1999 Suzuki Hayabusa 1/12th

First a little history.Way back in June 2000 I purchased a brand new Suzuki Hayabusa in Red and Black.It really was a great bike which I kept for just over 2 years in total before I sold it,a decision I later wished I hadn't made.I wish I had kept it.
Anyway I've wanted to build the Tamiya kit of this bike ever since it first came out but just never got round to it.So I'm hoping to rectify this now.I've made a start on the kit which will be built in the same colours as the one I owned.

This one.Not the best picture but one of the few I have of my bike.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Untitled-Scanned-10.jpg

I'll be using some of the Crazy Modeler etched set and the correct colours to depict my bike from the Zero paint range,kindly matched by Steve Hemming (thanks Steve!!!) Here are a few progress pics of what I have done so far.It's my first bike kit since Tamiya's Yamaha YZF-R1 kit in 1998 and I'm a little rusty so be gentle.Comments welcome.

The engine was painted Alclad Aluminium and all the bolts on the engine covers where replaced with etched parts.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa1006.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa1005.jpg

The frame was left in it's plated finish (it is a little too bright) I masked and sprayed the sections at the rear (where the swingarm fits to the frame) and the top of the swingarm (where the spring passes through) as these are cast and should be a rougher,duller and textured finish.I also painted the wheels in the correct Suzuki Dark Grey Metallic satin finish not the black as suggested by Tamiya on the instructions sheet.Luckily I had a small touch up of this colour left over from when I had the real bike.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa1025.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa1029.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa1027.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa1026.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa1003.jpg

The rear brake fitted from the Crazy Modeler set with photo etched nuts.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa1024.jpg

The Crazy Modeler front brake disk assembled.Just needs some paint.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa1001.jpg

Well that's it for now.I'll be working on the front forks and wheel assembly next so more pictures as it comes together.Let me know what you think so far.

great start. Don't forget the seam on the wheels.:grinyes:

You're off to a great start. This is one of the nicer Tamiya kits.... they're all nice really, but this one stands out.

I'll be following you along your trip down memory lane :)

Look forward to picking up some useful tips for when I do mine (next century).

I've been on the late shift at work this week so progress has been a little slow.

The front brake discs had the centers picked out in Alclad Pale Gold.I'm going to add photoetched nuts onto them once installed.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa1032.jpg

The large radiator and oil cooler were painted and installed.Colours were Alclad Semi Matt Aluminium and Vallejo Air Black for the oil cooler.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa1035.jpg

The front mudguard was painted.For this I used Zero Paints Candy Red over the fine metallic silver basecoat.The colour is perfect and the Candy paint sprayed beautifully.The picture below shows the real bike for comparison and the next picture the mudguard from the model.(although it is very shiny I haven't clear coated it yet.) So the shine should be fantastic when cleared.I'll be using Zero 2K Clear which I haven't used before but have heard only good things about.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/13308407nmQSpHBUFG_ph.jpg

I'm very happy with the colour match for the red.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa1040.jpg

I'm working on the front fork assembly today so I may have another update later.

Hola! That color match is outstanding :thumbsup:

Bet you are happy ;)

Great shine on that mud guard Steve! Perfect start!
/joel

WOW! Fantastic start on this bike. That must have been fun to own one in real life.

Everything looks extremely clean and detailed. I just bought this one on eBay and will be using your WIP as a guide for mine!

Just a small update.I finished the main parts for the forks and front brakes.I also used the Zero 2K Clear coat on the front mudguard and the comments about the quality of this stuff were correct.It goes on so easily,dries smoothly and the finish is like glass with absolutely no orange peel texture.I sprayed a light tack coat then 3 reasonably wet coats.I didn't even polish it at all it was that good from the airbrush there was no need to.I am very impressed! It won't be the last time I use it for sure.

The front end mocked up on the chassis.I still have to add various photo etch fasteners and bolt heads to the brakes and mudguards.The Crazy Modeler brakes are excellent and add a lot to the front end.They alone are worth the asking price of the set.But there's so much more on the frets as well.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-frontmockup001.jpg

Mudguard up close.The Zero 2K Clear provides an incredible shine.The Tokico logo's on the calipers are also from the Crazy Modeler set and are self adhesive saving painting them by hand.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-frontmockup004.jpg

I'm working on the handle bars and top yoke now.I should have another update later.

that soez is looking great Steve. I'm waiting for further progress.

Last update for today.My eyes have gone funny fixing all the photo etch nut and bolt heads.:screwy: I've assembled the front end and fixed it to the chassis.This side is almost finished,I just have to add the bolt head details to the very centre of the brake disc.One thing I had forgotten is how much fun the Tamiya motorcycle kits can be to build.For the first time in a long time I really am enjoying making this one.It's such a refreshing change after so many rally and F1 models.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-frontmockup011.jpg

I'll post more progress reports as I progress further.

Quick update on the model.I got the tank and seat unit painted this afternoon.The seat unit was fine.There are a few small dirt nibs in the lacquer but nothing that a polish with Micromesh and some compounding won't fix when it's properly dry.

The seat unit painted.It doesn't photograph well especially in indoor light.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-TankandSeatUnit011.jpg

I had a few minor issues with the tank regarding the painting (all my own doing I might add) I didn't let the silver undercoat for the Candy Red dry long enough and whilst adding the Candy colour coat it softened the silver layer slightly causing a slight colour shift.However as luck would have it it was right bang in the middle of where the tank was going to be painted black,so I pressed on with the Candy layer and simply gave the affected area a light sanding with 8000 Micromesh before applying the black which covered it over perfectly.For the masking on the tank I used cut down Tamiya tape and a good eye instead of the Tamiya masks included in the kit.After about an hours drying both the seat unit and tank were given 3 to 4 light coats of Zero 2K Clear.

A few views of the painted tank.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-TankandSeatUnit002.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-TankandSeatUnit004.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-TankandSeatUnit003.jpg

I'll polish up both parts after some drying and take my time a little whilst painting the fairing parts so I don't get a repeat of the tank problem.Once again the Zero 2K Clear Lacquer impressed me no end.The shine straight from the gun is incredible and if you can coax it to run you really are trying too hard.Highly recommended.See you on the next update.

That paint job is to die for!!

How long do you wait between your light coats of Zero 2k clear?

That paint job is to die for!!

How long do you wait between your light coats of Zero 2k clear?

Only about 5-10 minutes.

what a shine :smokin:

A few pictures of the tank fitted to the bike.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-TankandSeatUnit022.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-TankandSeatUnit031.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-TankandSeatUnit037.jpg

:smokin: :smokin: :smokin:
/Joel

Damn, That's sweet :bigthumb:

cool :grinyes: :grinyes:

I also painted the wheels in the correct Suzuki Dark Grey Metallic satin finish not the black as suggested by Tamiya on the instructions sheet.Luckily I had a small touch up of this colour left over from when I had the real bike.

Would some X-10 gunmetal mixed in with X-1 get close to this color? What would be the right mixture?

Wow! That colour is stunning!

Would some X-10 gunmetal mixed in with X-1 get close to this color? What would be the right mixture?

If I had some of the proper colour left over I would send you some,but I used the bit I had from the touch up.However I did a little test and compared the colour for you.If you mix black and gunmetal in a 3:1 ratio it is virtually an exact match.Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Steve.

Made a little progress.Added the rear brake line and the footrest hangers minus the actual footrests themselves (I will add these at the end to save breakage) I also polished the rear seat unit and fitted this to the chassis.This gave me a slight problem as the fit over the rear frame work is very tight and it removed a little of the paint on the frame.So I had to mask up and re-paint the damaged portion,but it worked out fine in the end.Just bear this in mind if you build the kit and maybe protect the frame with a little masking tape whilst you fit the rear seat unit.Another tip is to add the tail light (the red part) after fitting the seat unit as it will make the fitting a lot easier.Glue the rear of the tail light (the black part) in before fitting though as it cannot be fitted after.Here are some pictures.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Hayabusa-rearseaton010.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Hayabusa-rearseaton011.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Hayabusa-rearseaton001.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Hayabusa-rearseaton003.jpg

I'm working on the exhaust pipes now.They are taking quite a bit of cleanup as the end cans are molded in two halves so the seam needs eliminating.More progress on the next update.See you then.

:eek2::eek2: Your bike looks Fantastic Steve the paint job is awesome love the color the hole thing is so clean looking can't wait to see more. The line between the two colors on the tank looks perfect.

If I had some of the proper colour left over I would send you some,but I used the bit I had from the touch up.However I did a little test and compared the colour for you.If you mix black and gunmetal in a 3:1 ratio it is virtually an exact match.Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Steve.

Thanks Steve. I'll give it a try! I've never seen one close up, so I won't be too worried about it.

Are you going to keep the pipes kit chrome, or spray them with Alcad? I looked at mine and the seams will be quite noticeable.

looking great steve. Aren't you forgetting your decals?

Thanks Steve. I'll give it a try! I've never seen one close up, so I won't be too worried about it.

Are you going to keep the pipes kit chrome, or spray them with Alcad? I looked at mine and the seams will be quite noticeable.

I have assembled the downpipes that run from the engine and removed the seams already.These were painted matt black finish.On the earlier Hayabusa models (which mine was) the sections from the bottom of the fairing to the end cans are also matt black (on the later models they were chromed/coated) this was because owners complained about the paint flaking off on the earlier models so Suzuki solved the problem by chroming/coating them.The suggested colour for the end cans is TS-17 but I may use Alclad semi matt aluminium instead for a better match to the real ones.The seams on the end cans are very prominent and I am in the process of eliminating them at the minute.

great looking model steve, your shine finish is just stunning, how does that clear react with decals, especially decal heavy moto gp bikes, i am using mr top coat at the mo which gives a pretty good shine, but not as good as yours! also, what would you recommend wearing over mouth etc when spraying with it, i've heard it is very toxic! also does it damage airbrush at all?
Cheers
Colin:grinyes:

looking great steve. Aren't you forgetting your decals?

Thanks Ketje,

I haven't forgot the decals.There's not that many actually just a couple of Suzuki logos and some stickers on the frame and swingarm area.I left them off for now and will fit the majority of them at the end to avoid possible damage during the fitting of the front fairing sections.

great looking model steve, your shine finish is just stunning, how does that clear react with decals, especially decal heavy moto gp bikes, i am using mr top coat at the mo which gives a pretty good shine, but not as good as yours! also, what would you recommend wearing over mouth etc when spraying with it, i've heard it is very toxic! also does it damage airbrush at all?
Cheers
Colin:grinyes:

Hi Colin,

I've not tried it over any decals yet so I can't say how it would behave myself.If you contact Steve Hemming aka 'Hiroboy' who produces the Zero paints and lacquers I'm sure he would have tried it over decals.He is an active member on this forum.Whilst spraying I used my new fume extractor which removes the un-pleasant smells from the paint,but for extra safety I also wore a 3M respirator mask as well to take no chances as I've heard it can be hazardous to your health.If you use a respirator mask and spray in a well ventilated area you should be fine.You must clean the airbrush straight after use because I would imagine if it sets in the airbrush it will be ruined.

Best regards,

Steve.

cheers for the info steve, think i'll stick to mr hobby for now! wait till I've saved up for an extractor. keep up the great work

Special post for Ketje.I thought you would want to see the first decals to go on.I've also painted and fitted the seat.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-firstdecals026.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-firstdecals008.jpg

I am working on the exhaust end cans today and hopefully will have the fairing parts painted in the Candy red.Then the tricky task of masking the fairings to apply the black onto them.

This paint job just keeps to amaze me. I think you hit the roof with this one Steve. Interesting to see the side cowls and the pipes.
/Joel

That is just a great looking color and the shine is amazing. Because of this thread, I just ordered some of the Zero 2K clear, so you can ask Steve for commission. :0)

Finally got the colours onto the fairing parts.I say finally because I've been doing it all day.There was no problem with the painting (although the masking was a little tricky) it just seemed that everyone wanted to speak to me on the phone today and they all rang at the most inopertune moments.Several times I had to put the parts down whilst I was doing the masking.Friends,who needs them :evillol: Anyway here's a few pictures,they will need clear coat,probably tomorrow.The black looks grey on the pictures but it's just the poor light indoors.It is black in the daylight.

Side fairing panels

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Hayabusa-firstdecals001.jpg

Upper nose.Don't worry about the ragged edge.The indicator covers this.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Hayabusa-firstdecals004.jpg

I didn't touch the exhausts due to all the delays so they will come later.

I still can't get over that shine. I keep scrolling back and looking at it. Great work. The detail painting/photoetch is great as well-I just keep staring at the shine, though!

I've just finished spraying the clear onto the fairing parts.It all went smoothly.What amazes me with the Zero 2K clear is not just the way it sprays and the shine it gives but also how economical it is as well.If I mix 5ml Clear,2.5ml Hardener and 1ml Thinner as per the correct ratio's,it gives me just over half a cup on my Tamiya Spraywork's 15cc cup.That half a cup has done both fairing side panels,the front upper fairing/nose piece and the bottom rear fairing piece,a tack coat on each + 3 wet coats and there was still a small amount left in the airbrush at the end.It really goes a long way.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-firstdecals008-1.jpg

I'll update again later but perhaps not today as I have a 1:1 car that really needs a thorough valeting and a vacuum on the inside.See you on the next update.

Dude - you've got that system nailed - awesome finish....wow.

Steve, this is awsome. I've also ordered and received the 2K clear and I hope to get the same great result with it.

So about the decals, you are not going to clearcoat them ?

Keep up the good work I'll be watching :popcorn:

I'm really tempted to try this clear now....

In some of those pictures it looks a little thick. Is the fit of the fairings compromised, screw holes smaller, etc.?

Is the fit of the fairings compromised, screw holes smaller, etc.?

I wouldn't have thought so,although the acid test will be when I fit the fairings onto the model,so we shall see.There was no problem when fitting the tank and the seat unit and they had the same 3 coats of clear.The little screws went through the holes on the seat unit fine.I've tried the fairing panels together with the clear coat applied off the bike and the fit seems fine as well,so fingers crossed they should be ok.Watch this space.

So about the decals, you are not going to clearcoat them ?

On the real bike the only stickers that were lacquered over were on the petrol tank and the Tamiya decals are already glossy.So I decided not to lacquer over the decals.I really didn't want to run the risk of spoiling the model by adding extra coats of clear.

I wouldn't have thought so,although the acid test will be when I fit the fairings onto the model,so we shall see.There was no problem when fitting the tank and the seat unit and they had the same 3 coats of clear.The little screws went through the holes on the seat unit fine.I've tried the fairing panels together with the clear coat applied off the bike and the fit seems fine as well,so fingers crossed they should be ok.Watch this space.

That 2k clear is great stuff then! Can't wait to see the finished product!

Looks fantastic so far, that clear makes a brilliant finish

Thanks Steve. Love your built and I'm waiting for the end result.

Fabulous job. Is the 2K clear a lacquer, that could damage decals? Or are you just concerned about applying another unnecessary coat? Either way is understandable of course.

Fabulous job. Is the 2K clear a lacquer, that could damage decals? Or are you just concerned about applying another unnecessary coat? Either way is understandable of course.

This is my first use of the Zero 2K Clear so I'm not certain if it would harm the decals or not.My instincts tell me it wouldn't as it seems quite gentle,not like the Tamiya TS-13 or some of the other clear coats I've used in the past which have ruined decals on some of my models.I think the main reason I didn't use the clear over the decals was that on the real bike the stickers are not clear coated and also as you mentioned above I didn't feel it necessary to apply extra coats of clear.I will do a test using the Zero 2K over some decals on an old scrap part just to see how it fares as I am curious myself to see if it reacts as I have quite a few rally and F1 models to build that would really benefit from a good quality clear such as this.

I finished the main exhaust section that fits to the engine and finished one of the rear end cans.The middle section of the exhausts has quite a prominent seam running along it's length which needed some filler to remove it.Luckily on the early bikes from 1999 this section is painted black,so it was just a case of re-spraying.If you are building one of the later bikes where it is chromed I would imagine either some bare metal foil or Alclad could be used to re-instate the chrome finish.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-onepipe014s.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-onepipe012s.jpg

I also added the decals to the swing arm and frame.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-onepipe018s.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-onepipe013s.jpg

The rear nozzles on the exhaust cans are chrome plated on the kit but the chrome is too bright and I remember on my bike the finish was more of a muted gold colour.I re-sprayed the parts in a mixture of Alclad Pale Gold and Alclad Aluminium to better represent the proper finish.

The flat black exhause really looks good with that paint scheme. I may paint mine black as well, even if it isn't authentic. That's the nice thing about building models: you can make it any way you want!

I've never tried BMF or Alcad, so most of my bike exhausts tend to be flat black!

I love the contrast between the glossy paint and the satin black - very nice.

Just two quick pictures of some progress.The fairing is now fitted to the bike.Just got to finish the exhaust on the left side and fit the screen and various other parts.Then just the odds and ends to finish and it's almost done.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-onepipe005.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-onepipe001.jpg

The fairing fitted very well even with the coats of clear it had.The front section was a little tight and needed some slight pressure to fit onto the locating pegs but it went on in the end.

looking good.

Almost done :grinyes:

Extremely perfect, I love that paintjob!!!

Waiting to see it finished soon

Bye
Roca.

I can't wait to see it 100% finished, I'm sure this build has increased our sales of 2K Clear coat :)

I can't wait to see it 100% finished, I'm sure this build has increased our sales of 2K Clear coat :)

It sure did.... received the package and am looking forward to trying it out.

Stunning progress on the bike. Beautiful color.

Nearly finished now.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Hayabusa-FinishedPT3004.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Hayabusa-FinishedPT3006-1.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Hayabusa-FinishedPT3012-1.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Hayabusa-FinishedPT3021-1.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Hayabusa-Finished015.jpg

It should be in the completed section pretty soon

looking great Steve. Well done. :grinyes:

I almost have a tear in the corner of my eye for this build... So fabulously well executed. The red and the black paint match so well and the line between them are so crisp.
A+++++++++ from Sweden
/Joel