parts for this but I modified the PE parts so I can fit some of the old plastic parts back on as I noticed the Hobby Design version has the rear brake actuator going behind the cowling brace whereas the correct routing is in front of the cowling brace. I decided to use the plastic part and shave a little of it out so the brake actuator can pass by it without and problems. The actual actuator itself has been modified, the brown line will head upwards to the rear brake resevoir and the connection pointing downwards will connect to the braided hose at the bottom of the pic, that line will run to the brake caliper.
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7356.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7356.jpg.html)
Next up is the Top Studio chain, this was my first chain and I gotta say although very tedious and time consuming it was very good fun to build. After having built the Tamiya chain from the RC166 I gotta say the Top Studio chain is much more sturdier and in close up looks much more authentic. The cahin itself is not 100% complete as I will have to measure/determine the length that I must build the chain before completing it, once I have the back end complete then I will be able to measure it all up but by my calculations the chain needs to be 145mm in length. In the picture you can see the difference between the plastic chain and the TS version, also the front and rear sprockets are shown. I have looked at the rear sprocket and it seems that the TS version is slightly different than what is 100% authentic so I checked the plastic sprocket to see if it will carry the TS chain and it doesnt as the plastic is too thick and the teeth are too far apart. So I am left with a choice to either use the TS set which has a very slightly different rear sprocket (the correct version sprocket is flat, whereas the TS version has a little step in it) or use the Tamiya plastic set, and I chose to stick with the TS set as it looks so much better.
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7355.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7355.jpg.html)
I also started painting the cowlings. I will be painting the Red and White but not the blue as Tamiya supplies the decals for the blue parts which means less masking for me!

Colour coat painted
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7337.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7337.jpg.html)
1 coat of 2k clear applied (not polished yet) ready for the decals
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7357.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7357.jpg.html)

Thats it for now, my next update will be dealing with the brakes, lots of parts as you can see in the pic below and there are quite a few tiny detail bits as well
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7353.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7353.jpg.html)

Thanks for looking! As usual C&C welcome

Next task I chose to do were the front and rear brake disks, these are part of the Hobby Design detail up set and when you compare them with the plastic kit versions you will understand why its must do thing to use the PE set for these. As mentioned in my previous update there were lots of parts that make up the front disks and I'm very happy with how they came out, I'm especially happy with the colour match I managed for the disk carriers.

First pic is a little comparison between both completed brake disks, the left hand side is before and right hand side after a light wash. I guess this shows the importance of washes and how they can improve and amplify the detail in the work you are doing.
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04458.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04458.jpg.html)

A quick test fit on the rim to see if everything lines up, you can also see the rear brake in the top right of the picture, I scuffed it with 320 grit sanding paper in a circular motion to represent the wear and tear on the disk. I also sanding the front disks a little bit to dull its appearance and to show contrast between the disk and the attachment points.
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04460.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04460.jpg.html)

This final picture shows the layers of PE that were used to build the brakes
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04461.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04461.jpg.html)

So a little more progress to report.
I am 3/4 of the way through the wheels but got a little excited and decided to put it all together and take some photos. I still need to put the tyre decals on and also the bolts for the sprocket. Speaking of the sprocket I have my solution to the whole rear sprocket being different! I simply turned the sprocket around and voila! flat like the 1:1 version :)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04462.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04462.jpg.html) http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04463.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04463.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04464.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04464.jpg.html)

Here's a pic of the other side of the rear wheel with the rear disk, notice also the bolts on this side are silver whereas on the chain side they are anodised blue
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04466.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04466.jpg.html)

I then decided to go a little further and check the fitment of the wheel on the rear swingarm, happily it all fits like a glove! the chain clearance is very tight but it squeezes through so hopefully no drama's come final fitment time! Sorry about the bad quality iPhone pic
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7394.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7394.jpg.html)

Once the wheels are done I might start on the frame, but will see how it all goes.
Thanks for looking!

Ok the wheels are fully completed and I'm pretty pleased how they turned out, this was also my first time weathering the decals on the sidewalls so any critiques or comments are most welcome.

I have been looking through all the reference pictures and there are two different versions of this motorcycle. The one I am building is I think the original or possibly the prototype and this is what Tamiya have modelled this kit on. The other version is the "later" version and I believe MFH modelled their kit on that version.

So far the differences that I have noticed are:
- There are air vents on the tank on the later version
- Side cowlings have different vent configurations between the two
- Rear brake caliper is different between the two
- The locations of the black coils on the side of the frame are in different locations
- The "early" version had the Michelin tyres with sidewall decals on them

There may be more but so far the Tamiya version hasnt mixed up the two which is good.

I am also working on the frame and adding lots of welding lines, I think Tamiya have left off probably more than half the actual weld lines on the frame!

Anyways heres the pics, hope you enjoy
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04487.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04487.jpg.html) http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04475.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04475.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04484.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04484.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04482.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04482.jpg.html)

Very nice work.

Super clean!

thanks for the kind comments :)

I've made a start to the engine, I decided to go a little heavy with the detailing as the final product will be displayed without the cowling on.

I made the clutch mechanism and I also added lots of extra detail to the distributor (I think its a distributor please correct me if I am wrong). You can see in the first pic the distributor as it comes from the kit (sorry about the poor quality iPhone pic).


http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7430.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7430.jpg.html)


http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04492.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04492.jpg.html) http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04493.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04493.jpg.html)

Superb work so far...very crisp painting and detail.

I'm in full agreement with Paul on your build Imster
Excellent start on this build - super pictures and excellent descriptions.

Following this one to the end - salivating for more

Cheers
John

Very nice work on the detailing!

Thanks for the positive comments guys, glad you are to watch the progress :)

Next update!

The rear hugger has been completed, I decided to use Aldclad polished aluminum for the frame and swingarm as I believe it matches the 1:1 version (metal is slightly polished with a uniform sheen), I am hoping that the alclad will hold up and not fade too much through handling the part. I also did a light wash to finish it all off.

I have also finally finished modifying the frame and I managed to get some colour sprayed on it too. I added lots of welds and drilled lots of holes not to mention cutting lots of bits off too. I decided to use epoxy to glue the PE rearsets and exhaust clamps this should be strong enough to be handled and adjusted if necessary.

On to the pics:

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04494.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04494.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04499.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04499.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04501.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04501.jpg.html)

Heres a quick pic of the frame so far (sorry about poor quality iPhone pic), I am praying that the colour doesnt fade as there will be lots of bits to add to the frame.

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7467.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7467.jpg.html)

A quick little update


After trying to put the decals on the rear cowling I have decided to paint the blue sections rather than carrying on with the decals. The quality of these decals leaves a lot to be desired, and due to the compound curves and angles as soon as you begin working the decals they begin to fold and tear [:(]

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7685.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7685.jpg.html)

On a more positive note I have made some refinements to the rear swingarm, I wrapped the suspension hydraulic line and painted the top of the suspension strut which is more in line of what the 1:1 version looks like

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7686.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/IMG_7686.jpg.html)

I am busy working on the engine and making a few modifications as well maybe next update will have it all completed.

Sorry about the poor iPhone pics :(

Feels like ages since I've posted an update! I've been busy building but I decided to make my life difficult by adding lots of extras and scratchbuilding a few bits too.

So up to now I have redone the cowlings (with blue painted rather than decals), radiator is completed, engine is finally completed as well!

Here is a quick pic of the main part of the cowling (I havent painted the inside yet of the cowling), I shall post a few more of the rest of the cowling parts when I get a chance to take some more photos

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04512.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04512.jpg.html)

Here is the radiator done, I shaped the plastic area that attaches to the frame as on the 1:1 bike it has round bolts like the PE ones I have attached, if you dont modify this part then you will not be able to install the round PE parts. I also added plumbing near the radiator cap, apparently this tube runs up to the front section of the cowling just to the right front of the instrument panel, I wont be displaying this with the cowling on so this tube will hang and look odd lol

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04508.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04508.jpg.html)

And finally the engine is complete! This is one heck of an engine with tonnes of wiring and a fair bit of additional details added. From all my reference pics I have seen the area where the intakes are (where the grill bit is) is different to what Tamiya supplies in the kit, in fact even on the detail pics sheet that comes with the kit it shows a different part to what they supplied. So I decided to scratchbuild the correct part, overall I think it came out ok but it could have been better (as is always the case with me!). In addition to the pipework I also added the reddish lines that are not included with the kit, the white plugs look a little overscale but if I went any smaller I wouldnt have been able to accurately drill them for the pipe work. I achieved the reddish line by using MFH 1/12 tube (brown one) and spraying it with alclad hot metal red and hot metal sepia (roughly 3 red to 1 sepia), I also used the same tube painted semi-gloss black for the spark plugs as they are more to scale that what is supplied by Tamiya.

If anyone knows where I can find tubing like MFH 1/12 tube (brown) in black colour please tell me! Its such a pain having to paint the tube and having to be extra careful not to handle it too much otherwise the paint can flake off. So please if anyone knows then please tell me :)

So without further delays here are the engine pics

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04530.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04530.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04531.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04531.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04528.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04528.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04527.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04527.jpg.html)

Up until now it has been pretty annoying that I've been doing so much work but nothing is really coming together but now that the engine is complete the build should speed up somewhat, as you can see there are lots of sub assemblies completed so now its just a matter of joining them all up!

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC045331.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC045331.jpg.html)

So next update should show the engine installed into the frame!

So today I managed to install the engine with thankfully minimal breakages!!


I also test fitted the rear swingarm to check clearance for the chain and the line length of the brake cable to the rear caliper, all seems ok with both :)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04542.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04542.jpg.html)

Close up of the same pic

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC045421.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC045421.jpg.html)

I am a little gutted that the clutch cable work I did is pretty much hidden away but atleast I have a few pics showing it in all its glory lol!

The "boring" side of this bike

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04543.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04543.jpg.html)

The interesting side of this bike

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04541.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04541.jpg.html)

All lines up perfect so far!

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04544.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04544.jpg.html)

Super close up showing the detail work completed, all Tamiya kit screws will be covered, and the white brake line ties will be fixed up as they are there temporarily at the moment

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC0454212.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC0454212.jpg.html)

Next up will be the exhausts, probably the most critical part of this kit as this is the bit which everyone notices, wish me luck on it!

Beautiful work imster - excellent attention to detail

Nice to see you using Mark's Bike building jig - I have one of these too and they are excellent for holding the bike while it's being worked on - I found I finger things less and have fewer bits falling off or being damaged with my size 13 fingers.

This is as worthy a build as any done by the greats on this forum.

Cheers
John

Beautiful work imster - excellent attention to detail

Nice to see you using Mark's Bike building jig - I have one of these too and they are excellent for holding the bike while it's being worked on - I found I finger things less and have fewer bits falling off or being damaged with my size 13 fingers.

This is as worthy a build as any done by the greats on this forum.

Cheers
John

Thanks very much John!

Yeah the jig was from Mark, in fact Mark is the one I am doing the buddy build with (on another forum)

Apologies for the lack of updates, I have some family over visiting from the UK so my building time has been somewhat limited.

I managed to complete the exhaust, I am very pleased with how they came out! Overall it was about an hour of painting with various subtle shades to recreate the different metal tints on the 1:1 version, I was erring towards being subtle with it as I didnt want it to look patchy. I decided to also make the side facing out on both exhausts more copper/bronze and the interior darker and with light shades of red, yellow and violet. Before painting I added weld lines near where the exhaust will eventually attach itself to the frame. I also had to add some more plastic to the end where the exhaust silencers meet because when I mocked it all up there were gaps there. Exhaust springs were added after the paint work was done, I chose to do it this way rather than painting after putting them on because I wanted to have them stand out to a certain extent, I also added some tinting to it to take the edge off the silver.

Inner side of the exhaust (the paint on the right hand side one looks chipped, it was actually me testing something and that part will not be seen as it sits at the bottom facing the engine):

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04554.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04554.jpg.html)

Outer side of the exhaust:

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04557.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04557.jpg.html)

Heres a quick photo to show the reference as it may look like I havent really captured how an exhaust should look like and to be honest I have rarely seen a motorcycle exhaust in these colour tones

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/111666753_org.v1439440889.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/111666753_org.v1439440889.jpg.html)

I'll try to stick up a few pics of how the exhausts look once I have the cans installed and on the frame too as the cans are 90% complete

Thanks for looking!

Fantastic work, very clean. Love the extra's on the engine. You've got the exhausts spot on too....:smokin:

I agree, exhausts look darn good! I think thw whole build is coming along very nicely. A lot of details on this bike that I think look interesting and haven't seen before as I've mostly done newer era bikes.

Thanks guys

Yes the older engines tend to be more mechanical I guess and more cluttered it all adds to the fun of building them though :)

great work , looking good.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!


More progress finally!!


I finished the exhaust cans and attached the exhaust assemblies to the frame.


I also installed the radiator, the fitment on the radiator is pretty poor and in hindsight I should have cut all the various radiator pipes and connected them independently of the engine and the radiator itself. I had a large gap with one of the radiator hoses and I ended up fashioning a small piece of tube plastic to "fill in" the gap between the hose and the radiator


Anyways on with the pictures!


http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC049301.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC049301.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC049291.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC049291.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC049281.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC049281.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC049241.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC049241.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC049251.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC049251.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04926.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC04926.jpg.html)


Next up will be the steering damper and front forks assembly, I am getting close to the end on this build and cant wait to finish it!

Nice progress! The bike looks amazing so far. Keep up the good work.

Amazing job!! I love!

Great paint job, clean and great attention to details. I like it very much.

This is really coming along nicely imster

The best bike build to date that you have posted so far
Nicely detailed - are the exhaust cans the plastic Tamiya parts or are those from the Hobby Design kit?

Also I think you nailed the exhaust expansion chambers -

Looking forward to more

Cheers
John

This is really coming along nicely imster

The best bike build to date that you have posted so far
Nicely detailed - are the exhaust cans the plastic Tamiya parts or are those from the Hobby Design kit?

Also I think you nailed the exhaust expansion chambers -

Looking forward to more

Cheers
John

Thanks all for your kind comments! Building has really slowed down over the holiday period but hoping to get this done in the near future lol

John: Thanks mate really appreciate the comments mate. The exhaust cans are plastic one from the kit, the end parts (exhaust tips) are metal parts from the Tamiya fork detail set. I rubbed some 2000 grit on them to take the chrome effect off and give it a more satin looking finish.

Thanks all for your kind comments! Building has really slowed down over the holiday period but hoping to get this done in the near future lol

John: Thanks mate really appreciate the comments mate. The exhaust cans are plastic one from the kit, the end parts (exhaust tips) are metal parts from the Tamiya fork detail set. I rubbed some 2000 grit on them to take the chrome effect off and give it a more satin looking finish.


The exhaust cans look awesome Imster

The silver/chrome paint on the exhaust cans looks the part - very realistic metal sheen that is not often achieved on plastic. What manufacturer silver/chrome paint did you use?

I was considering buying the more expensive Hobby Design kit for the 84' NSR500 just for the metal exhaust cans, but after seeing what you have achieved - the 4 metal exhaust cans are unnecessary.

I might have some questions later for you Imster on how you achieved the look on the expansion chambers - they are as close to the picture of the actual pipes as I think is possible.

I have seen your other work on escale and here on AF and you have improved your building skills and attention to detail significantly.
I'm quite sure many of the other bike builders will agree with me on that.

don't be concerned about slow going - you take as long as you need and don't compromise this excellent build in a rush to finish.

Cheers
John

Simply amazing. I Love this photo:jerking: ,awesome, man!!

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC045331.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC045331.jpg.html)

So next update should show the engine installed into the frame![/QUOTE]

Stunning, the metal finishes are perfect

The exhaust cans look awesome Imster

The silver/chrome paint on the exhaust cans looks the part - very realistic metal sheen that is not often achieved on plastic. What manufacturer silver/chrome paint did you use?

I was considering buying the more expensive Hobby Design kit for the 84' NSR500 just for the metal exhaust cans, but after seeing what you have achieved - the 4 metal exhaust cans are unnecessary.

I might have some questions later for you Imster on how you achieved the look on the expansion chambers - they are as close to the picture of the actual pipes as I think is possible.

I have seen your other work on escale and here on AF and you have improved your building skills and attention to detail significantly.
I'm quite sure many of the other bike builders will agree with me on that.

don't be concerned about slow going - you take as long as you need and don't compromise this excellent build in a rush to finish.

Cheers
John

Thanks John :)

The cans were painted with a combo of different colours, after making the weld lines and drilling holes for the PE bolts, I primed with Alclad grey microfiller primer. After the primer I polished it all with 8k micromesh and painted it with TS-29 through my airbrush. After that I used 2K clear to bring up the shine of the black, then painted with spazstix chrome for the end parts and the middle was done with Alclad aluminum. Hope that helps!

I went through the steps of how I did the expansion chambers on another forum so I will look that up and post it here in a few minutes.

Yeah the Panigale was my first build after not doing any modelling for about 15 odd years so it was more of a case of getting myself back into it slowly but surely :)

Yes I will make sure to keep things ticking over at my own pace as I have a habit of wanting to get it done near the end too quickly lol!

Simply amazing. I Love this photo:jerking: ,awesome, man!!

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC045331.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC045331.jpg.html)

So next update should show the engine installed into the frame![/QUOTE]

Thanks man! Yes the engine is installed now :)

Here is a picture:

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC049301.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC049301.jpg.html)

Stunning, the metal finishes are perfect

Thanks Niro! I'm trying my best not to touch it too much so that the metal finish isnt ruined!

Thanks Imster for the paint procedure on the exhaust cans - I have a small bottle of the Spastix Chrome, but have never used it because I believe it's really made for RC Lexan bodies and thus has acetone in it which can melt styrene.
So I've been hesitant to try to use it on plastic model styrene, but you appear to have had no issues using it.
Therefore I am going to have to give it a try on a white plastic spoon, that's what I told myself when I bought the Spastix Chrome when I was looking for better chrome metal effects, but settled on Alclad and Kotsutte gin san powder.

If you procedure for painting the expansion chambers in on eScale - I can go and look at your postings there as I am a member with the same user name as here on AF, unless you still want to post that procedure here on AF for others.

I have seen your bike builds on eScale along with Mark's "Marco"
You two guys have built some nicely done bikes.
I also bought a bike jig from Mark - I think maybe I was even the first one to buy one when I first saw him use it.
I was also the one who asked him to make me a new set of the wood blocks, because his original jig was too narrow for an inline 4 engine bike.
I was building the Kawaski ZX-RR motoGP bike and the original jig was too narrow for it.
Marco made me the wood blocks for a setup like you are using where the aluminum bar stock is not completely recessed into the edges of the wood blocks.
Marco's original jig was built for the YZR250 "Harada" bike he was building at the time and that 1/12 Tamiya kit is quite narrow compared to the 500cc 2-stroke GP bikes and the newer motoGP bikes that are available now.

the areas on the body work you painted instead of the brittle decals - was that Zero paints colors?

Cheers Imster
John

Sorry about the delay in posting this but here is the steps I took to get the expansion chambers the way they are:

1) So to begin I obviously filled the gaps, sanded, rinse and repeat a few times till there are no visible join lines.
2) First light coat is grey Alclad microfiller primer
3) check join lines again and do corrections again
4) Do weld lines, for the exhausts I used some 0.25mm solder wire, glue the wire where it needs to go then once the CA glue has set I used a brass tube cut at a 45 degree angle to make weld indentations
5) second coat of primer again grey alclad
6) sand the primer down with 8000 grit micro-mesh
7) spray semi-gloss black, I used TS-29 decanted into my airbrush
8) spray 1 coat of 2k clear, this should bring up the shine of the black
9) spray chrome metaliser, in this case I used Spaz Stix chrome

Now after this things are a little more based on feel and look, but I used various Alclad metal shades to achieve the different metal shades on the exhaust, the Alclad colours I used were pale burnt metal, hot metal sepia, hot metal red, hot metal blue, transparent orange, pale gold, steel, exhaust manifold and jet exhaust. Its hard to say which of these I used when, because it was just how the exhausts were looking and what shades were required as it was being done. Total time of painting was around about 1 hour including flushing my airbrush quite a few times so it wasnt a short job lol



I hope this helps, any other questions feel free to ask

Thanks Imster for the paint procedure on the exhaust cans - I have a small bottle of the Spastix Chrome, but have never used it because I believe it's really made for RC Lexan bodies and thus has acetone in it which can melt styrene.
So I've been hesitant to try to use it on plastic model styrene, but you appear to have had no issues using it.
Therefore I am going to have to give it a try on a white plastic spoon, that's what I told myself when I bought the Spastix Chrome when I was looking for better chrome metal effects, but settled on Alclad and Kotsutte gin san powder.

If you procedure for painting the expansion chambers in on eScale - I can go and look at your postings there as I am a member with the same user name as here on AF, unless you still want to post that procedure here on AF for others.

I have seen your bike builds on eScale along with Mark's "Marco"
You two guys have built some nicely done bikes.
I also bought a bike jig from Mark - I think maybe I was even the first one to buy one when I first saw him use it.
I was also the one who asked him to make me a new set of the wood blocks, because his original jig was too narrow for an inline 4 engine bike.
I was building the Kawaski ZX-RR motoGP bike and the original jig was too narrow for it.
Marco made me the wood blocks for a setup like you are using where the aluminum bar stock is not completely recessed into the edges of the wood blocks.
Marco's original jig was built for the YZR250 "Harada" bike he was building at the time and that 1/12 Tamiya kit is quite narrow compared to the 500cc 2-stroke GP bikes and the newer motoGP bikes that are available now.

the areas on the body work you painted instead of the brittle decals - was that Zero paints colors?

Cheers Imster
John

The Spazstix Chrome I used was "Ultimate Mirror Chrome" and on the bottle it also says "For Plastic Parts", I have a feeling you might not have the same one? Although this does have acetone in it I didnt notice any adverse reactions when I used it.

Yes Marco and I are doing a buddy build on this kit and his is taking shape very nicely! The jigs are awesome and perfect for anyone who is serious about building motorcycle kits.

The areas of the bodywork that are blue were painted on with Tamiya TS-15 Blue decanted and sprayed through my airbrush, the colour match is pretty much perfect with the decals (maybe a tad darker)

Thanks for all the explanations Imster and exhaust expansion chamber procedures.

Also the paint on the body work - so you used the "red" of the decals then?

And lastly - I'll google the Spaz Stix "ultimate mirror chrome" and see if it is a different product from the bottle that I have.

Cheers Imster
John

I'll check out Marco's build to see how it stands up to yours.

Thanks for all the explanations Imster and exhaust expansion chamber procedures.

Also the paint on the body work - so you used the "red" of the decals then?

And lastly - I'll google the Spaz Stix "ultimate mirror chrome" and see if it is a different product from the bottle that I have.

Cheers Imster
John

I'll check out Marco's build to see how it stands up to yours.

No problem John :)

All the bodywork was done with paint, Zero paints do the Red and White and as earlier stated the Blue was a Tamiya. The Yellow parts with black borders are decals.

Yes have a look becasue it is very possible that you have a lexan only paint rather than the plastic paint.

A very quick update!

I am back on the bench, albeit not as much as before the holidays because I still have family over visiting us.

I managed to get the steering damper completed. I had the Top Studio damper detail set, but after inspection, the configuration, length etc are all wrong so I assume that the steering damper kit is for a different year NSR500 (Top Studio didnt specify what year NSR500 the kit is for). I did use the metal rod that was in the Top Studio set though so not all my money was wasted!

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05281.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05281.jpg.html)

Next parts to tackle will be either the front forks or the controls and instruments. Both will be pretty intensive as there will be a fair amount of added details.

Thanks and C&C welcome [:)]

I attached the rear swingarm to the chassis without any dramas :)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC052971.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC052971.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC052951.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC052951.jpg.html)

Anyone who is eagle eyed might have noticed the rearsets missing on the previous pics. This is because I had lots of clearance issues with the rearsets pushing into the swingarm and kinda flaying out so I made some adaptors to create more clearance, I think i got the measurements spot on because as you can see from this picture the clearance looks perfect!

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC052921.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC052921.jpg.html)

I also plumbed the rear brake cable, Its a silver braided cable with a plastic spiral sheath and it will be attached to the bar that runs underneath the swingarm

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC052861.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC052861.jpg.html)

Not often I spot builds that looks so flawless on such close range. This rear wheel/swing arm set up is absolutely beautiful. Details added makes the build look really natural and you have no paint chipping at all that I can spot. Not even the rear tyre gives it away as a model kit. I'm absolutely stunned. My hat off.

Not often I spot builds that looks so flawless on such close range. This rear wheel/swing arm set up is absolutely beautiful. Details added makes the build look really natural and you have no paint chipping at all that I can spot. Not even the rear tyre gives it away as a model kit. I'm absolutely stunned. My hat off.

Thanks Joel! I usually try to build everything with my magnifying glass so that I can see the flaws etc.

Finally I was able to get back on with this build!

I decided to tackle the front forks next, lots of extra details were added and a little bit of scratch building too. I did notice that if you use the detail up parts for the front fork, then at the top of the trees the shock adjusters dont fit correctly, its possible I wasnt mocking it all up correctly so could be just me. As a result of the headaches with the detail up parts I decided to use the kit suspension struts and do a little modification to enable me to use some of the detail up parts for this kit.

I sprayed the shock bodies a mix of Alclad Steel and Alclad Pale Burnt Metal (not sure of the ratios as I did this by judgement). The rest of the forks were painted with Tamiya Semi-Gloss Black. The tie wraps around the black covers were made with extra thin styrene sheet (0.13mm thick) cut into strips, in order to make them secure I drilled holes into the shock bodies to enable me to anchor the strips and put tension through them so they look more realistic.

I used epoxy for the front fender as it tends to be pretty flimsy where it glues to the front forks.

I also managed to install the chain, it was a bit of a challenge and I am glad that the chain was built strong otherwise it would have fallen apart after a few minutes of adjusting it to get it over the front and rear sprockets. I also weathered the chain slightly on the rollers.

On with the pictures!

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05305.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05305.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05309.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05309.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053101.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053101.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053131.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053131.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053141.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053141.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053171.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053171.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05320.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05320.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05321.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05321.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05319.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05319.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05328.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05328.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05325.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05325.jpg.html)

Next up is to finish off the front forks, then move on to the handlebars and instrument panels, already I can see that there is lots of modifications required for the handlebars so the job is going to be a long one I think! I will also try to do a photo how to on the front end and how I modified parts etc.

Thanks for looking and as always C&C always appreciated :)

Moving along and gaining pace! I need to get this build done soon, and still so much to do!!!

I completed the front brake calipers, I added the brake bleeders, brake line cable links, bolts and the line that runs between the two sides of the calipers (with blue anodised bolts)

I forgot to dust off the parts before the pics so apologies for all the dust!

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05350.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05350.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05348.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05348.jpg.html)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05345.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05345.jpg.html)

Realy great job my friend!!!! Let me ask you something. The plastic tank in front of the rear shock abrorber ,what color have you paint it? Thanks alot Elias..

Just a word to define this assembly, FANTASTIC . For sure I will use many of their techniques when riding my Honda .
Friend how do I get a mounting bracket like yours?

Sandro

Realy great job my friend!!!! Let me ask you something. The plastic tank in front of the rear shock abrorber ,what color have you paint it? Thanks alot Elias..

Hi Elias, thank you for your kind comments :)

That part is already that colour in the kit. All I did was roughen the surface a bit with 1k sandpaper to dull the shine

Just a word to define this assembly, FANTASTIC . For sure I will use many of their techniques when riding my Honda .
Friend how do I get a mounting bracket like yours?

Sandro

Hi Sandro, thank you so much for your praise!

A few years ago I was surfing the web when I came across one of your builds on Modellisimo (SP) forums. It motivated me to get back into building model kits again, so I have to thank you for rekindling my enjoyment of this hobby :)

The mounting bracket is built by a friend of mine who also builds 1/12 motorbikes, I will PM you his details

Not long left to do before I can call this build finished!

So I have 99% completed the front end.

The brake calipers were completed and the brake cables were made from braided metal wire wrapped with spiral tubing, this combination is great but it makes the whole thing very stiff and not great for curves etc, so I heated it slightly and bent it to keep the shape. As a result of this stiffness I changed the connector on the caliper to a 45 degree one rather than 90 degree to make the stress on the parts easier.

The electronic box that sits underneath the speedo was pretty heavily modified and very fiddly to work with! in hindsight I should have cut off the front frame section from where the steering tube is so it would have allowed me to work on the speedo and electronics box much easier. Nevertheless I managed to complete it and I am quite happy with how it came out. As for reference pics, I couldnt find very much showing the wiring routing so some logical thinking was used to try to figure out the wiring paths.

The speedo was completed with use of reference pics, the back end was modified a fair bit to what the reference pics showed, on the front end I used epoxy to mimic glass on top of the dials, it came out well but possibly next time I will use more epoxy to give it more of a deeper glass look.

The grips and handle section were heavily modified. On the right hand side the way Tamiya have routed all the wiring is wrong in some parts and simplistic in other parts. I first cut off the throttle cable housing and turned it 90 degrees so that one side is on top of the brake lever and the other side is below the brake lever as shown in my reference pics. I then got rid of the Tamiya brake fluid resevoir connector and made the correct part out of 0.8mm solder wire. On the left hand side I got rid of the kit clutch adjuster and replaced it with turned metal parts, I also added the adjuster lock and changed the push button next to the grip, to a metal turned button. I gave a little varnish to the brake levers on both sides to add some shine as the reference shows that the brake levers are shinier than the rest of the handle controls. I also added lots of PE and bolts to add to the realism.

To finish off the front end I will be painting the middle sections of the blue bolts on the front forks a bright silver rather than the black that they are in the pics.

Really sorry about the dusty pics once again, sometimes I get carried away and only realise once the pics are on the computer that they are full of dust!

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053521.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053521.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053541.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053541.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053581.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053581.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053551.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053551.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053531.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053531.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053571.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053571.jpg.html)

Next up will be to attach the gas tank and then just the finishing touches!

Thanks for watching!

Superb job, looks like the real bike, awesome.!!

That's a great job Immy!!!
Love the blue anodised bridge clamps screw heads!!!How do you make them?Are you paint them clear blue over silver or chrome paint??

Ceep on my friend!! :wink:

Thanks Steve and Ixo.

As for the blue anodised bolts, I used metal turned bolts, soaked in airbrush cleaner for a couple of minutes, then once dried I brush painted on Mr. Metal Primer. Once that was dried I airbrushed them with Alclad Transparent Blue. If you want a lighter shade of blue then you could also use Alclad Hot Metal Blue which is also transparent.

Lemme know if you have any more questions :)

Well its finally finished!! It took a lot longer than expected because of a little holiday halfway through when a few of my family came to enjoy the great Australian summer [:)]

I still need to finalise how I will display the cowlings, currently erring towards having it hanging above the bike like at the Honda Museum, once I do that I will update this with some more pics.

I hope you all enjoyed this WIP, probably didnt go through a lot of the detail work and how I did some of the components, mainly due to limited time on the bench. I am very pleased with the outcome and I can really recommend this kit to modellers who enjoy a little challenge.

Detail Up Sets Used:
Hobby Design Detail Up Set
Top Studio Clutch Set
Top Studio Steering Damper
Top Studio Chain Set

Decals:
Tamiya Kit Decals
Tabu Option Decal (for the Michelin logo on the rear swingarm)

Nuts and Bolts:
Various T2M, Top Studio and RB Motion

Wiring and Cables:
T2M, MFH, Tamiya Kit Tubing and Sakatsu Solder Wire

Paint:
Alclad Metalizers (Frame, and Components)
Tamiya Semi Gloss Black TS-29 Decanted (Engine, Front Uprights, Wheel Rims)
Alclad Grey Primer
Zero Paints Honda NSR500 '84 Red and White (Cowlings)
Tamiya TS15 Blue (Cowlings)
Zero Paints 2K Clear

Some things to keep in mind when building this kit:
- Do not use the blue decals for the cowlings, they are difficult to work with and you will not achieve a good finish on it like if it were painted, the correct colour which is pretty much an exact match to the decals is Tamiya TS-15.
- I found on my kit that the exhaust ends where they join with the cans were a little short, luckily I mocked it all up and was able to fix that problem.
- I found also on my kit that there was a large gap on the right hand side of the bike on the lower section of the radiator where it connects to the pipe, if you look closely on my photos you will see I wedged a some black painted styrene to fill the gap as I didnt mock this part up and it was too late to fix it properly at that point [:(]
- If you want to ensure that the main parts of the bike are true to the real bike then you need to adjust the throttle cables section on the right hand side grip, they need to be turned 90 degrees to mimick the 1:1 version
- Do not use the Top Studio Shift Linkage for the Honda NSR500 (TD23037) it is incorrect for this NSR500 version and is probably designed for the later versions.
- The Top Studio NSR500 Clutch Set (TD23147) is also incorrect but if you look at my build you can see that it can be modified to work .
- The Top Studio Steering Damper (TD23148) is incorrect as well but once again if you look at my build you will see I used some parts on my build.

I think that covers it all, I guess all thats left is for me to thank all of you for your comments, suggestions, and support!

Now the final pics :)

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053741.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053741.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053761.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053761.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053781.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053781.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053791.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053791.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053801.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053801.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053841.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053841.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053821.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053821.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053831.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053831.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053811.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053811.jpg.html)

Detail pics:

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053941.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053941.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053881.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053881.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053861.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053861.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05390.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05390.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05395.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC05395.jpg.html)
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053921.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC053921.jpg.html)

And here are the cowlings completed, they will not be displayed for the time being until I figure out how to hang them convincingly!

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/imster11/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC054011.jpg (http://s461.photobucket.com/user/imster11/media/Modelling/1984%20Honda%20NSR500/DSC054011.jpg.html)

Magnificent work! Great pictures, thanks for sharing.

Really excellent work Imster

Your skills and attention to details have improved so much since your earlier builds.
Additionally your descriptions of your work are excellent and I definitely like the summary at the end like in your above posting.

I learned much from you on this build - thanks very much for sharing

Cheers
John

Very nice and clean work Immy!!
Congrats!!!
Just one thing...the safety wires on the grips look a bit bigger to scale...
Allways friendly!!
Ceep on!! :)

Elias