Tamiya 1/12 Yamaha YZF-R1 '98/99 - Overview

Kit Contents (#14073)

Won Gold Metal at Torcan 19/2002 in the 'Motorcycles - Advanced' category

Sprues

A:White:17, B:Grey:41, C:Black:27, D:Satin Chrome:18, E:Clear:7

Miscellaneous

14 screws & screwdriver, rear shock spring, black thick & thin vinyl tubing, two slick rubber like tires Total of 120 pieces

Colour Schemes

1998 Bluish White Cocktail: TS-8, 26 / X-18 heels Deep Purplish Blue: TS-50 /  TS-20 wheels 1999 Bluish White Cocktail: TS-26, 8 / X-18 wheels Deep Purplish Blue: TS-50 /  TS-20 wheels

Paints

Lacquer: TS-8, 26, 30, 50 Gloss Acrylic: X-1, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 18, 26, 27 Flat Acrylic: XF-1, 2, 7, 16, 56

Release History

1998/12/?? - 2000¥

Yamaha revealed the truly remarkable YZF-R1 to the world. Many considered it to be the most spectacular new model of the decade.

The general consensus of opinion was that the R1 didn't merely live up to the claims that had been made by Yamaha, it far exceeded them." Yamaha Motor Corp.

With the 1:1 YZF-R1 being such a hit with the motorcyclists, it was sure to a popular scale model. And like the 1:1 motorcycle, the hobby shops had a hard time meeting the demand of those wanting an YZF-R1. Here in Canada the YZF-R1 was flying off the shelves and soon as they came into the stores. At one point, there was a six month wait before the distributor could get more from Tamiya Japan.

After seeing numerous red/white and blue YZF-R1s, I was a little hesitate to join the 'me to' crowd. I started to think about what other colours might look good on the YZF-R1 and after seeing the yellow Honda's Interceptor I just knew the YZF-R1 would look great in yellow.

I selected Tamiya Chrome Yellow (TS-47). It has a hint of orange in it and I figured it would go with the red/black logos better than a Lemon Yellow.

Personally the result is stunning and I think Yamaha should have offered the YZF-R1 in a yellow/black colour scheme. But, maybe they thought it would look too much like the Honda CBR600F4 or Interceptor.

Note: Well, this has to be a first. A friend at Keith's Hobby Shop who rides motorcycles was so taken with my Chrome Yellow R1 that he has decided to buy a '98 or '99 YZF-R1 and paint it Chrome Yellow. Derek already has a quote for the paint job and says I should see the finished bike in April 2001. Looking forward to seeing it Derek!

Things to watch for

There are a few little quirks that I encountered during construction that you should watch for during construction:

• Side Cowls - the two sides won't meet perfectly on my kit. It doesn't appear that the engine, radiator or etc. are interferring with the cowls.
• Front Cowl - the front cowling may not meet the side cowls cleanly. On most other kits I've seen built the rear of the front cowl is too high. The best way to avoid this situation is to add the side cowls so they will act as a jig during front cowl assembly. This will allow you to align everything before the cement cures.
• Radiator Hoses - there are some very short radiator hoses needed and the only way to get them routed properly is to heat form them. Otherwise the radiator will be under stress and not sit properly.

Completed July 2, 2000 after 50-60 hours of effort.

1:1 References

The YZF-R1 returned for 1999 with changes in new graphics, redesigned gear change linkage, gear change shaft length increased, left side engine cover modified to accommodate new longer gear change shaft and fuel tank reserve capacity reduced from 5.5 litres to 4.0 litres.

Some 1:1 references

• 1998 - 'Scale Auto Modeller' V1 N7 has 3 pages of excellent close-up detail pictures.
• 1999 - Yamaha Motor Australia  and Motorcycle Online.
• All you wanted to know about the R1s
• Build a paper model of the R1

Contact Coaster http://home.interlog.com/~khartlen +/kits/tamiya/14073/overview.htm Last revised on: March 2, 2004 Copyright © 1998-2003, Kenneth W. Hartlen. All rights reserved.

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