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1:12 2004 Yamaha YZR-M1


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Hello all,

I usually like to build Tamiya 1:12 motorcycles but a few years ago Squadron had these Heller kits on sale for $20 each.  I figured that for a bike and rider that was pretty cheap and I would take a chance on the kit.  It is no Tamiya but it is definitely worth 20 bucks.  The kit was started and everything was going fine until the decal stage.  I had put the decals on and cleared over them with Future.  I then decided it wasn't shinny enough so I sprayed some clear lacquer over that...mistake.  The Future and Lacquer did not play well together.  I sanded it down some and of course I messed up the paint.  At the time I thought that it was terrible and I just put it back in the box because I didn't want to mess with it anymore.  So that is how it sat until now.

2004 Yamaha YZR M1 01

 

I took it out yesterday to see how much work it was going to be to fix it and I am not sure why I was so frustrated at the time because it is not that bad.

2004 Yamaha YZR M1 02

You can see where it is a little light around the edges and the paint has a couple of flea bites.  It is the same on the rest of the fairings.  I don't think I am even going to fix it.  I will just call it race used and finish the build.  I clearly had this built up to a much bigger issue in my mind.

I will get back on it after dinner tonight and post an update.

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Spectre, you are right sometimes when the frustration level gets up there it is better to just set the project aside and build an egg plane or something to clear your mind.  Usually after I go back to the project it is not as bad as I thought.  The problem is that it usually takes me years to get back to those projects.

Spejic, that might have been my problem.  I spray in my garage and it gets pretty humid here in Florida. 

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Found some time to work on this today.  After I followed the instructions and cut the vinyl tubing to the recommended lengths and glued them to the various nubs around the bike.  Then when I went ahead in the instructions to find out where the other ends of the tubing were supposed to be glued and found out that they don't get attached to anything.  They are just supposed to be hidden behind the fairing.

 

2004 Yamaha YZR M1 04

 

Ok, I guess I will go with it because if I try to pull the tubing back off it will break the little nubs and that will end up being a pain.

Then I get to the part where I am supposed to put the one piece fairing over the front wheel and on the frame.

2004 Yamaha YZR M1 05

 

Doesn't fit....I will stick with Tamiya from now on.

After a break for a cold beverage I was able to squeeze the rubber on the tire down enough to get it through the hole.  The bike portion is about done.  Just some fine details need to be painted.

2004 Yamaha YZR M1 06

 

Now to start on all the seams on The Doctor.

2004 Yamaha YZR M1 07

Thanks for looking in

Els

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  • 2 weeks later...

The rider is together, seems fixed etc.  I always like trying to interpret flat drawings of riders into the 3d crouched riding position for masking and painting.

2004 Yamaha YZR M1 08

I did not have any Lemon yellow so I just mixed up something that looked about right.  Then I blasted it with some of the blue that I used on the bike.

2004 Yamaha YZR M1 09

 

I think it will be a pretty good match after I shade it down a bit and hit it with a dull coat.  The decals are going to be a pain because they printed them out as if the rider was standing straight like in the drawings.  Trying it get some of them to bend around bent elbows and stuff should be fun...  I will probably have to cut the individual letters apart and attach them one at a time.

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I have been working on this on and off all day.  The decals in this kit worked very well but some of them were oversized.  The helmet decals were oversized and did not fit over the curves of the helmet.

2004 Yamaha YZR M1 10

 

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All of the places where you cans see blue I had to cut away the yellow to get them to fit as best I could. 

After that I went over them with some of the yellow that I used on the leathers to try and clean it up some.

 

2004 Yamaha YZR M1 122004 Yamaha YZR M1 13

Still pretty rough but I can live with it.  It is lucky that I am building this for the Shelf Queens GB or I would have put it back in the box again.

Valentino's face was also painted.

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And after some little touch ups here and there I am calling this one a shelf queen no longer.  Like I said before it is no Tamiya, but for 20 something dollars its a bike and rider that look pretty good on the shelf.  Next time I see them on sale I will probably pick up another one, there are plenty of after market decals out there.

2004 Yamaha YZR M1 15

I will post a few completed pictures in the showroom. 

Thanks for following along.

Els

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