Yamaha YZF R1

Another project. This time, Yamaha YZF R1. Will be a simple build, well what I mean is all I’m ordering in terms of aftermarket is a P/E chain and gear set, and if I can get some. Some Crazy Modeler heat stain decals.

This is the kit

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/55006/mode/L/img.jpg

Box contents. Should keep me busy, lots of parts, screws and piping /tubing etc..

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/55007/mode/L/img.jpg

This is the chrome tree. Really good chrome. I see no reason to strip it off actually. It’s nice and flat, not too shinny. Very nice in fact. I like it.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/55008/mode/L/img.jpg

And these are the front brakes, that I intend to drill out. I could have got some P/E ones, but in the end decided against the additional costs, and put the money towards kits that do need P/E etc.. This one doesn’t need it. Just the chian will be upgraded.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/55009/mode/L/img.jpg

http://www.mediamixhobby.com.sg/catalog/images/acustion/yyzfr1tgc_big.jpg

That’s all for now.

that chain must be a pain to put together

Damn! One link at a time. Well anywhoo, looking forward to another great final product. :)

:eek: good luck with chain.:screwy:

As I like bikes I'll probably like this one. Will be interesting with the chain project. I've given it a thought for my own R1 build but skipped it. Would be nice to see some in depth review of that one during the build.
/Joel

Nice kit.
The chain part will be a great challenge .
Cannot wait to see the progress!

OK. This is the bike I shall try and replicate. YZF R1 Blueish white cocktail, and I’ll be using TS-8 and TS-26, followed by Mr Hobby Super clear coat. The exhaust is chrome on this one, never been used. I’ll be looking to use a Crazy Modeller titanium heat stain decal.

As can be seen, the kit frame is a good match to the real bike, therefore I’ll keep to the idea of not stripping the chrome. I’ll be using various shades of Alclad II, such as the brake discs will not be X11 as per the build guide, but Alclad II magnesium, as they are in no way as shinny as X11 would be. Also, X11 will give the wrong grain, or flake. The discs do have holes, so these have been drilled out.

Tamiya guide misses the blue bolts on the front forks, and rear brake, so I’ll be adding this with blue paint. I’ll post up some more pictures soon, I’ve only just started, so not a lot to show at the moment.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/55058/mode/L/img.jpg

More bikes eh!

Good luck with that chain, you are a braver man than me!
Looking forward to seeing more!

looking good mike and welcome to the new forum!

This is one kit that I will have to after later.
I bought this Acustion PE set long time ago ,but felt it a nightmare to assemble the chain parts .
It needs a VERY strong persistence to finish the chain.I admire you very much,man!
I will keep reading this thread,and learn things from you,Mick.

Good luck with the chain. I know this model will be another masterpiece.

Your a glutten for punishment Mick! I can send you my bikes to build if your that bored. Happy modelling. Will follow with interest. Is this the base kit for the Taira Racing R1? I think I have one of those somewhere at home.
cheers
Tony

Some small progress over the last few days. Started to assemble the tank, the exhaust and the bike stand frame. I’ve glued them using plastic cement, getting a small amount of glue over the seam. To bond them stronger. I learnt from my last bike build, the cement can crack once painted, so trying to get a stronger bond this time. Applied putty to the seam, will sand smooth once fully cured.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/55241/mode/L/img.jpg

I’ve also drilled all the holes out in the brake discs. I fully recommend anyone who attempts this to have a few spare drill bits, and a push down pin vise, not the one you turn by hand. The one you turn by hand takes too long, and it snaps drill bits too easy. The push down one is easy, as there is already a guide hole, just put the drill bit in the recess already there, and push down a few times, and bingo, one hole. But I did snap two bits.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/55242/mode/L/img.jpg

And I’ve also cleaned up many parts. I try and remove as MUCH as I can from the sprue, test fit, build up with plastic cement if I can, to get a good strong bond. I noted that the front cowling light fit isn’t perfect. I guess once the glass is in place it might line up better. And I’ve also noted that the indicators, and rear brake lights have no silver backing.. Is this right?

I thought about backing them with BMF..

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/55243/mode/L/img.jpg

so far ,soooo good!

Cool, another fun build to watch. Damn you, Mick- you're going to make me want to build a bike....

As for the blue bolts on the brake calipers, on most bikes I've seen these have been blue anodized fittings. If you spray the bolts in silver, and then in clear blue, they'll look spot on.

Mick,Just a quick pointer.The blue 'bolts' on the calipers are not actually bolts.They are a coloured insert with a sort of star shape in the middle.Excellent work so far on the model and in my opinion you have chosen the best colour scheme to do as well.Good luck with the chain etc.Here's a
closeup of the calipers for you,showing the star like shape.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/r1-calipers.jpg

Thanks all.. I knew the bolt thingies were blue, and they are anodized by the looks of it, so clear blue over silver it is.. Thanks,

Someone also gave my a scan from a microfilm of the front and rear indicators. They do not have a silver backing.. How odd, so BMF idea is now out as well. And I thought the colour scheme looked really nice as well... The 2000 onwards in the UK is offered in a nice metallic red, with black at the bottom, and this is the one I'd have liked to have built... I'm not sure of the year, but the colour scheme is dark metallic red with black is awesome looking on the R1. But the red /white looks cool as well.

Not a lot of progress on this one really. I’ve spent most of the time trying in vain to work out how to best assemble that P/E chain. After careful consideration in regards to the health of my dog and other members in the house, the P/E chain has now been scrapped. I looked at many options to build it but it was just so small I actually think it’s been spawned by Lucifer, and before it’s completion huge volcanoes will erupt, and I’m not talking about the ones that spit molten rocks, but the type that shout out many a bad word, and instead I’ve spent the last 20 minutes before posting this muttering expletives about acu stion…

Right, with that out of my system, back to the model. I’ve got the wheels, the frame, and the rear light frame pretty much completed. Cheated, I used TS29. It’s a nice fast curing semi gloss black, so thought, time is pressing on so lets just be lazy. I also didn’t bother to strip the kit chrome, it looked fine to me, Tamiya have well engineered the sprue, the cuts from the sprue do not show as they are located at the bottom of parts that will not be seen, unless you turn the bike upside down, and how often does that happen..

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/55778/mode/L/img.jpg

I also did the front wing mirrors TS29, and the US term “blinkers” UK term indicators. I did not use BMF for the insides of these as I was planning as I was informed that the real bike has no silver behind these parts anyhow… You can’t see too well in the picture but the front and rear seats have been sprayed TS-6 flat black, with the hold strap painted enamel X18. Looks good, shame you can’t see it.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/55779/mode/L/img.jpg

And these are all the parts that still need painting. Note I’ve not done the body cowlings yet. That’s because one of the cowlings in soaking away as I type to get the first attempt of primer off… Went a little weird, so decided to start that one again… No idea what want wrong really, just looked wrinkled… Too much primer I guess. All the parts coated in black will be painted with Alclad II metals… Should look OK.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/55780/mode/L/img.jpg

And if you look closely, you can see the holes in the brake discs. Please with these.. Will look nice one painted with Alclad II.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/55781/mode/L/img.jpg

http://www.spc.org.uk/gallery/albums/uploads/Bikes/bikes-007.jpg

I built this one about 5-6 years ago, my 1st Bike, long before I found AF or any web based help, but the R1 is still my Fav bike.
Look forward to seeing your patient skills on this one :)

Steve.

Stunning R1, love that colour scheme. As for my skills on my R1, wouldn't hold out mate. I think I'm still in beginners luck mode. I'm a slow starter. :iceslolan

Just been given a link on the P/E chain assembly, I "might" have one more go, as it shows how to make a decent jig, something I need. And I'm still in two minds as to if I should strip off the rear arm chrome. Dunno yet..

It's coming along just fine, damn you are a quick builder :grinyes: I await the cowlings and the chain. Good you give the latter another try as it would look awesome on that bike.
/Joel

This bike is coming along great! And what about the cowls? what colours you will use? Hope to see more updates soon and the pictures of your finished Ducati :grinyes:

Bye

Roca.

Looking real good so far

Looks good Mick,

Why don't you strip teh cowl. I like the way you don't normally cut corners and teh fact that you are even thinking about it means it's on your mind!

I noticed Steve's R1 doesn't have the brakes drilled so you have one improvement (Sorry Steve but you are a kind of benchmark for us to measure ouselves against!)

Paul,

Steve built his over 5 years ago. And being one of his first bikes, it’s pretty darn good actually, but you’re right. He is, along with others the benchmark. Drilling those front brake discs were iffy, as the holes were close together, and one slip, and it’d be all ruined.

I also do cut corners. Or, shall I say try and save money if I can, as I’m starting to run low on model funds, as I blew my hobby budget this month on a Resin S27 BAR Honda. Ooops.. It was too tempting.. The chrome frame is fine, but it’s the nibs where the part was attached to the sprue that ruins it, but only if you look underneath. The kit chromed front forks get stripped for sure, and I “should” have covered the front headlights with BMF, didn’t think about it until I’d glued the things into the light holder. Oh well.

Not been to many updates on this one, but it’s not dead. I’m actively working on it. I’ve been working on many of the smaller parts, as the body cowlings are not ready yet for final top coats. I’ve had to wait for paint to strip of the main tank cowling, but its now re-primed, and I’m nearly ready for top coating.

Good selection of parts.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/56143/mode/L/img.jpg

Here you can see the engine block, sprayed satin black, masked and then sprayed Alclad dura Aluminum. The rear brake caliper was again sprayed satin black, masked, and then sprayed Alclad II aluminum. The nut was detailed with enamel silver, and then coated with Acrylic clear blue, to make an anodized nut.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/56144/mode/L/img.jpg

The exhaust was sprayed in stain black, and then masked, and sprayed white metal. I’m still waiting for my Crazy Modeler heat stain decals, and I’ve got to add the fixing bracket, and CF decal around the muffler. The steering cross sections, and handle bar assembly were painted for the top part TS29 black, and detailed enamel aluminum, with clear blue bolt heads, and the bottom part was sprayed with Alclad, as was the suspension parts, and detailed with enamel orange. The injector system was, again..!! coated with satin black, and masked and then sprayed Alclad II aluminum. The handle bar grips were simply painted TS29, but I’ve yet to detail with silver.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/56145/mode/L/img.jpg

The front and rear brake discs were coated with satin black. The holes really stood out once I’d masked, and coated with Alcad magnesium. I detailed the bolt heads on the front discs with enamel chrome silver. I then picked out the middles with black ink.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/56146/mode/L/img.jpg

And this all needs a bit of a wash with black ink, and then assembling. A lot of Alclad II paints over satin black, but due to the way bikes show off a lot of metal, it had to be done this way to get the right affect I feel..

so far ,so good!!!

Really nice work Mick. Detail painting is outstanding.

Look forward to seeing it all together.

Dave

http://www.spc.org.uk/gallery/albums/uploads/Bikes/bikes-008.jpg

A year later when I made this version,I drilled the discs out :)

Really nice work Mick. Detail painting is outstanding.

Look forward to seeing it all together.

Dave
Ditto from me. The detail painting is immaculate! I have a long way to go to get to that standard. Must get some Alclad paints though.
Cheers
Tony

Great! More street bikes! Now I really need to get on board and start something??

I’ve now completed the engine, and assembled, and then screwed into the frame. Not really a lot to say, other then I used Alclad II paints, and did some washes with black ink to the block, and dry brushed.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/56955/mode/L/img.jpg

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/56956/mode/L/img.jpg

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/56957/mode/L/img.jpg

I really do not know what else I could do to this, other then start to make my own metal turned parts, something I not able to do, as I do not own a lathe, and I wouldn’t even know where to start, so boring I know. But it’s built. I did like the stand, you simply screw into place, and that’s it. The engine takes a bit of tweaking around to get it to fit snug, but nothing too big, just takes a few turns at funny angles to get in to lay in correctly.

I also assembled the bike stand, and painted gloss black, and then sprayed polished aluminum, thought it might look nice in a more polished metal.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/56958/mode/L/img.jpg

And started the body cowlings. I had a hell of a time building the front cowl just around the fuel tank. I just couldn’t seem to get rid of the join line. I did in the end, but took some sanding.

Currently sprayed white primer, with 3 mists and 2 wet pure white. Waiting for it to cure, and then I’ll mask off and spray TS8 red for the top sections, decal and clear with Mr Top Coat clear. White is about as reflective as my hand... Its got a shine, and a gloss, not that you'd see from these pictures..

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/56959/mode/L/img.jpg

And that’s all for now. Nothing special, just a plain old OOB bike build.

Body cowlings are now painted. I primed them first with grey primer, to check for problems. Once I was happy with them in grey primer, I applied a few good coats of white primer.

I then decanted TS27 pure white, and TS-8 Red and thinned with Tamiya lacquer thinner to be like water. In fact it was so thin, I think tap water is thicker. LOL. I then applied the TS white through my airbrush, applied about 2 – 3 mists and then two wet. The white primer helped, so it didn’t need as much as I’d planned.

I then waited 48 hours to cure off, and masked off, and applied the same for the red. I did apply a few additional mists, to help seal the tape, and then when about 25 mins into the curing of the red, I pulled the tape off to give me a perfect line. As the paint was still curing off, I avoided the jagged edge.

Not bad for my first decanted, multi coloured paint job. And important as I’ve never worked with pure white, and wanted the practice for my S27 Resin BAR Honda.

Now to let it cure off for another 48 hours, decal and clear with mr top coat super clear (a new clear I’m about to try that is water based, so safe over decals)

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57010/mode/L/img.jpg

Oh, and my CM heat stain decals are now here, no idea how to use them but I’ll learn..

The paint looks super smooth! I'm looking forward to seeing those CM decals? please post any progress on the exhaust?

mr top coat super clear (a new clear I’m about to try that is water based, so safe over decals)
Do us all a favour and test it first! ;)

I’ve taken some outside shots for you. This shows nearly all the mechincal parts completed. P/E chain is now scrapped indefinitely. I tried making a jig, using various techniques, but the parts were just too small, and even with tools, jigs etc, I just failed to get past a few links before I almost lost the will to carry on living..

So, kit part was rescued and painted various shades of Alclad II. Washing, and detailed, and then dry brush acrylic gold, shame the P/E chain failed, but sometimes you have to know your own limitations.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57169/mode/L/img.jpg

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57170/mode/L/img.jpg

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57172/mode/L/img.jpg

And the body cowlings all painted, and decaled. I’ve not polished or cleared the cowlings yet. I just painted, knocked of the few dust specs, inspected for any faults, and then just decaled and washed in water once dried to remove water spots. Yes, I washed them even with the decals on, its perfectly safe AS LONG AS THE DECALS ARE DRY. I tend to blow a hairdryer on a low heat over them. Speeds up the drying process.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57173/mode/L/img.jpg

I’ve tested the Top Coat clear, seems safe over decals. Next job to clear them, and then its final assembly, apart from using the CM decals to add heat stains to the exhaust pipes.

That’s all.

Great job Mick, will look awesome in the end.

Great work. I love the red/white scheme!
/Joel

Beautiful job Mick. I too like the color scheme.

Too bad on the chain, I was looking forward to your progress on it, but would much rather have you hang around to share more of your work.

Dave

Beautiful job Mick. I too like the color scheme.

Too bad on the chain, I was looking forward to your progress on it, but would much rather have you hang around to share more of your work.

Dave

Thank you.. And thank you all for confirming the colour scheme. I wasn't overly sure, as I was starting to think it was a little fake looking... But seems to be a hit with you guys..

The P/E chain was just too hard for me to build. I'm man enough to know when I'm beat... I’ve had a few setbacks this week. I ended up being charged £45 by royal mail for a custom charge on a BAR Honda, I’d have been better off getting that from a UK supplier then paying for import from HLJ, oh well and my 240Z Rally has now been scrapped as well... I stripped off the bad paint, re-painted only to watch the body warp... Hmm... Nice..

I could cry, but I'm fresh out of caring at the moment.. :rolleyes: :frown: :disappoin

Thanks for the nice comments... Lifts the spirits a bit. :)

Body panels are looking A1, have you put the clar on yet?

Body panels are looking A1, have you put the clar on yet?

Steve,

i'm in the process of doing this now. I wasted about half a can of that Mr Hobby Top coat you sold me on testing.. I wanted to see how it looked, and how fast it cured over decals..

Let me just say, impressive stuff.. Very safe over decals. I even tried a direct wet coat over a decal, nothing happened, other then it glossed up. I'll keep you posted, but the two cans you sold me won't last long. :rolleyes:

I’ve now cleared the body cowlings using Mr Hobby Top Coat clear. It’s fantastic stuff. It’s easy to use, the can nozzle is very forgiving, and it goes on great. The little English on the can tells you it’s a resin acrylic, but it don’t half shine up, but only after you’ve applied a good few wet coats.

I applied 3 mists, and two wet and this used pretty much the whole can up. But I think money well spent, as the gloss is nice. It’ll perhaps dull off a little as it shrinks and dries, but I would think it glosses back up again with a rub with some compound. I’ll leave it for 5 days and do the smell test to see how fast it cures.

But so far, so good with me trying out my new choice of clear coat. Much easier to use then X22, lets hope it cures faster.

I’ve only taken this one picture so far, as I didn’t want to move the panels around too much, as they were still a little tacky when I took this about 10 mins ago.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57198/mode/L/img.jpg

Body parts looking great Mick.Look forward to seeing it completed.

I’ve also drilled all the holes out in the brake discs. I fully recommend anyone who attempts this to have a few spare drill bits, and a push down pin vise, not the one you turn by hand. The one you turn by hand takes too long, and it snaps drill bits too easy. The push down one is easy, as there is already a guide hole, just put the drill bit in the recess already there, and push down a few times, and bingo, one hole. But I did snap two bits.



Can you tell more about that push down pin vice? Maybe post a pic of it? See i got a hard time with drill bits snapping for me all the time. Maybe a link to a store that stocks them would be nice aswell =) Other than that, Amazing build i must say! Really impressive work!

Right,

I’ve started to heat stain the exhaust. I’ll be truthful, I was pretty skeptical that heat stains could be re-produced using decals. Crazy Modeler produce nice products, but their heat stain decals looked fantastic when demonstrated to me a few weeks back, but once I’d got the sheets in my hand, I was, erm.. No..!!

I’m happy to report, that these decals do work, and work well. I wasted a few goes learning how to use them, and discovered just how transparent they are. DO NOT APPLY them over bare plastic. Paint the part with Alclad II or something first. The base paint shows right through.

Thankfully, I’d already applied a coat of white metal to my exhausts, so I was fine. They are a little tricky, and it’s hard to bend a decal around a round pipe, but after a few attempts I learnt that Micro Sol is a wonderful product yet again, and once I’d get a technique worked out, I’d managed to heat stain most of this exhaust in no time at all. And it looks fantastic I think.

This product is really good. It’s much better then what I’d be able to do with paint. You just make a template the same as you’d do with CF and use the decals like CF decals, and they will re-produce the staining you see on real bike exhausts. Top product.. Sadly, instructions are bad, erm, actually there are none.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57201/mode/L/img.jpg

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57203/mode/L/img.jpg

Can you tell more about that push down pin vice? Maybe post a pic of it? See i got a hard time with drill bits snapping for me all the time. Maybe a link to a store that stocks them would be nice aswell =) Other than that, Amazing build i must say! Really impressive work!

You need one of these, it does help to stop snapping so many drill bits..

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57202/mode/L/img.jpg

I got mine in a set from eBay. I got 6 pin vise set, with various chucks, and types etc... This one is my fav though. Can't work without it. LOL

Gotta get me one of those =)

Nice job on the heat staining, looks really authentic!

I’ve now completed the heat staining. If anyone is considering using the CM heat stain decals, word of warning. They are VERY transparent, so any slight crease in the decal is amplified, and really easy to see. So plan your application, and look for areas in the pipe were a crease or join will not be seen when assembled.

My exhaust heat stain decals have a few creases, and joins, but when assembled, will not be seen. Also, do not attempt to use them without Micro Sol. The decals are very strong, and do not conform without chemical assistance. I actually found, soaking them in Micro Sol BEFORE application was better then trying to use water alone, as with only water they are very stiff, and do not bend well.

But overall, quite addictive. I wanted to use more of them, but anymore, and I’d have over killed it.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57221/mode/L/img.jpg

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57222/mode/L/img.jpg

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57223/mode/L/img.jpg

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57224/mode/L/img.jpg

I’ve test fitted the exhaust to the engine, and it fits perfectly. Happy with this, but the heat staining applied shows the bike must have had a darn good thrashing, as the incandescent markings would only show like this if the bike had been at high temps for a long time.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57354/mode/L/img.jpg

Which brings up the front forks. Obvoulsy if the bike has been run like the heat staining shows, the front fork dampers would be scored etc… They are chrome on the real bike, but due to oil in the damper, and moving up and down they would loose a bit of shine… So, Alclad II chrome was applied over a gloss base, but I tried to get a duller look, by adding a few too many coats. It looks OK, but it’s not really matching the wear on the engine or heat staining. Bolts were picked out using silver and clear blue. One of the forks chrome looks a lot duller then the other, I’m not sure what that’s all about, looks the same with eye, but taking a picture showed a different colour.. Weird..

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57355/mode/L/img.jpg

Also finished up the chain and assembled the suspension. Painted the reservoir in chrome, and its about ready for final assembly.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57356/mode/L/img.jpg

Box of parts, just leaving them to finally cure off, such as decals, chrome paint, etc… And that should be it. If I take my time, it should look pretty nice I feel.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57357/mode/L/img.jpg

Mick, this must be the first time I comment on you builds. I've been watching your builds since day 1 and just let me say that you have come a long way. For that alone, congratulations. I wish I can achieve that "cleanliness" someday :)

Those exhaust decals look quite good but I have a suggestion for you. They look pretty bright to me and not very realistic, but a coat of Smoke would tone them down a bit. You could try on a scrap piece first but I would bet it would look much better :)

I have built one of these Yamahas, but in the Taira Racing form. Actually, my 4th model ever, but I think it turned quite ok. At least I'm very proud of it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v345/pettercardoso/Yamaha%20R1%20Taira%20Racing/01_frontsmall.jpg

Mick, this must be the first time I comment on you builds. I've been watching your builds since day 1 and just let me say that you have come a long way. For that alone, congratulations. I wish I can achieve that "cleanliness" someday :)

Those exhaust decals look quite good but I have a suggestion for you. They look pretty bright to me and not very realistic, but a coat of Smoke would tone them down a bit. You could try on a scrap piece first but I would bet it would look much better :)


Thank you. Means a lot that does... Thanks for saying this. As for the exhaust, I did think of apply a few light coats of smoke, and now you've mentioned it Ill look into this.

Thanks..

This is looking rather spectacular mick, Hope your enjoying this build as much as we are. :iceslolan

Keep up the good work.

M1CRO.

Hey Mick,

Outstanding work on the exhaust, the decals look terrific. I agree they could be toned down a bit, but none the less, they look really nice. Look forward to receiving mine and giving them a go.

The rest of the bike is coming along nicely, i've been looking forward to the updates and I am never dissapointed.

Dave

I have to agree - both with the compliments on your build and building style as well as the decals.

I also had initial enthusiasm when I first saw them posted but then some scepticism crept into my mind the more I thought about how they would actually be in practice. Seeing your application of them has gone a long way to dispelling that scepticism, although the colors do look a bit livid and I prefer the look of a well executed airbrushed heat staining (which I can't do).

I know zilch about bikes. Do the exhausts really get that major "rainbow" effect? Maybe this is something CM could work on if they think it a valid comment?

The heat staining is a little over zealous. I’ll have to see if my mate will bring his own R1 around, and I’ll take a look at his. He’s already seen this, as I sent him a picture via email, and his comments were “bloody hell, looks real, but I’m not sure if it would burn as hot as this”. Hardly enough to say if what I’ve done is correct. Once we’ve had a look with his R1 cowlings off, I can make a better judgment.

I’ve now started to assemble the parts, and I’m trying to build as clean as possible, such as removing as much paint from the surface, without it being noticed, to make it stronger, as in the past I’ve sometimes skipped paint removal, and trusted CA glue to hold. It works, but nothing sticks better then plastic to plastic. So far, doing fine, but it’s a slow process. Carefully sanding, and then gluing.

The rear frame is now assembled. I painted under the rear wheel cowl enamel X18, as I didn’t like it being red, it just looked a little unfinished. If this isn’t technically correct, then I’m not fussed, it just looks more completed this way.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57368/mode/L/img.jpg

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57369/mode/L/img.jpg

And I’ve started to assemble the front section. I’ve not been so keen to put the handle bar on this time, not after I placed the ducati bar on the wrong way around. So, I’m being a little more cautious this time, and reading the instructions in triplicate. Do like my own work on the forks though. Pays to strip off kit chrome and repaint. Took a lot of masking, but the end result looks nice.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57370/mode/L/img.jpg

Well, that’s it. I’m on leave at the moment, so I’ll hope to have this completed end of this week.

Pretty much got the back of this now completed. I decided to just leave the exhaust as it was. I’ve not seen the real R1 my mate has, but he emailed back and said he had a look, and he says there is visible heat build up, but not as much as what this has gotten. But his bike is a lot different, as the pipes run under the seats, and not down the side like this. Comment was, that the red isn’t right, but the blue and yellow is really good. Verdict from this is then, close, but not correct. After spending so much time applying them, not got the heart to rip them off and try again… Sob..!!

The decal around the muffler have creased after micro sol. I’m hoping when they have dried next day, the creases will have gone a bit. They were fine until I applied sol to just wrap the decal around the clamp that holds it to the bike. Oh well..

Just got the front to build now. Started to look like a bike now…

Took this picture inside, as it’s starting to get dark outside. So, metal paints, and exhaust don’t look as vibrant.. Shame.

http://www.pictureparking.com/pic/57459/mode/L/img.jpg

Very nice build.I think the exhaust looks good (heat staining) The time you spent drilling out those brake discs was worth it,they look superb! Can't wait to see it with the bodywork in place.But it will be a shame to cover up all your hard work though.Best regards.

Great so far

Thanks for posting about the Crazy Modeller decals. I wasn't sure either if it would be nice. I will have to order some too.

mick, you might find that as the bike comes nearer to completion that the colour of the pipe staining changes slighty,because more of the parts and the combined colours can change the overall look...

Still I think its a great addition to the exhaust.

Great work.

M1CRO.