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BMW HP4 Race, Meng, 1/9


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BMW's extraordinary superbike. The main carbon frame weighs less than 8kg (20lbs), and the whole bike, fully fuelled and loaded with fluids only 180kg (400 lbs). It's a different sort of kit, with snap and screw construction (there's no glue in what you see here), moulded in various grades of ABS. Different paint finishes and some decals are pre-applied to the parts, including a very effective carbon weave done using the hydro-dipping technique. I've done some detail painting, and a very small amount of washing and weathering to make a few details pop, but the real things are very well looked after. Definitely as much "assembly" as modelling, it's been a blast to build, and I'll let the outcome speak for itself:

 

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best,

M.

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When I got it, the prepainted one was about HK$100 (£10) more than the non-decorated version, so not that much of a premium. Because of the thought that has gone into the engineering, you could build the non-prepainted version in the same way. Just apply your preferred carbon technique to the right sprue, some clear orange over copper to the forks and several different types of silver etc to other sprues before you start building. The unpainted version still looks to assemble in the same way, with screws, although it does have a couple of extensive sheets of CF decal. I think most of what you're paying for is the investment in design and engineering, the assortment of ABS-based materials for the different structural parts, and all the various details.

 

As I say, a different sort of experience, but no less fun for that...

best,

M.

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