This one is closest to my personal vehicle that I let “Joh” see the real thing before building this bike from Dragon into 3-tone green camo.
Dragon’s U.S. Marines Off-Road Bike 1:35 - by “Joh”:
Tis from my latest page - the first page for the new year 2008:
http://www.falconbbs.com/model40b.htm
Have fun!
BRRRRAAAAAAPPPP!!! [:D][tup][yeah]
Cool! I have to admit my bias here, I’m a dirt-bikin’ man!
Well, it’s got a few problems though that I would have done diffferently–the tires have a big mold seam down the middles that I would have scraped off with an exacto blade; that just doesn’t look realistic. Any bike ridden hard in the sand would have that grounded off the rear wheels really quickly.
The fork boots too, have a prominent seam–this could have been removed with a needle file and some careful work.
The rear travel/stowage rack has a seam around the edges too.
Joh needs to pay more attention to little things like that. But I do admire the bike.
Hey MM, what do you drive? I’ve got a Suzuki DRZ400 dual-sport (on and offroad)that I ride on the street.
Thanks for your kind comments and suggestions, the doog! I’ll pass them on to Joh for future improvement.
I’ve been using dirt bikes all my life. My first one was Honda SL-125 and the second one was Honda XL-100 I bought from my bank branch after their useful accounting life of 5-6 years. With 4-stroke engine, both posed a lot of problems for me. My third bike was Honda MTX-125 which I bought about 11 years ago when it was 10 years old and had had half a dozen former owners. Having 2-stroke engine, it was more powerful and posed no problem at all. It worked flawlessly until September 2006 when I bought my fourth bike - the first one that I bought brand new. It’s a Platinum PX-175, a Chinese made Thai assembled bike with 4-stroke engine, electronic start, alarm and remote start system and factory built 3-tone green camo color:
It’s the most powerful bike I’ve ever ridden, and changing from MTX-125 to it is like changing from a pick-up truck to a Ferrari! It can do 120kmh (75mph) but I hardly go faster than 80kmh (50mph) in Bangkok traffic, for safety reasons.
I just closed my 2007 spending account the other day and I can tell you that models and modeling services costed me 406,250 baht (around $11,600) last year alone, and that for the last three years (2005-2007) they costed me over a million baht! (1,009,724 baht or around $28,850). That’s more than enough to buy a brand new car (a Honda Jazz or Fit costs around 600,000 baht or $17,150 here). Yet I opted to spend on models instead, and the present bike which I’ve been using for 16 months costed me only 41,550 baht ($ 1,190). By luck, it got the same license plate number (though different alphabets) as the MTX, i.e., #700
BTW, can you show your Suzuki DZR400 at 900x675 or 800x600 pixels? I believe it can do 100mph with ease…
The amount of flash throughout this build make it a just plain sloppy build. There’s even flash across the exhaust tip. Even before clicking for the full size image I was struck by the mold line across the tail light in the first picture. This is basic modeling, MM.
While I know speed building is what you expect and added detailing goes out the window, but a motorcycle without its cables and wiring just looks incomplete, even in 1/35 scale.
That’s an interesting bike, MM; it looks a lot like the one that Joh built! Here’s my two bikes—my DRZ400 and my racing bike–a two-stroke Suzuki RMX-250.
I noticed in the picture that your bike has some pretty small forks. I have to say that the one really great thing about the DRZ400 is that it is truly a bike that is made just as well for offroad as it is for onroad. The shock and forks are not good for racing, but you can really take some seriously rough trails with it. Of course, my RMX250 is a true enduro race bike; it can go almost anywhere if you have enough guts!
Interesting sprocket too–very small, and looks very lightweight. I also noticed your instrument gauges–the same as on my girlfriend’s Kawasaki KLX250 four-stroke that she rides with me. The DRZ400 has a digital read-out for speed, mileage,a nd fuel consumption.
I also noticed that you seem to have plastic covering over the seat? Is this because the bike was brand new when you took the photo? Or is this something you do in the rainy season in Thailand?
The DRZ comes with a tool box on the rear also, another nice “extra”. I paid $5299.00 for it, and yes, it’s very fast, if you want it to be, but I’m really not into speeding on the streets for safety–I have my RMX and the tracks/trails for that!
It’s illegal to ride two-strokes on the streets here because of emissions restrictions here in the USA, and noise issues. I’m always surprised to see them still on the streets in many European countries. They are also very popular in Spain and Portugal. Good luck with your new bike, Model Maniac, and keep safe! [:)]
I seem to recall a USMC bike that is a Diesel powered 450.Can’t quite remember.
I myself ride a 2000 Suzuki DRZ250.Not all that fast,but it has monster power and can take an off-road beating.
I don’t do off road, but I have an 1984 Honda Interceptor 700, which hasn’t gotten all that much use since I got the S2000.
The current USMC bike is a 650 Kawasaki converted to diesel/multi fuel. It has a whopping 8gal tank I think.
My current/only ride is a 1995 BMW R100RT that I bought new, and rode to Vegas when I moved from St Louis last June. My first was a Hodaka Combat Wombat (remember those), then a Yamaha 125. Never raced dirt but did play with a variety of mongrels for ahem “street” use when I lived in So Cal courtesy of the USMC. Rode Harleys and Kawasaki’s for the PD in the early 80’s
Dad had a BSA that I used to sneak out of the garage, and I have a photo of grandpa and grandma on gramps 1919 Harley J model circa 1920. G’ma is in the sidecar, unfortunately it’s one of those panoramic type photos and nearly impossible to scan.
The older military motorcyle used by the Marines is the KLR 225-D8:
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/klr-2250.htm
It has been replaced by the Kawasaki M1030 M1:
http://www.olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_m1030_m1d.php
The Kawasaki is diesel.
-Jesse
You’ve got very nice bikes there, the doog! Mine’s like a toy compared with yours. Despite some advanced features like electronic start, alarm and remote start, the other components are primitive - the speed meter is analog and not reliable, the headlamp and headlamp receptable is not compatible with modern standard and cannot be replaced by generic bike shops, the fuel tank is very small (about 6 litres or 1.5 gallons) and not very well sealed (I got a replacement tank but the new one has no fuel guage), the engine compartment now leaks transmission oil whereever I park the bike, and the kick-starter lever has to be bound with the bodyframe otherwise it’ll move backward and then bounce back to hit my leg. I’m going to have the last two problems fixed this weekend after putting up with them for months. But apart from that, it’s a very nice bike - no problem with the starting and running the engine.
I see that you have very long hair. How could you put it all in the helmet when on the streets on racetracks? Isn’t it troublesome for maintenance?
Aj, thanks for your comments. I’ve got to talk to Joh about the seams and the cables. His former 3-wheeler used to have brake and clutch cables, I don’t know why he didn’t do this one.
agentg and usmc1371, thanks for your information on the USMC bike.
Wow, model maniac, I wouldn’t even take that bike of yours on the road! It sounds downright dangerous! I guess it proves the old adage, “You get what you pay for”? You might be better to just spend a little more money for a better bike–maybe a Japanese bike with proven durability, like a Suzuki or Kawasaki?
I put my hair in a braid when I ride, and/or tuck it into my coat on the road. If I don’t it takes me hours to comb it out! [%-)]