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Kawasaki 500 Mach III


Bengalensis

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Thanks for encouragement and tips Colin.

I actually often use sanding paper, sometimes I paint it and sometimes I cheat by doing nothing to it... I used a greyish sanding paper here as well, and I'm doing a little bit more paint and dripping and a little other detail to add som life. I will have to develop myself in this area though, as a good base really lifts many models, without making a full blown diorama.

Can't agree more Jorgen a base really lifts a model. Just look at any display table at any club meeting where seemingly good models are just 'plonked' on the tabel as a finished kit and not a completed model. Every model has a story to tell, the base is part of this story, without a base you haven't done your model justice IMHO.

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The tyres make a huge difference, the originals looked more like a motocrosser, and as Chris has said the engine finish is first class, fantastic work

Cheers

Dennis

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The last parts are now fitted. Handlebar, headlight and instruments with the cables hooked up. It's possibly time to fire her up for a ride...

MachIII_56.jpg

Rear light and license plate installed. This is the older registration system used in Sweden that was replaced in -72.

MachIII_57.jpg

Back then registration codes were unique for local districts, and a red plate was an interim registration meaning this is a new bike the owner recently took delivery of, or possibly the bike recently changed ownership over a district border. In a few weeks time it will get a white plate with a black number. E-reg places the bike in the district of Östergötland which is here, for those interested in geography :). Plenty of good roads there.

ostergotland.gif

And somewhere in that area our driver has taken a break at a gas station, taking the opportunity to also fill some oil and get something quick to eat :).

MachIII_58.jpg

I had to add some detail to the base, so I put a simple edge of grass on one side and scratched an oil tin can and the empty tray that the hot dog with mashed potatoes was served in. For those not familiar it's like a quick road/street side meal, a bit like fish and chips served in paper. Simple but delicious when you are hungry but really want to get on driving. I would have liked to put a pair of black gloves over the seat, but I had noting useful in 1/12 scale. I will see if I can find something suitable later.

MachIII_59.jpg

And when he takes off again this is the view most people will see, with the three pipes sending a clear message, if you missed the song when he passed... :)

MachIII_60.jpg

With this I will call it finished. It has been really inspiring and rewarding to build a bike model for a change, something I may never have tried without this Group Build. It will not be the last, but I'll probably stick to the older classics. I would like to thank the organizers of the GB and also say thanks for all support during the build. I will put some more pictures in the gallery.

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Cracking build Jorgen, congratulations, you entry looks fantastic. I think I'm going to have to pull my finger out!!!! Thanks for sharing your build.

Colin

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That's lovely. I didn't really buy the "base lifts model" argument but I can see that was wrong - it adds just the right amount of context and really does frame the bike well.

Will

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...

:thumbsup: WOW- Nice job! :thumbsup: . . . . Lets get the models out of the way first, Revell made 5 different versions of your kit over a 2 year period, the bike you have built is the 1971 H1a C.D.I. version, they the re-introduced a new version in the 1990's.

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However, more importantly to me, the bike in the Black and White photo . . KFM 277J was my bike the last Eighteen years! It has just undergone a full and concours restoration, it is now in absolutely stunning condition (I don't use that word lightly) - And will be the flagship at my Pals wedding (In Chester) in a Months time . . . along with 4 other bikes of the same Year and model. My face would have been a picture when I saw the photo that Dennis posted of it at Oulton Park from "back in the day" I have obviously traced all it's former keepers and I assume that at the time you lived on the Wirral somewhere? The bike now resides in Bromborough until it goes to it's new home in my pals office in Christleton :thumbsup:

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Back to the bike, KFM 277J is a 1969 H1, it is actually the earliest known H1 500 in the U.K. as far as I am aware it was brought in by Bill Smith motors in Chester and I believe he actually raced that bike at the Isle Of Man T.T. in 1970 once he had finished with the racing he put it back to standard and road registered it 2 Years later, hence it is on a "J" plate and not a "G" plate, if you have any more photos of the bike I would love to see them!

Edited by RickBrett
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi there Rick, just got back from my holidays and I am pleased that my bike has survived, and been nurtured. I bought it new in 1970 from Bill Smith motors, I traded in a 175 Bridgestone (Hurricane) for it, on the first night I owned it I got knocked off it by a friend on another bike (175 Honda with clip ons and a 6' 7 " rider) while going under the railway bridge by Bebington station, this put some scratches on the engine side cover. Later on the same evening I dropped it avoiding a cyclist with no lights on in Dibinsdale, luckily both myself and my future wife escaped both slow speed incidents without a scratch. Though the Kawasaki needed a new engine cover, next up was the 1971 IOM TT, on the way to the ferry in the Mersey tunnel the chain side chain adjuster snapped and the back wheel went sideways, luckily the tunnel police were very helpful and the wheel was straightened, re tightened and held in place with bailing wire. Once on the Island I persuaded Gordon Pantell who was at the time welding his expansion chambers to weld up the chain adjuster for me, this he did and it was like that when I sold the bike. The bike was then customised with a Read Titan 6 gallon tank, single seat, clipons and rearsets, I restored it to standard trim when I traded it in. It would only do 25 MPG and insisted on 5 star petrol so the tank was a must. It handled like a 4 poster bed but would wheely when I snicked it into top at 100 mph. The TLS front brake was a nightmare as well, oh and owning it meant that when I went down the Eastham Ferry (then a bikers pub and not the Tap) for a few pints I always had to pull a wheely when I left.When I first bought the bike it had CDI ignition (and flat faced spark plugs) the CDI i believe was illegal in the UK as it was not suppressed but it failed so Steve Murray converted the ignition to coil and contact breakers, this took away a lot of the bikes performance, also the middle silencer split and had to be brazed up by Steve. As I was in those days a flat out type of person every time I went out on the bike it scared the living daylights out of me plus the rate at which it wore out back tyres was pretty horrendous (and expensive) so it was traded in for this bad boy below.

I live in Great Sutton and would really like to see the bike again, is this possible ? my current bike is a 1976 CB750F1 which I bought new.

DenandCOI3922-2.jpg

Cheers

Dennis

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Very nice work! Coincidentally, I was rifling through my 'archive' a few days ago looking for something else, and found a flare-trousered copy of Bike magazine from 1973 (July/August). It included an assessment of 'The Fastest Camel In The World' -a Kawa 500 H1B (probably '72 vintage). This brought back memories in floods; I never owned, or indeed rode, one of these legendary things but remember seeing/hearing a few as they scared seven shades out of the locals. UK ones seemed to have flat bars, additional telescopic steering dampers and blacked rear drums. Just like in the mag, in fact.

You may like the second photo here:

http://www.classicbikes.co.uk/machine3.html

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Hi Dennis,

Please accept my apologies for the delay in replying, I have been moving house and am now actually in the U.S.A. - The bike has now passed it's M.O.T. and as I said, it will be making it's maiden voyage in Chester this weekend, taking it's owner to his wedding! "Andy" the new owner is keen to meet up with you and I am sure that you will be stunned at the quality of your old bike, it will almost be better than when you first purchased the bike all those Years ago. We still suspect that your bike may well have been raced at the Isle Of Man by Bill Smith before you bought it, there are a couple of things on the bike that don't ring true for that model it would be great to meet up and se what your thoughts are. THANKS for getting back to me - Rick

.

www.classickawasaki.com

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Hi Dennis,

Please accept my apologies for the delay in replying, I have been moving house and am now actually in the U.S.A. - The bike has now passed it's M.O.T. and as I said, it will be making it's maiden voyage in Chester this weekend, taking it's owner to his wedding! "Andy" the new owner is keen to meet up with you and I am sure that you will be stunned at the quality of your old bike, it will almost be better than when you first purchased the bike all those Years ago. We still suspect that your bike may well have been raced at the Isle Of Man by Bill Smith before you bought it, there are a couple of things on the bike that don't ring true for that model it would be great to meet up and se what your thoughts are. THANKS for getting back to me - Rick

.

www.classickawasaki.com

Hi Rick, I would be very pleased to see the bike, I'll send you a pm with my contact details.

Cheers

Dennis

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