Kawasaki ZX7R

My new project only has 2 wheels. It's a ZX7R 1/9th scale kit by protar that i bought about 11 years ago and never touched.... It has a metal frame and is nicely detailed. Bodywork has some heavy moulding lines that i have been removing though.

These are some body bits just painted.

Are you going to call it Kermit.....come on, ya got to call it Kermit. What paint are you using? I've got an old 1000 GP bike that I'll need to get into one day, looks about what I need.
Can't wait for the detail on this big bee-arch.

It will probably be the green and purple people eater... lol. Going with the 96/97 colour scheme of green and purple. I wanted one of those so bad when i could only ride a 2 fiddy . When i could get a bigger one i unded up getting a 900 anyway... I'm using mr hobby yellow green. Seems to be the closest to Kawasaki racing green that i've seen in either tamiya or mr hobby.. And oh yeah i have spotted some lacking detail that i will HAVE to add.. lol

2 wheels good. 4 wheels bad...

Tamiya did a limited run of Kwaka Mean Green sometime in the last year or 2 to tie in with the release of a new kit. You might be able to find some of that?

if u go into that bike shop on yamba rd they mite be able to do u up a touch up can if u wish or a little tub
thats if u paint things in that way
i know this as i have done it about 2 year ago
otherwise i think the colour looks pretty good mate

Yeah i thought about getting some touch up paint mixed but this colour is close enough if not exact. Thanks for the ideas though

Not too much more to show yet but this is the front wheel assembly. Still have to add brake lines.. Brake rotors are alclad stainless steel. Fork inners are alclad chrome. I've drilled out some holes on the wheels that were missing in the moulding.... You can't tell from the pic but there are 9 different colours used on this so far....

only 9 ! are u taking shortcuts with this one ?

After the model build tonight i have upped the colour count to 11... Just for you John! It now has gold forks, brake lines and soon to add the speedo cable...

Fork assembly is now complete. I realised the fork uppers were around the wrong way but luckily it wasn't glued in place yet! Speedo cable is on, brake lines on, forks re-coloured, banjo bolts and washers painted, fittings painted, and tyre is scrubbed to look used.

awsome mate its looking good so far i did a bike once hardest bloody thing i had ever done so well done so far

Nice paint job. Wish I knew how to paint like that - patience, more patience and lots of practice I suppose!

Nice. The use of different metal finishes makes it look spot on.

One suggestion. Braided Steel Brake Hoses? Most 1:1 bikes will have the horrible spongey rubber originals replaced with these.
There are various places to get something that looks right (I think the stuff you want is sold in craft stores for necklaces & the like) but it might be easiest to just buy it from The Parts Box www.thepartsbox.com (look under engines & drivetrain: Wiring & Plumbing)
3 different sizes 0.8, 1 & 1.2mm. The ends fray and are a swine to deal with but it looks good on the bike.

Thought about going for braided lines zenrat but decided to go for the showroom stock look. Just hope it all comes together the way i hope. Haven't done a bike before...

mmmmmmmmm green is nice, heh heh
will watch with interest, it's not quite a Zed, but still in the family

Slow progress but a couple of pics of the exhaust so far.


The kit exhaust had BIG mould lines and gaps at the joints that i had to fill with putty..



I have decided to make the exhaust stainless steel (alclad). The real bike exhaust is flat black and looks like poo so i thought this would be better! Still have to add the heat marks near the head etc.. Muffler will be BMF black chrome like the real bike.

This is turning out to be a time consuming kit with all the heavy mould lines... Hope to be done by the Mackay model comp though if i can...

Looking good Tillerman, That Alclad comes up a treat. The green paint looks spot on to me too. Knowing you, you'll be stiil painting in the car park at the Mackay show right till the last minute.

Sweet build so far.

You are most likely correct there..... Slow progress though... Finally putting the stereo in the monaro. Thats only taken almost 5 years to get around to! Sound off comps start soon so wanna try to get it done for at least a couple of them if i can...

hmmm sound off kinda guy hey wot db are you hopen for my best was 137.8 with 2 10" subs oh and that ehaust looks atreat mate well done

Tillerman wrote: Finally putting the stereo in the monaro. Thats only taken almost 5 years to get around to! Sound off comps start soon so wanna try to get it done for at least a couple of them if i can...

Stereo, sound off ....real cars don't have stereos! so that rules out sound offs. There's only one tune that I'd like to hear from that thing, the sweet sound of that 8 under the bonnet.

I don't go for db. I go in sound quality comps. They are all about install integrity and stereo image and sound staging. I like quality sound, not just loud. Have been putting dynamat sheeting in the car the last couple of days.. FUN! And don't worry Kirk there is still plenty of quality v8 music being pumped out the pipes!

Ok got some more done at our model build last night....


Rear wheel is in with the tyre scrubbed in. Painted the detail on the chain. Chrome alclad on the exhaust end cap.


Headers and the front of the engine. Put some heat staining on the pipes at the head and on some bends. Pic doesn't show it the best..


Left side. Put chrome bmf on the shock shaft and made my own spring.


Stainless alclad on the exhaust and rear brake disc. Chrome alclad on the muffler end caps. Bmf black chrome wrap on the muffler.

Hope you like.

Lookin' good, hope you get her finished in time.