Honda RC166 Grand Prix Racer by CDW - FINISHED - Tamiya - 1/12

[shipman]

4 hours ago, CDW said:

Yup, love the HD Flathead, all the classic Bobber proportions are there.

The Beemer started life mid '70's, but as you compare the two bikes, the HD just crawls  with class.

The Beemer doesn't!

[mtaylor]

2 hours ago, CDW said:

It breaks my heart to know I could have bought several of the Harley 45 trikes when our city auctioned off their surplus stuff back in the early 70's. They went at auction for prices between $300 and $500 back then. My brother bought one of the shovelhead police bikes with the suicide shift for $500 but at the time neither of us thought we wanted or needed a 45 trike. Sheesh I was DUMB. When my brother tore down his shovelhead to rebuild it, found one cylinder/piston .030 over, and the other .060 over. The city mechanics were goofballs. It was a real nice street bike when he finished with it but learning to ride with that shifter was a real pain. Takes a lot of coordination and muscle memory to handle the clutch with one foot and the rear brake with the other and not fall over at a traffic light or stop sign. There's a reason they called it a suicide shift.

 

Oh by the way, those 45 trikes were used by the meter maid brigade, issuing tickets to illegally parked vehicles downtown. Younger people may not know what the heck we're talking about saying, "meter maids". 

 

 

Ah, I remember those and the meter maids.  Also, many of the city cops used them for patrols in the downtown area.  Our next door neighbor was a detective and his wife was a meter maid.  

[CDW]

Soon

[CDW]

Even though I plan to display the fairing separately, a test-fit of the assembly seems obligatory. If it wasn't for a pair of cooling radiators which fit into the fairing and the associated plumbing to the engine, the assembly could simply be removed and replaced at will but that might lead to damage to the model eventually. Leaving it as a separate display seems the most appropriate way to go in my opinion.

[CDW]

These radiators fit into the visible pockets within the fairing that look like air scoops. I could be wrong, but from the location of the piping into the engine, I believe they were parts of an oil cooling system. The engine does not appear to be water cooled.

[CDW]

I need to finish off the cables, attach the windscreen to the fairing, then build a stand for the fairing and I'll be able to call this one done.

Edited May 15, 2023 by CDW

[shipman]

9 hours ago, CDW said:

These radiators fit into the visible pockets within the fairing that look like air scoops. I could be wrong, but from the location of the piping into the engine, I believe they were parts of an oil cooling system. The engine does not appear to be water cooled.

Yup ... oil coolers.

 

Mr. Honda didn't believe in water-cooling.

Even their first 1.5lit F1 car had an air cooled across the chassis V-12, which in principle was two of these engine's on a common crank case!

 

Made good use of your time on this one.

[yvesvidal]

On 5/14/2023 at 9:30 AM, CDW said:

These radiators fit into the visible pockets within the fairing that look like air scoops. I could be wrong, but from the location of the piping into the engine, I believe they were parts of an oil cooling system. The engine does not appear to be water cooled.

BMW is doing the same with their Oil-Head engines: lots of oil in the pan and a radiator to cool it. That is all it takes.

 

Yves

[CDW]

Well this is another one for the books. It's finished, or at least as finished as I intend to do it. There are almost always additional things that could be done. But hey, there are too many models and too little time so I must move on now.

Thanks to all for your comments, your likes, and for following along. It's been fun.

 

Just a bit of history borrowed from the internet:

"For the 1966 GP season, Honda unveiled an updated 250cc six-cylinder, the RC166. The bike raised the bar so high, the outcome seemed inevitable before a single lap had turned.
The RC166 destroyed the 250 class in 1966, amassing 10 victories in an incredible display of dominance, and captured the GP world championship again in 1967. With the departure of Honda from the Grand Prix scene in 1968, the chapter closed on one of the most amazing GP racing machines ever created.
Six cylinders were crafted into a package no wider than a four-pot engine of the time, with each bore diameter about the width of two fingers. Dual overhead cams actuated 24 tiny valves, and the short-stroke, oversquare engine revved to a dizzying 18,000 rpm where it made 60 screaming horsepower and hit speeds upward of 149 mph. With its cylinder bank tipped forward and cast as an integral part of the top crankcase, the engine was decades ahead of any other machine, and it pioneered technology we would see from Honda for many years to come."
 

 

 

Edited May 15, 2023 by CDW

[AJohnson]

That is excellent Craig, it looks fast even on its stand!

[shipman]

For many years this Honda was only second to Guzzi's fabled 500 V-8 as the most exotic motorcycle in the world.

 

Thanks for letting us peek over your shoulder.

[Ras Ambrioso]

Congratulations.

1 hour ago, CDW said:

There are almost always additional things that could be done. But hey, there are too many models and too little time so I must move on now.

Fantastic job CDW and agree with with that there is a point when you have to stop and move on.

[Old Collingwood]

That looks  Fantastic Craig,  another  gem to add to  your  collection.

 

OC.

[DocRob]

Wow, what a beauty Craig with only one thing missing. You have to build a second one to present them side by side with and without fairing. I can't say,  which I like better. It's a pity to hinder the eye wandering over the precious engine and other details, but the slender look of the faired bike with your beautiful paintjob is a stand out as well. Decisions, decisions, at least for my build to come.

 

Cheers Rob
 

[shipman]

36 minutes ago, DocRob said:

Wow, what a beauty Craig with only one thing missing. You have to build a second one to present them side by side with and without fairing. I can't say,  which I like better. It's a pity to hinder the eye wandering over the precious engine and other details, but the slender look of the faired bike with your beautiful paintjob is a stand out as well. Decisions, decisions, at least for my build to come.

 

Cheers Rob
 

Rob, I agree ... see my post#5.

[Javlin]

20 hours ago, CDW said:

There are almost always additional things that could be done. But hey, there are too many models and too little time so I must move on now.

Isn't that the truth and we continue to amass faster than the building

[Canute]

Beautiful bike, Craig. 👍

 

And I'm in that camp on building.

[DocRob]

I ordered the resin chain and if you are still interested, I will post some pictures, when it arrives. Could come handy for your second Honda - hint .

 

Cheers Rob

[CDW]

Just now, DocRob said:

I ordered the resin chain and if you are still interested, I will post some pictures, when it arrives. Could come handy for your second Honda - hint .

 

Cheers Rob

I would love to see it. Thanks! Do thay make chains for other bikes as well?

[DocRob]

37 minutes ago, CDW said:

I would love to see it. Thanks! Do thay make chains for other bikes as well?

 

It will take some days to get here, but I will post pictures. 

They have more chain sets in their catalogue. You have to open the .PDF on their site.

 

Falcon Scale Models - Catalog / Katalog

 

Cheers Rob

[CDW]

Earlier, I posted a photo my both mine and my brother's old Harley Davidson motorcycles. While searching on Ebay, I found a 1:18 diecast model of his 1958 Harley Duoglide. Same color even. I bought the model and plan to disassemble, accurize it. I'll strip off all the chrome plating and repaint everything. Will redo the spokes with wire and add other details, too.

 

[Ras Ambrioso]

CDW, I will  be there to follow your re-build. I often thought of reworking those Burago car models but I was afraid to ruin such beautiful models. So you may inspire me to try. Great job on your Honda.

[CDW]

3 minutes ago, Ras Ambrioso said:

CDW, I will  be there to follow your re-build. I often thought of reworking those Burago car models but I was afraid to ruin such beautiful models. So you may inspire me to try. Great job on your Honda.

Thanks Ras. I don’t know how well it will work out and it will be a first attempt at doing a motorcycle model. I did rework a 1:12 scale Ferrari 250 GTO one time and it came out real nice. I was able to locate a complete update set for that particular model that included a wealth of upgraded parts. Unfortunately a hard drive that stored all my photos got fried by lightning and I lost all my photos of that model along with about 10 years of other model photos. 

[Landlubber Mike]

Wow Craig, that came out really nice.  Nice job my friend, mucho respecto!

[Danstream]

I love this model, it looks like the real thing (In the States, you would say 'like the real McCoy', wouldn't you?).

Cheers,

Dan

[Canute]

Dan, some do; others could say the real deal.😄👍

[CDW]

On 5/27/2023 at 10:14 PM, Landlubber Mike said:

Wow Craig, that came out really nice.  Nice job my friend, mucho respecto!

 

21 hours ago, Danstream said:

I love this model, it looks like the real thing (In the States, you would say 'like the real McCoy', wouldn't you?).

Cheers,

Dan

 

2 hours ago, Canute said:

Dan, some do; others could say the real deal.😄👍

Thanks for the kind words gentlemen.

[Egilman]

Motorcycles are supposed to look fast, (even if they aren't)  THIS looks fast.... (and was in real life)

 

Could you do us a favor? step over to it and start it up so we can hear the engine....

 

Really, really beautiful job....

[DocRob]

On 5/1/2023 at 5:41 PM, CDW said:

In retrospect, that resin printed chain looks like a charm. If I had it all to do over again I would buy the resin printed parts but since you already have the photo etch set, give it a try. You may be more successful than I and figure out a better way of handling the issues I described.

 

Yesterday, I received the Falcon Scale Models rendition of the chainset for Tamiya's RC166. It was well packed and is well printed too. The sideview shows a bit refined detail and slightly smaller links and gear teeth. Where the 3D printed part shines, is when you look at it from above, with the opened track links.

 

 

 

When I build mine, I will try try the PE set, because I'm curios and I have it and then will decide. I just thought, how small these metal parts are, considering the size of the plastic chainsets.

 

Cheers Rob

[CDW]

39 minutes ago, DocRob said:

 

Yesterday, I received the Falcon Scale Models rendition of the chainset for Tamiya's RC166. It was well packed and is well printed too. The sideview shows a bit refined detail and slightly smaller links and gear teeth. Where the 3D printed part shines, is when you look at it from above, with the opened track links.

 

 

 

When I build mine, I will try try the PE set, because I'm curios and I have it and then will decide. I just thought, how small these metal parts are, considering the size of the plastic chainsets.

 

Cheers Rob

Those look real nice Rob.