Honda Monkey 125.

I told a fellow Scalemate that the quickest way to empty a room on Scalemates was to build a bike but I hope many Mates may see the fun involved in this little kit with a low parts count but a very high quality kit. That’s all of the parts! 

Pete Muldoon is responsible for this idea! Groupbuild start date was May 1st and I am waiting for the 2k clear to harden on my Mercedes G5 so I have no reason not to take a peek inside!  

The chrome is excellent and it would be a travesty to remove it. Sprue bridges look to be all well placed into the back of the parts. They should be removable from the sprue without damaging the visible chrome surface. 

This appears to be typical of how the parts and sprue are joined. 

The headlamp is an absolute work of art. 

The saddle is actually rubber and very nicely formed. Never seen this before and I have built more than a couple of bikes. 

Tyres are beautifully moulded and look sensational 

The ubiquitous and obligatory bag of screws! 

Parts look clean and crisply moulded. 

Shush! Listen! Can you hear the disc rotors calling out for drilling out the cooling vents? 

The frame must have given the mould designers nightmares! 

The one disappointing thing I’d the fuel tank. It is a featured part on any motorcycle and it is the equivalent of a bonnet / hood on a car. Could you imagine anyone making a car bonnet in two halves these days? For an experienced modeller it isn’t a problem but for someone who has never encountered a feature part where you need to make the join disappear it could be a deal killer. 

The brake rotors are very detailed and just need a little drill out. 

There is a tiny bit of flash on the valve stem. Wait! No! It isn’t flash, it is a 90* angled valve stem. Now that is detail rich! 

Never seen a valve stem like this before. Trucks have an added valve stem for the inside tyre poking through the outside wheel but nothing like this. I will investigate! 

The clear is just that, clear. 

Decals are not stymied with excess carrier film. They do look very usable. 

Masking is supplied for the fuel tank. Ya just gotta cut it yourself. 

A better pic of the sprue gates on the chrome parts. 

New tool. Raser sprue gate remover. Love it! 

The fuel tank before being joined. 

Frame needs a little clean up 

Oh dear! This will consume some time! 

Now stay there! 

Mock up. 

That join has been fixed. It will not be visible after primer has been applied. 

One problem fixed and another appears. This join is under the swing arm and won’t be visible but …. I will fix it anyway. 

Finally! THE solution to every modeller’s repetitive nightmare! 

Drilling out exhausts ect has for me always been a hit and miss outcome. I found the fix for a log time problem. I have used all sorts of contraptions to centre holes but exhaust pipes can sometimes end in a champher. This one does too!  

Cut out a section the same size as the exhaust end, drill with a pilot bit. 

.04 guide hole  

Enlarged with .4mm 

Enlarged again with .7 

Final hole 1.4mm. Perfect centre! I did sand the outside of the pipe to g 

Monkey needed the bike jig modified a bit! I have one key-word guiding me on the build and that is “fun”. The Monkey is a fun bike and I will try to maintain that theme through the choice of colours and actual colour scheme application. The frame / chassis has had an application of 2k clear. It looks nice but it did make the engine difficult to fit. 

Swing arm will have to make do with an Alclad clear coat unless I am ready to put a clear coat on the sister build MV Augusta. 

The Tamiya chrome is excellent and the sprue attachment points are underneath the part. Well done Mr Tamiya San! 

The wheels are also done in SMS 2k clear. 

Glassware done with Tamiya acrylic clear red and orange. 

Conundrum. The instructions call for the rear reflector to be painted clear red with no requirement to put chrome or silver paint behind it. There is a decal that is an exact fit for the glass part which I realised after I had applied the clear red.  

In keeping with the “fun” theme I have done a “fun” paint job. 

Alclad Candy applied to the fork Tubes. I haven’t made up my mind on the bottom colour yet. 

Alclad goes off! Stainless steel’s pigments are separating and give a slight “hammer tone” finish.  

It also spoiled the finish on the disc brakes. I have masked then sprayed a couple of light coats of Alclad Sepia to show the disc rotor affected by contact with the calliper pads. 

Easier to see on the back of the disc in this light. 

Rear mudguard assembly, rear lights, number plate and swing arm with wheel and disc mounted. 

Chain has a metallic blue green on the chain links. 

I have done the fork tubes and rear springs in Alclad Candy Electric Blue. 

Wheels on, electrics and cables next. 

And, on we go! 

Exhaust is in two sections. 

You get a choice of two dash pod screens. One live that I have used and one dead blank screen. 

Starting to look like a groovy little motor bike.