Suzuki GSX 750 F

[Guest]

Hello All

I'm a newbie to this forum though I've been making models longer than I care to admit.

I have some questions and would welcome some advice, but first some context.

Two French friends have been wonderfully helpful to me and I would so like to repay their kindness in some way. They dote on their motorcycle, which is a maroon Suzuki GSX 750F and I would love to present them with a scale model of it. I've never made a motorcycle kit before and just assumed that I would be able to buy a kit of something not too distantly related which I could convert and customise accordingly. Living near Limoges I have access to a good model shop but was shocked to see how few motorcycle kits there appeared to be, especially alongside the vast ranks of models of Tiger tanks. (I have the feeling that if someone were to discover in an archive somewhere a beer mat on which a German engineer had scribbled plans for a Tiger with an en-suite bathroom, a main stream plastic model company would rush one into production and the aftermarket industry would soon offer me a choice of western or eastern front toilet paper!). Anyway, an internet search confirmed that there was little available.

Is anybody aware of a kit which might be sufficiently related to make conversion possible? If not are there any companies you know of, large or small, that might produce the sort of resin/photoetch/etc parts that might allow me to build one? I know that there are many aftermarket producers of military, naval and aviation accessories, but until now the world of motorcycles has been closed to me.

Thank you

Best wishes

Nigel

[Guest]

Hi and welcome.

Unfortunately I think you'll struggle, the closest you'll likely get is a gsx-r, and at that a more modern wsb or bsb version.

It's always baffled me how certain models of bike never got made into kits and others did.

Example, tamiya mass a large scale cb750, (which is iconic and relevant enough), but never a z900, THE! First true superbike.

There are reams of bikes I'd love to see kitted but likely never will, I think one reason is tamiya being Japanese well be swayed by popularity in Japan and if you look and see how many 400cc kits are made this bears testament to that idea.

[Guest]

There is a GSX750-S Kit out there but not sure how much its different from the F, I'm with Mike its strange which models have been neglected and its certain the asian market is a driving force in that arena.

[Guest]

Thanks Mike and Trey for getting back with the info and advice. Perhaps it's just that we're spoiled rotten in so many fields now, increasingly so my own particular niche,World War I aviation. The photos make a conversion attempt to a two-seater seem nigh on impossible. I just don't know if the basic frame is the same, but it doesn't look so. Is there a thriving cottage industry in motorcycle resin/photoetch bits and pieces that you can point me towards?

Best wishes

Nigel

[Guest]

the 750S was the katana wasn't it?. if I'm right in that case the frame is different.

[Guest]

Yes I think so Colin.

So it looks like I'm back to square one unless someone can come up with some resin/photoetch etc names for me to pursue.

Best wishes

Nigel

[Guest]

If you're after somewhere that can make you a bespoke frame or parts then it would get pricey very quickly.

I don't know of anyone that makes modification parts beyond companies like 'top studio' who make things like aftermarket working link chains and such, you can get many 'hop up' parts for specific models such as real wire wheels, chains, sprockets, forks and such but otherwise I can't offer any help.

I once queried with someone on another forum, who'd moulded and cast parts to make a bike model, about the potential cost of having one of mine made (that's not available in the kit form), the rough guesstimate pricing he gave was faint inducing, I can understand the man hours going into a project like it and the skill involved and wasn't expecting cheap but certainly not wortwhile for me.

It was a long time back and I can't remember which forum, even if it's one I still use but if I find it, i'll pass the details on, it at least gives you another avenue to check.

On the subject of model bikes, has anyone else noticed a distinct drop off in Tamiya offerings for road going machines, race machines are all well and good but they're not a big favourite of mine, I have the Desmosedici race model kit but only because there isn't a road going version. I would love a series of Ducatis though, from the 900ss through 916, 999, 1098 and the new 1198 panigale and of course, a road biased Desmo. Oh well.

[Guest]

The details would be much appreciated thanks.

It does seem extraordinary that there's not much out there for model bike modellers.

Best wishes

Nigel