Yamaha XV1000 Virago
These are the parts I will be removing from the kit.
Keeping the battery case on this one, but going to keep it exposed
Bug eyes going!
The forks will be shortened. A new rear wheel will replace the large front wheel. The speedometer will also be replaced with something a little more subtle. The seat will be replaced with a bratstyle seat.
This is how the forks come. They need to be shortened.
They have to be shortened from the centre to maintain current distance for other parts of the kit.
The handlebars will be shortened.
Chop chop!
Ta da!
This is how the tank comes in the kit.
It will need to be reshaped.
The tank has been completely reshaped with milliput. The old tank is somewhere under there. After milliput was dry the tank was sanded and sanded until it was smooth.
The tank has been primed in Mr Surfacer 1200.
Part of the scratch build fuel cap. Cut from styrene and shaped by sanding.
One of these old PE wheel parts will add a nice touch to the fuel cap.
Well, this is the idea. It will look better once sone
These are indicators. One will be used a new rear light and the other will be used as the new speedometer.
Uh oh. This piece broke.
But I have a solution.
1.4mm holes drilled
This is a guitar string, cut to size.
Much better!
I forgot to take more photos of thr frame during the process, so this is the finished product. I have cut down the frame and added additional 2mm rod cut to size, to support where the scratch built seat will go.
Exhaust pipes will be wrapped.
First they are wrapped in medic tape.
Then coated in Tamiya panel liner (dark brown). The copper is copper tape cut to size.
Exhaust done.
These parts done with SMS steel and a bronze sharpie.
Engine coming along. Copper parts done by painting them in a mix of Tamiya titanium silver, titanium gold and pink, then SMS clear brown and lastly SMS crystal topaz. Its more bronze than copper but I actually prefer the look.
Ordered a custom air filter from a company called Impressed. This is actually a 1/24 sale air filter for a car, but is the correct size for this project.
Air filter connected. This is where the air filter would have been on the original bike, but hidden beneath a big chrome cover. Its now upgraded and exposed.
Big chunky electrical tubing will be replaced with finer tubing. To do this I have drilled 0.6mm holes and inserted brass guitar string to hold the ends of the tubing.
Here is the other end of it.
Tubing done with 0.5mm inserted into the kit tubing.
Wheels done in SMS chrome and weathered with Tamiya panel liner (black) and Tamiya weathering kit.
I need a seat! How do I make a rubber seat that looks like leather. I could create something from scratch using milliput, or I could... use an eraser!
Cut the eraser down the centre and rubbed away until I got the shape I wanted.
Lines added with a metal ruler, albeit not the most e even. Seat is painted in Tamiya Nato Brown mixed with SMS Flex. Added a wash of Tamiya Light Brown Panel liner, but feel it looked better before I did.
Exhaust wrapped and fitted. Love how this looks.
Some additional electrics wiring.
Seating plate shaped from styrene, using the rubber seat as a stencil.
Rear indicators.
Upgraded the stand. This was originally made to be glued in place. I drilled out the join and screwed it in.
And now it works!
Photoetch detail added to the new and improved handlebars using Top Studio Assorted Details for 1/12 MotoGp.
Top Studio Assorted Details for 1/12 MotoGp added to the rest of the bike.
Fuel tank complete. Went for a flat finish on this one. Had originally wet sanded this in 4000, 6000, 8000 and 12000, but the gloss look just didn'tlook
Tank fitte
Rear light fitted to custom seat. This was originally one of the front indicatora
Seat fitted.
Front forks have been shortened by 11mm and cemented back together again. The copper on the shocks and around the headlight is copper tape.
Speedometer fitted. This was originally one of the front indicators.
Ignition cut from the original control panel. This will be upgraded from a key turn ignition to a power on button.
Speedometer decal is left over from a Honda Monkey kit and just happened to be the right size!
1000 decal placed on the rear of the new custom seat.
Comments
15 June 2024, 22:16 -
Album info
My first attempt at kit bashing. Converting this Virago into a custom brat (bratstyle), or my best interpretation of one anyway. Using two of the same kit so I can get the same size wheel for front and back. I don't really know what I'm doing, so this should be fun lol.
