Tamiya 1/12 GSX1100S Katana build
Vložit
- čas přidán 21. 09. 2021
- A short brief tutorial on the 1982 Tamiya kit
The year is 1980. The big four Japanese motorcycle manufacturers all think their model inventory for the start of the new decade is pretty bodacious.
This moment in history was the era of the Honda CBX-6, Yamaha Midnight Specials, and the fuel-injected Kawasaki Z1000H. Even Suzuki upped the performance stakes with the launch of the 16-valve GSX series.
Beavering away behind the scenes, one manufacturer was concealing a secret project. A project so secretive, they hired a small German design team, thus becoming the first Japanese motorcycle not designed in-house.
The three young guys who made up Target Design in Bavaria were in business for just one year when they landed the prestigious gig. But, what they lacked in quantity, they more than made up for in quality.
The manufacturer was Suzuki. And the motorcycle that Target Design delivered was the Katana. The Katana’s styling was so radical, the sound of jaws hitting the floor reverberated around the motorcycle world.
Suzuki’s brief was simple. “We want a European type design.” These instructions may appear rather bland or even vague, but it was fueled by a specific problem.
As early as 1975, the American motorcycle press coined the phrase Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM) to describe the look-alike 4-cylinder bikes on the market. Suzuki wanted to break the mold and thanks to Target, they achieved it in spades.
The first motorcycle to receive the Katana styling was the reliable but bland GS650, code-named ED1. Then, in October 1979, Target presented the initial designs to Suzuki. They, to everyone’s surprise, picked up the ball and ran, albeit with one notable exception.
Someone in the Suzuki top brass was an early adopter of the “go big or go home” philosophy. So the ED2 project got the green light, but with a warmed-up version of the recent GSX1100 engine as its heart.
Over the winter months, Target Design worked on a clay mock-up, and by April 1980, a working prototype was ready. When revealed at the Cologne Motorcycle Show the same year, the motorcycle press believed the Katana so radical it would never be more than a concept.
A few short months later, with only minor tweaks, the first GSX1100S Katana rolled off the production line. The Katana was now out of the bag.
The Katana represented a paradigm shift away from traditional motorcycle design concepts. Let’s take the 1980 6-cylinder Honda CBX1000 as an example. Consider as groundbreaking as it was, the emphasis was on displaying the engine.
The relationship between tank, seat, and mudguard barely moved away from the horizontal. This layout had been around for decades.
Target Design threw away the design rulebook, creating a wedge-shaped gas tank that transitioned into a small but significant angular nose fairing. Even the seat came in for special attention, using contouring and contrasting finishes on the front and back to create an added feeling of movement.
Suzuki’s brief was minimal. However, they made it clear that even though the bike’s looks could be revolutionary, it had to adhere to current production processes.
In other words, no costly re-tooling or race-shop assembly (like the early Honda Africa Twins) to slow things down and drive up costs.
Having previous experience with the likes of BMW and Porsche, Target Design was well aware of the design riders imposed by the production process. So they moved the gas cap to one side to allow for the welding of the two halves of the tank and created the rigidly mounted body panels in such a way as to make them easier to produce.
The result was a perfect blend of dramatic concepts backed by production-friendly components. To say that Target Design nailed it and that Suzuki got their money’s worth would be an understatement.
The combination of dramatic, angular shapes gave an overall aesthetic of rapid forward movement even when stationary. In other words, it looked like it was doing a ton while standing still.
With Target Design’s lead designer, Hans-George Kasten, a keen biker, the team paid a lot of attention to the riding position and weight distribution. For the first time, the rider sat in the motorcycle rather than on it, and the language of motorcycle design changed overnight.
There was, of course, a price to pay for such a radical design. At 535-lbs with a tank full of gas, the Suzuki 1100 Katana was visually and physically imposing, and the riding position stretched the rider. The rider was forced into an elongated racing crouch from the high, set back footrests to the low seat and clip-on handlebars.
Although the motorcycle press of the era made a point of highlighting the uncomfortable seating arrangement, you have to remember; this was 1980. Apart from the Ducati 900SS, mass-produced sports bikes were unknown.
I love the work you have put into this video. With out a doubt one of the most pleasing and cool unbox and build video I have seen to date. Very classy.
😊 Thanks ,I'm glad you liked it.
Amazing project my friend !🎩👌🏆🏅👍
Thanks 😊
NICE
😊 Thanks
Could you use zero clearcoat lacquer as a final varnish to polish on say a car build ? Thanks mark
Hi, yes,but I discovered Mr Color GX100Super Clear 3 is much better and consistent. I've used 2K zero,but wasn't impressed and you can end up with a lot of waste because whatever you mix up you have to use it.
@@sierrahobbys1883 yes mate the 2k zero clear i had nothing but trouble the hardener was part set when it arrived !! I had to cut through a plug of it to use and it smelled awful
Still wondering what color is the rider seat and what color is the tail peace....
Sorry I can't remember. I think it was Tamiyas XF 8 Blue mixed with black and maybe Deck Tan mixed with a bit of Grey. I was going from memory because I used to have this bike with the fabric seat.
HOW LONG IT TOOK U TO BUILD THIS
About 2 weeks. I don't work on them every day.
Hello :) what is the figure , is it some anime character ?
Hi I don know the character name ,but it's from "Verycool" company. She's an assassin " Catchme". 1/12 scale.