This model is not the ordinary plastic kit. It is a precision engineered 1/4 scale replica of a full size Honda CB750 Motorbike. It is built mainly from metal parts, including the wheels, tank, frame, engine/gearbox, handlebars, mudguards, brake components and many other metal parts. There are some plastic parts that resembles metal as well as other parts made from rubber (tyres), leather (seat) wiring harnesses and other electrical circuit boards, to enable all the lights to work just like on the real bike and a built in sound chip and speaker, for authentic engine sound. It even has it's own ignition key.
The kit comes in monthly parts, with each pack containing 3 or 4 stages, over a period of two years, ot it can be ordered as a complete kit at just over £700. Bought monthly like my kit, it costs £32 per month, but works out no dearer than ordering the full kit in one go.
I will be covering this build stage by stage, on a monthly basis as each monthly set of parts are delivered. So it's going to be quite a long build.
PACK ONE - Stages 1 to four.
Stage one - Fuel Tank. This is a very simple task, it is just a matter of attaching the Honda badges to each side of the tank. The badges are made of chromed plastic and are a push fit into small holes on each side of the tank. Notice that the tank itself is stove enamel painted, and comes with the gold stripes painted on as well. It is quite large and just fits in the palm of your hand, as you can see in the photo.
[ATTACH]116192.IPB[/ATTACH]
Here you can see that the right hand side badge has been fixed in place.
[ATTACH]116193.IPB[/ATTACH]
This shows how large this model is. This completes Stage one.
[ATTACH]116194.IPB[/ATTACH]
Stage two - Front Wheel & Cylinder Head parts
There are a few parts to add to the Cylinder Head cover. These two small parts are screwed from beneath the casting, with two small screws. First the holes in which the screws fit, have to be tapped first by using one of the screws provided.
[ATTACH]116195.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116196.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116197.IPB[/ATTACH]
Next the front tyre is fitted to the all metal spoked wheel, by gently fitting one side first over the rim. Then pull the other side over the opposite rim. It is a bit tight to get the second side on, but it is a nice snug fit, once in place.
[ATTACH]116198.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116199.IPB[/ATTACH]
Stage three - Speedometer & Rev Counter Dials.
This stage is a little fiddly, as some of the parts are very tiny. Each dial consist of backplate, pointer and fixing spindles, clear plastic lens cover and locking rim. In the photo, you can see the main dial housing with wires attached for illuminating the dials (when model completed). Below the housing are the two locking rings, dial backplates and Yoke top in black painted metal. On the green sandpaper (for clarity( you can see the plastic lens covers, needles and fixing pins.
[ATTACH]116200.IPB[/ATTACH]
The first job is to attach the needles to the dial backplate. Tweezers are needed for this job. once the needle has been lined up with the hole in the centre of each dial, you push the small spindle through the centre of the needle and attach a the small plastic holding clip underneath, then carefully close the needle spindle and clip together with a pair of small smooth edged pliers, so that the needles are held tight on the 0 position.
[ATTACH]116201.IPB[/ATTACH]
Having attached the needles, the next job is to mount the dials in the holders, these have a small notch in the rim, so you can line up the backplates in the right position. One these are in place, the plastic lens is placed over the top of the dial and the locking cover is snapped into place.
[ATTACH]116205.IPB[/ATTACH]
Next the whole assembly is attached to the metal yoke, with small screws, having first tapped the holes for the screws. Once this has been attached, this stage is complete.
[ATTACH]116206.IPB[/ATTACH]
underneath view
[ATTACH]116207.IPB[/ATTACH]
top view
Stage four - Handlebars.
This is the last stage for the first pack of parts. It is just a matter of fixing two clamps to the handlebars, which then fit to the top of the yoke behind the two dials. Each clamp comes in two halves and can only be fitted one way. First four more screw holes have to be tapped and then each clamp is screwed to the handlebar, one each side. Once this is done, the handlebars are fixed to the yoke, using two more small screws. That completes the first four stages of this model.
[ATTACH]116208.IPB[/ATTACH]
Handlebar parts
[ATTACH]116209.IPB[/ATTACH]
Clamps fitted
[ATTACH]116210.IPB[/ATTACH]
Handlebars fixed to top of yoke (underneath view)
[ATTACH]116211.IPB[/ATTACH]
top view
Photo below, shows all the completed parts of the model so far.
[ATTACH]116212.IPB[/ATTACH]
I hope that these images have given you some idea, just how large this model is. All the parts are crisp and clean, with no burr marks and the paint finish and chroming on all the parts is perfect.
I should be getting the next parts very soon, so as soon as they arrive, I will post up part two.
Thank you for looking in.
Geoff
The kit comes in monthly parts, with each pack containing 3 or 4 stages, over a period of two years, ot it can be ordered as a complete kit at just over £700. Bought monthly like my kit, it costs £32 per month, but works out no dearer than ordering the full kit in one go.
I will be covering this build stage by stage, on a monthly basis as each monthly set of parts are delivered. So it's going to be quite a long build.
PACK ONE - Stages 1 to four.
Stage one - Fuel Tank. This is a very simple task, it is just a matter of attaching the Honda badges to each side of the tank. The badges are made of chromed plastic and are a push fit into small holes on each side of the tank. Notice that the tank itself is stove enamel painted, and comes with the gold stripes painted on as well. It is quite large and just fits in the palm of your hand, as you can see in the photo.
[ATTACH]116192.IPB[/ATTACH]
Here you can see that the right hand side badge has been fixed in place.
[ATTACH]116193.IPB[/ATTACH]
This shows how large this model is. This completes Stage one.
[ATTACH]116194.IPB[/ATTACH]
Stage two - Front Wheel & Cylinder Head parts
There are a few parts to add to the Cylinder Head cover. These two small parts are screwed from beneath the casting, with two small screws. First the holes in which the screws fit, have to be tapped first by using one of the screws provided.
[ATTACH]116195.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116196.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116197.IPB[/ATTACH]
Next the front tyre is fitted to the all metal spoked wheel, by gently fitting one side first over the rim. Then pull the other side over the opposite rim. It is a bit tight to get the second side on, but it is a nice snug fit, once in place.
[ATTACH]116198.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]116199.IPB[/ATTACH]
Stage three - Speedometer & Rev Counter Dials.
This stage is a little fiddly, as some of the parts are very tiny. Each dial consist of backplate, pointer and fixing spindles, clear plastic lens cover and locking rim. In the photo, you can see the main dial housing with wires attached for illuminating the dials (when model completed). Below the housing are the two locking rings, dial backplates and Yoke top in black painted metal. On the green sandpaper (for clarity( you can see the plastic lens covers, needles and fixing pins.
[ATTACH]116200.IPB[/ATTACH]
The first job is to attach the needles to the dial backplate. Tweezers are needed for this job. once the needle has been lined up with the hole in the centre of each dial, you push the small spindle through the centre of the needle and attach a the small plastic holding clip underneath, then carefully close the needle spindle and clip together with a pair of small smooth edged pliers, so that the needles are held tight on the 0 position.
[ATTACH]116201.IPB[/ATTACH]
Having attached the needles, the next job is to mount the dials in the holders, these have a small notch in the rim, so you can line up the backplates in the right position. One these are in place, the plastic lens is placed over the top of the dial and the locking cover is snapped into place.
[ATTACH]116205.IPB[/ATTACH]
Next the whole assembly is attached to the metal yoke, with small screws, having first tapped the holes for the screws. Once this has been attached, this stage is complete.
[ATTACH]116206.IPB[/ATTACH]
underneath view
[ATTACH]116207.IPB[/ATTACH]
top view
Stage four - Handlebars.
This is the last stage for the first pack of parts. It is just a matter of fixing two clamps to the handlebars, which then fit to the top of the yoke behind the two dials. Each clamp comes in two halves and can only be fitted one way. First four more screw holes have to be tapped and then each clamp is screwed to the handlebar, one each side. Once this is done, the handlebars are fixed to the yoke, using two more small screws. That completes the first four stages of this model.
[ATTACH]116208.IPB[/ATTACH]
Handlebar parts
[ATTACH]116209.IPB[/ATTACH]
Clamps fitted
[ATTACH]116210.IPB[/ATTACH]
Handlebars fixed to top of yoke (underneath view)
[ATTACH]116211.IPB[/ATTACH]
top view
Photo below, shows all the completed parts of the model so far.
[ATTACH]116212.IPB[/ATTACH]
I hope that these images have given you some idea, just how large this model is. All the parts are crisp and clean, with no burr marks and the paint finish and chroming on all the parts is perfect.
I should be getting the next parts very soon, so as soon as they arrive, I will post up part two.
Thank you for looking in.
Geoff
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