Mad Steve 20,611 Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 Afternoon Everypeeps Let's build something that's not Black for a change Aoshima kits are both entertaining and irritating at the same time. Before you even buy them, look in the box. more often than not the picture on the box isn't necessarily what's in the box, especially the older Kawasaki 750's (Z, Zephyr, RS etc) The pieces for the 'normal' version are often taken out, meaning you can only build the custom versions. This one, thankfully, has the whole tootie. You can build either the Standard bike, or one with Custom bits. The array of bits is quite astounding. There are 13 runners (3 chrome) and an impressive number of custom bits; 3 types of exhausts 2 kinds of forks, brakes, swingarms, shocks, handlebars, wheels, carbs, you name it. These kits are an excellent source of bits for your spare's boxes. Build a couple of these and you'll be well away with bits and bobs I'll not be following Aoshima's instructions build sequence because it's just weird, so I'll be starting with the engine, then there will be a break whilst I go on Holiday to the coast on Friday.... Woooooooooooh Onwaaaaaaaaards 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Bowcat 460 Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 Following along mate, I keep looking at Aoshima kits but never built one. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Col. 7,396 Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 This'll be interesting... 11 minutes ago, Mr Bowcat said: Following along mate, I keep looking at Aoshima kits but never built one. ..for the same reason Mr. B says. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tolvcat 3,529 Posted February 22 Report Share Posted February 22 (edited) My ex-wife had the R version with the bikini fairing. Sold it to a friend then a couple of years later I bought it back and ran it as a winter bike/commuter for another couple of years. Huge fun, not blinding fast but it encouraged you to take absolute liberties and laughed when you obliged Andy Edited February 22 by Tolvcat 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mad Steve 20,611 Posted March 4 Author Report Share Posted March 4 Afternoon Everyone I got a load of painting done before I went on Holiday, so I've been able to do quite a bit of building on this. Aoshima kits are a bit of a love/hate with me because some of them are just weird. Some of their ideas are a bit left of centre.... Anyhoo, The engine... Mostly painted Tamiya LP Light Gun Metal, Silver and Red. You'll notice that the sides of the engine are missing, because you only add those once the engines in the frame. These customising kits from Aoshima are really good value because you get so many extra bits with them, but the downside is that a lot of them are done in chrome, Its apparently a thing with the domestic builders in Japan, they like their shiny bits I, on the other hand, don't, so I have been preparing the swing arm, forks, shocks and a few more bits. Meanwhile, the Frame came together and fitted rather nicely. (Sides of the engine now fitted). The Centre stand is only temporary. I want to see if it will fit with the custom exhaust, I don't really like side stands. The trumpets on carbs are still a bit too shiny, so I think I will matt them down a bit more. Thats all for now... 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mad Steve 20,611 Posted March 8 Author Report Share Posted March 8 Afternoon Everyone Well, I really have had a nice couple of days of swearing I spent 2 days painting the original rear shocks only to find out that they don't actually fit to the new swing arm. I really do not like plated parts, and as is with most Aoshima's kits, the custom pieces are all on the chrome runner, and they aren't really as nice as the normal plastic, as seen below Okay, I've got the swingarm on finally (Also all chrome). It does look a bit odd at the moment because the frame is leaning forward as the shocks haven't been added yet. Swingarm is LP Silver, and the wheel Semi Gloss Black with Gloss Clear. The center stand does have to be removed because it gets in the way of the Custom 4 into 1 Exhaust, so I think I'll make a H stand for this, I don't really like side stands. Hardly ever used them on my real bikes actually. Plenty more to do... Onwaaaaaaards 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gorby 17,213 Posted March 8 Report Share Posted March 8 Engine looks very good. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mad Steve 20,611 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 Afternoon Everyone Madam spent the morning with No2 sorting out clothes for the charity shop, so I got some modelling done. Finishing off the front forks. Well, I was ready to start putting it all together until I noticed I'd painted the brake discs but forgot to drill them out... So, a short interlude with the pinvise and wallah!!! Starting to actually look like a scooter now. It's now time to turn our attentions to the final colouring in.... The supplied colours are these... Red (Decals) over white. Being no stranger to Aoshima's decals, I can tell you that the supplied red decal is not going to conform to that tank and swearing is the only guaranteed outcome there.... So what colour then? The bike has previously released in Red... and Dark Blue But I think this looks nicer... So yeller its gonna be... 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gorby 17,213 Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 50 minutes ago, Mad Steve said: But I think this looks nicer... You are weird. Certainly worth the effort drilling out the brake disks. They look much better. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mad Steve 20,611 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 31 minutes ago, Gorby said: You are weird. Certainly worth the effort drilling out the brake disks. They look much better. YOU'RE calling ME weird... HA! Bout time you built a scooter, that's what your problem is... Stop naffin abaaaht with those weird creature things and build a scooter 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gorby 17,213 Posted March 12 Report Share Posted March 12 2 minutes ago, Mad Steve said: build a scooter I don't get such unnatural urges. Uuuurggghh, nasty! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mad Steve 20,611 Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 It's okay...... I can wait. It's a good job I don't live in the IRN* anymore, otherwise I could have popped over tomorrow morning and dropped one off for you *Independant Republic of Nuneaton 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mad Steve 20,611 Posted March 15 Author Report Share Posted March 15 Afternoon Everyone Bit more a substantial update today. The front end is basically finished and all the plumbing done, and the tank added. I like the yellow Looking at it side on, this would make a nice base for a cafe racer, if you are that way inclined... It's taken 2 days to get the Yellow right, and I think it's come out qwate nacely (really don't like rattlecanning yellow) I laid down Gloss Aluminium down first, then the yellow over that. annnnd eventually, after doing an RWG on the exhaust to repair it, it was finally fitted I haven't picked one specific custom option, I've just sort of made it a mild custom. The model bod that's owns the bike upgraded the swingarm and shocks, but he's still saving up for a nice top notch Yoshimura exhaust (Man I remember that feeling; I saved up to fit a Cowley 4 into 1 exhaust onto my GSX 1100 that was the bogs dollock's ) Speaking of Custom bits... as I mentioned earlier in the build, this is a customizing kit, with many options, this is what's left over when you've finished. If you like scratch building, there's a complete front end, swingarm, shocks, chain and two exhausts, from just one kit! ok, just one or two small pieces and its done. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tolvcat 3,529 Posted March 15 Report Share Posted March 15 Looks the very dab in that yellow. there's just something about it that suits bikes. One reason I did my Eddie Lawson replica in yellow instead of green - well, that and green on vehicles is unlucky so it was never going to happen [1] Andy [1] I had a green KH250 that had never been crashed but still had a huge dent in the tank. Next door's alsation jumped the fence and knocked the bike into a concrete fence post. The universe was satisfied and left it alone after that. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mad Steve 20,611 Posted March 15 Author Report Share Posted March 15 4 minutes ago, Tolvcat said: Looks the very dab in that yellow. there's just something about it that suits bikes. One reason I did my Eddie Lawson replica in yellow instead of green - well, that and green on vehicles is unlucky so it was never going to happen [1] Andy [1] I had a green KH250 that had never been crashed but still had a huge dent in the tank. Next door's alsation jumped the fence and knocked the bike into a concrete fence post. The universe was satisfied and left it alone after that. I like that Hasegawa does a nice '78 KH 250. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tolvcat 3,529 Posted March 15 Report Share Posted March 15 Don't want to hijack your thread too much but here's the yellow bike. Still had the standard pipe at that point, but I stuck a US made race 4-1 on and then never got the jetting right again. even with K&Ns, a jetting kit and some dyno time Andy 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mad Steve 20,611 Posted March 15 Author Report Share Posted March 15 Nice one You know, you're not the first person that I've heard that problem with the Jets, but he ended up selling the bike (GPZ 400) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gorby 17,213 Posted March 15 Report Share Posted March 15 1 hour ago, Mad Steve said: scratch building, there's a complete front end, swingarm, shocks, chain and two exhausts, from just one kit! Get started then. No excuse. The yellow has turned out good. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Bowcat 460 Posted March 15 Report Share Posted March 15 Yellow looks good. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Col. 7,396 Posted March 16 Report Share Posted March 16 That does look good in yellow. 21 hours ago, Mad Steve said: Looking at it side on, this would make a nice base for a cafe racer, if you are that way inclined... Speaking of Custom bits... as I mentioned earlier in the build, this is a customizing kit, with many options, this is what's left over when you've finished. If you like scratch building, there's a complete front end, swingarm, shocks, chain and two exhausts, from just one kit! Ooh! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mad Steve 20,611 Posted March 16 Author Report Share Posted March 16 Aaaaaaand its done Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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