{"id":1290,"date":"2022-04-20T16:13:51","date_gmt":"2022-04-20T16:13:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/?p=1290"},"modified":"2022-04-21T12:50:02","modified_gmt":"2022-04-21T12:50:02","slug":"tamiya-suzuki-rgv-gamma-xr89-build-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/tamiya-suzuki-rgv-gamma-xr89-build-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Tamiya 1\/12 Suzuki RGV-Gamma XR89 Post Build Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I am not a bike guy but I have always been intrigued by the beautiful motorcycle scale models I kept seeing on Youtube and forums. I finally took the leap and bought the Suzuki RGV-Gamma XR89 kit by Tamiya a couple of weeks ago. Why did choose this kit? Well, I obviously liked how the real thing looks. Moreover, the kit is actually quite affordable for a Tamiya kit. It\u2019s almost half the price of their current offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another reason why I\u2019ve decided to go for the kit was the excellent video by Chris over at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/ZiggysDesk\/\" class=\"ek-link\"><strong>Ziggy\u2019s Desk on Youtube<\/strong><\/a>. It\u2019s a shame he is not making videos anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Tamiya Suzuki RGV Gamma XR89 finished model\" class=\"wp-image-1315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><em>Finished model (apart from the stand)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_61 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-65934e95defab\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-65934e95defab\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/tamiya-suzuki-rgv-gamma-xr89-build-review\/#How_Was_the_Fit_of_the_Kit\" title=\"How Was the Fit of the Kit?\">How Was the Fit of the Kit?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/tamiya-suzuki-rgv-gamma-xr89-build-review\/#What_Paint_Schemes_Are_Available_in_the_Kit\" title=\"What Paint Schemes Are Available in the Kit?\">What Paint Schemes Are Available in the Kit?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/tamiya-suzuki-rgv-gamma-xr89-build-review\/#How_Were_the_Chrome-Plated_Parts\" title=\"How Were the Chrome-Plated Parts?\">How Were the Chrome-Plated Parts?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/tamiya-suzuki-rgv-gamma-xr89-build-review\/#How_Were_the_Decals\" title=\"How Were the Decals?\">How Were the Decals?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/tamiya-suzuki-rgv-gamma-xr89-build-review\/#Is_the_Tamiya_Suzuki_Rgv-Gamma_a_Good_Kit_for_Beginners\" title=\"Is the Tamiya Suzuki Rgv-Gamma a Good Kit for Beginners?\">Is the Tamiya Suzuki Rgv-Gamma a Good Kit for Beginners?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/tamiya-suzuki-rgv-gamma-xr89-build-review\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Was_the_Fit_of_the_Kit\"><\/span>How Was the Fit of the Kit?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, it is a kit by Tamiya. Although being released in 2000, it is by no means a new model kit, the fit was great. I had no issues with any of the plastic parts. It\u2019s not quite as well designed as recent Tamiya kits though. Compared to newer kits there\u2019s a bit more cleanup needed before you can start painting and gluing the parts together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, I wish some parts were molded as one piece instead of being separated into two halves. Especially the fuel tank was quite difficult to fill and sand so that the seam line was invisible. The 4 exhausts are also quite nasty to fill and sand, but the seam lines are fortunately in a place where they are hidden from the plain sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other than that, I\u2019ve got nothing to complain about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-2-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-2.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Paint_Schemes_Are_Available_in_the_Kit\"><\/span>What Paint Schemes Are Available in the Kit?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Being a model kit of motorcycle that took part in the 1999 MotoGP, there\u2019s really only one paint scheme. However, you can choose to build the bike from one of the three drivers who rode it that year. The drivers were Kenny Roberts Jr., Nobuatsu Aoki, and Yukio Kagayama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve opted for no. 10 of Kenny Roberts Jr. who finished second that year and ultimately won the championship the next with the same bike, although it then had a different paint scheme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The painting itself was actually quite easy because the designers over at Tamiya decided to provide pretty much everything as decals. I am of course talking about the fairing. For that, you only need white, blue and black paint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The frame and the engine are a different story as you will need quite a few different metallic shades. My recommendation is to paint almost everything separately and then glue the parts together. I\u2019ve used <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/best-glue-for-plastic-models\/\" class=\"ek-link\">extra thin cement<\/a><\/strong> and CA glue for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Were_the_Chrome-Plated_Parts\"><\/span>How Were the Chrome-Plated Parts?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The chrome-plated parts actually looked quite nice Maybe a bit too shiny for the frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately though, I\u2019ve decided to strip the chrome finish from all the parts and repaint them myself with <a href=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/best-airbrushes-for-models\/\" class=\"ek-link\"><strong>my trusty airbrush<\/strong><\/a> and Gunze Super Metallic paints. My reasoning was that some of the \u201cchromed\u201d parts had to be glued together and that would leave ugly seam lines between those parts. Unless you strip the chrome finish, there\u2019s no way to fix those.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are also ugly injection pin marks and sprue attachment points on some of the chrome parts. And like with seam lines, there\u2019s no way to fix those without stripping the chrome finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t mind any of those issues, then of course you can leave the chrome alone. I personally hate seam lines \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result of my stripping the chrome finish, I was able to easily fill the seamlines and injection pin marks using black super glue. I like using super glue as a filler because I don\u2019t have to wait hours for it to set before I can start sanding it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-3-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Tamiya Suzuki RGV Gamma Front Wheel\" class=\"wp-image-1313\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-3-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-3.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><em>The red Brembo logo was done using thinned oil paint<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Were_the_Decals\"><\/span>How Were the Decals?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As I have mentioned in the previous paragraph, paint-scheme-wise, pretty much everything is done with decals. And that is possibly my only gripe with the kit. I would have preferred paint masks as in the recent Tamiya kits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In typical Tamiya fashion, the decals are rather thick, and given the complex shapes of the fuel tank and fairing, it is quite a chore to apply the decals correctly. A copious amount of setting solution was needed to force the decals to conform to the complex shapes and curves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the decals are thick, they are also brittle and I managed to tear two of them when I was applying them to the model. Fortunately, I was able to hide the tears with some carefully mixed paint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Being thick, there was a very obvious step between the painted parts and the decals. Since I used the 2K gloss varnish by Zero Paints, the steps are pretty much gone. If you were to use a lacquer or other type of varnish, you would likely have to go through several iterations of spraying, sanding, and polishing, to get rid of the steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-4-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Tamiya Suzuki RGV Gamma Fuel Tank\" class=\"wp-image-1314\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-4-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamiya-Suzuki-RGV-Gamma-4.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><em>Both the lighter and darker metallic blues are decals<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_the_Tamiya_Suzuki_Rgv-Gamma_a_Good_Kit_for_Beginners\"><\/span>Is the Tamiya Suzuki Rgv-Gamma a Good Kit for Beginners?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer to that question is a firm NO. If you are a complete beginner and would like to build a motorcycle model, please, do yourself a favor and choose another kit. Don\u2019t get me wrong, the kit is overall great and the fit of all parts is excellent. It\u2019s the decals that would quite possibly be a total nightmare for a beginner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If I were to choose a bike scale model kit for a beginner, I would choose something that does not have many decals and a complex paint scheme. A good choice could be one of the Ducati kits by Tamiya such as the <strong>Ducati 916<\/strong> which is pretty much all red.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, I really enjoyed building the model although it took a lot of curse words to make decals work as I wanted. Would I recommend the model kit? Yes, I would, but please, don\u2019t choose this one as your first bike kit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Other posts you may like:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/best-plastic-car-model-kits\/\" class=\"ek-link\">Best Car Model Kits<\/a><\/strong><\/li><li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/best-plastic-model-tank-kits\/\" class=\"ek-link\">Best Tank Model Kits<\/a><\/strong><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/essential-tools-for-building-model-kits-beginners-guide\/\" class=\"ek-link\"><strong>Essential Tools For Scale Model Builders<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I am not a bike guy but I have always been intrigued by the beautiful motorcycle scale models I kept seeing on Youtube and forums. I finally took the leap &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Tamiya 1\/12 Suzuki RGV-Gamma XR89 Post Build Review\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/tamiya-suzuki-rgv-gamma-xr89-build-review\/#more-1290\" aria-label=\"More on Tamiya 1\/12 Suzuki RGV-Gamma XR89 Post Build Review\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1315,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1290"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1290"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1290\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1325,"href":"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1290\/revisions\/1325"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scalemodelhub.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}