Track-Prepping a CBR600RR (a "little" documentary for Christmas)

[MinnGreenGT]

I originally posted this over at MNSBR... but figured there might be some interest here as well!

Originally Posted @ MNSBR.com
The following is my photo-documentary of the creation of my brother (Jason748) & nephew's Christmas gifts: a pair of 1:18 scale model of my brother's race bike.  I have a total of roughly 20+ hours into the project, and approximately $30 in materials (including the bikes themselves, but not materials I already owned such as bondo & sandpaper).  My friends thought I was crazy for even attempting this, but everyone was more than pleased with the final result!

As with all good track bikes, the best place to begin is a brand new street bike.  Here I've chosen a nice blue Honda CBR 600RR:

Cost $3 each at WalMart in Apple Valley

The first step in prepping every track bike is to, of course, remove the "street" hardware: turn signals, mirrors, reflectors, seats, rear "shovel" and more...  I did choose to leave the side stand on, mostly just for ease of moving the bike around without having a decent race stand set.

The rotary tool & utility knife proved extremely useful at this point in the project

I then prepped the headlights & tail section for "removal"

scuffing the surfaces insure that the body filler will "grab" correctly, and the seat was cut down and kept to be used as a shaping guide for the "supersport" tail section

We begin "test fitting" the new race bodywork - no passenger space necessary, and headlights aren't useful or safe



I used a 3M lightweight body filler (ie: Bondo), and the wax paper allowed me to shape the body as it cured. This is actually the 2nd coat with filler.  Each layer is hand-carved with a utility knife before it's fully cured, then shaped with 280 grit, and finish-sanded with 400 grit paper.  The stock finish is scuffed with a red Scotchbrite pad to increase adhesion with the new paint.

With the body fit reasonably well, we appy a "guide coat" of paint...

I would normally do this with primer, but didn't have any on hand... so the final colors would have to do!

...Followed by the final sanding to take care of any flaws in the new "race" bodywork.

Nearly all the "guide coat" is removed in this process.  For reference, each time I tape a bike (remember... working on 2 at a time) takes at least 20 minutes and a lot of concentration!

After careful prep the copper finish coat was completed, followed by the black coat, then a check for "flaws"





Each color received two coats, and each color was separated by 24hrs curing time. The flaws, specifically those on the front number plate area, were fixed at the end of the project with fine point brushes

Frame Sliders are mounted, and a chain & suspension "upgrade" were done

The "Yoyodyne Sliders" were made from small button-head screws, the photo shows Matt/Guitarman76 helping me out by doing some detail painting of the chain, suspension, brakes, levers, and other minor details for a more-realistic finish

Every bike has it's sponsors & identifying number - and this one is no different.  We also "finished" up the frame slider installation.

I collected many sponsor logos from the web, but the ones on the lower fairing were actually taken from a real photo I shot last summer, cleaned up and scaled down for the bike.  I did all the editing in PhotoShop & Illustrator (I'm a Graphic Designer), and printed out the number plates & sponsors on a full sheet of glossly label stock from our color laser Xerox at the office.  Additionally I worked on finishing the frame sliders by filling in the screw heads with body filler, then sanding them to shape.

And finally the bike is ready to go.

Finishing touches all taken care of: repainted the gas filler & race pipe silver, as well as a few other minor paint touch ups here & there

A Little "Personalized" storage for the "off season" was also in order



I scanned in the back of the package, then replaced the photo with one of him dropping through turn 7 at Road America.  Also, all the original logos were replaced with his own sponsors, and a new "tire tread" to cover the old one.  I did retype much of the original text & copyright info for authenticity, but also added my own touches here & there.

And finally, a shot of the (REAL) bike in action (exiting turn 3 at Road America this past summer)


I waited until tonight to post this, as my brother is a poster & lurker here at MNSBR... and I wanted to keep it a suprise.  Today was Christmas at our family's house - and he loved it (even though he's a bit under the weather and didn't initially realize it was HIM on the back of the box):


But the most prescious thing was when my nephew Max opened his later and immediately knew it was "Daddy's Bike... Vrooooom! Vrooooom!!!" 


This was one of the most challenging models I've built (and the first in many years), but also the most rewarding.  For once everything went exactly as I had planned it to, and it all turned out the way I expected!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

[chaplain220]

That is true love bro, true love.  The #220 GSXR version is a lot easier to make, just buy the basic model, then step on it, kick it across the driveway, and hit it with a hammer.  Merry Christmas

[Gixxerblade]

That thing is friggin sweet!

[Sobottka]

bad ass!!!!!!!!!

[cbirk]

Thats way Cool. Jason's gotta grin from ear to ear. 

[DragonSlayer]

That is true love bro, true love.  The #220 GSXR version is a lot easier to make, just buy the basic model, then step on it, kick it across the driveway, and hit it with a hammer.  Merry Christmas

the gsxr #408 version is exactly like the 220 version.

btw minngreen...nice gift for your bro & nephew..Merry Christmas

[Boober]

Not only does that get a perfect 10 rating in the present department, it`s one of the better posts in a while!!!

[Jason748]

This thing is REALLY good!  The pictures don't do it justice.  It's very detailed right down to every last sponsor & contingency sticker.  In fact when I first opened it I thought  :-X How did he get a model company like Masito to do a model of my bike... I mean even the box had my photo on it...
He also gave me a CD with all the photo's of the build up, what's shown here isn't even a 1/4 of them.  He put a ton work into it.

Unfortunatility, one session after the photo that was used on the back of the box was taken,  I went down (the first of a few times) and the bike looked like a "proper" race bike for the rest of the year... ... At least he used photo's from when it was still nice  8)


This was just really cool and totally unexpected, not to mention the best gift I can rember ever getting!    and Yes Chris despite being really sick, I was grinning from ear to ear for quite a while,  But the best was still when Max (my son) opened his and took one lookat it and said "Daddy's motorcycle....vroom, vroom" while making the the throttle twisting motion with his hand! 

[jeyrod]

that is awesome. great work

[dabirk23]

That is soooooo cool!   

[MinnGreenGT]

Thanks everyone for the great comments & feedback ~ it really was a fun project, and I'm just glad that Jason & Max both really liked the final product (I told Jason that if he didn't really like it, I might have had to "repossess" it for my own collection).

And for anyone curious... here's a close up of the original & my version of the back of the box:


...and the Decal Set:

[Jeff]

LOL.. hey, that's my old bike!

And here I was gonna say "there's a guy who has yet to discover internet p0rn" but damn, how can you knock a guy who would go through all that for a gift.  Truly a one-of-a-kind and unique gift.

Hats off to you sir!