Hi, guys!

I'm starting today to blog my build on Tamiya's 1/12 Ducati Panigale S tricolore Edition.

I think are another two other Panigale from Tamiya (Panigale S and a black special edition).

Tricolore edition was launched with the occasion of 150 years since the Italian Unification (2011), with reference to the tri-color Italian flag. Red, white and green can be found masterfully incorporated by the Italian designers in the motorcycle's chromatic scheme.


The kit itself is a jewel and the decals are printed by Cartograf. It just couldn't be better! There is a detail-up set also on the market, launched by Tamiya (anodized aluminum fork, pre-painted suspension spring and a few small other "beautification" parts). However, what is in the box can satisfy almost all exigences. The detail is lavishly spread out all the sprues (see infra).

An inbox review will follow shortly - I didn't decide yet if as video review or as text-and-pictures review.

And there is the beginning, as usual with the engine:

It's hard to believe that this assembly has only 5 parts!

The drive sprocket cover, engine heads and oil pan are called out in different color and need to be painted separately:


The engine block painted, before any weathering / detailing:


The above mentioned parts painted individually and ready to be installed on the engine.


More updates soon!
Gabriel

Hi Gabriel,
As a sports bike rider and a former Ducati owner I will follow this build to see it goes. Looks like a good start with that engine. Great detail.

cheers
Michael

Awsome bike. Looks good so far mate.

Michael, you're one of the few lucky ones, huh? How was in your experience the Ducati? I owned once upon a time a IJ Jupiter Mk. III (I don't know the Nato name) but, sadly, because the poor maintenance from the previous owner and the poor Russian craftsmanship I never really enjoyed it and I scrapped it without regrets before I left the country and moved to Caribbean


Jesper, Thank you very much! I think I start catching a tip or two about how metallic colors work

Meanwhile I have the engine block sub-assembly finished - no pictures yet because the glue was still setting and I didn't want to fiddle with it too much - but more updates soon!

Cheers!
Gabriel

Hi Gabriel,
I knew Nato gave nicknames to Soviet jets, I am not sure they got as far doing that for East European bikes
I had an original Ducati Monster in London in 1993. Despite the press of the day it was a bit of a dog really. Front cylinder didn't run in cold weather, zero steering lock made very difficult to ride in traffic and so on. They do build beautiful looking bikes though. I have a BMW these days, but even that's not perfect.

cheers
Michael

Hi, Michael! Sometimes the Eastern-European vehicles were commercialized under different names and specifications when sold to the West. The best example is Dziguli - sold in Europa as Lada by USSR.
The piston aircraft have NATO names too. They were introduced during WW2: Male names for fighters (Zeke), female names for bombers (Betty). With the Cold War the practice continued, but the apelatives were changed from names to words starting with the letter designating the category F = Fighter (Flora, Frogfoot, Foxhound) and so on...
Thanks for stopping by!
Gabriel

Hi, guys!
UPDATE

I have finished painting the engine, attached the exhaust pipes and the ECU box. Because how busy the engine looks, most of my detailing passes almost unnoticed: bolt heads picked up with silver, flat black pump fuel hose etc.:


Nonetheless I am content with the way the sub-assembly looks so far:


With the next step in mind, I masked and painted the two-part radiator / frame assembly - a very unique, interesting (and functional) Ducati concept.


Mufflers base-coated, awaiting masking - they are to be painted in three colors:


I did the priming on the side and front cowlings, as well on the gas tank ahead of the instructions manual, just because I want to make sure I'm going to have a good finish... I'm still in-between sanding / re-coating sessions.

Thank you for tuning in!
More updates soon!
Cheers!
Gabriel

Great job so far on the Ducati. This looks like a really nice kit.

Ducati's seem like nice bikes, but way too expensive for me!

Jim

Thank you, Jim! Indeed, the kit is superbly done by Tamiya. Before I glued the exhaust pipe I dry-fitted and I had trouble getting it back out The engineering of the kit is superb and the tolerances are minimal. The suggested painting scheme is a little in the complicated side and I gave up the X11 divided by X31 equals 1 divided by 3 Tamiya Kabbalah. I follow the painting scheme on the box lid and a couple of video reviews of the actual motorcycle and I improvise at times

As for the prices on the Ducati monsters... well, they are monstrous

Thank you for checking in!

Gabriel

That's looking amazing so far.

Thank you very much, Ken!

UPDATE
I carried on with small paint jobs and sub assemblies and I have my first setback already - I managed to damage the paint on one of the mufflers when cutting the masks I need to strip it down... Anyhow, here's what I was up to:

The front cowling painted with white, waiting masking before red paint spraying:


The gas tank painted with red, waiting some sanding and detailing before clear coating and decaling:


A picture to give you an ideea about how the white / red combo will go together:


The side cowls sprayed with white before masking and red coat, in need of some superficial sanding:


Part of the articulated front frame sprayed with semi-gloss black, waiting for detailing:


The two halves dry-fitted - they literally click together:


The radiator funnel assembled and painted with the same semi-gloss black:


And that is for today's update. Most o the sub-assemblied still need clear coating or sanding or extra-detailing, but the whole thing start getting shape.

Thank you for following!
Cheers!
Gabriel

Looking good Gabriel. Tough luck about the muffler!
Do you have to paint the whole fairing or do Tamiya give you some decals?

cheers
Michael

Looking nice! I think I'll just sit back with a cappuccino & a Ducati Biscotti, and watch.

Jim

Hi, Michael. The muffler was repainted last evening but I still need another 24 hours to catch up with the clear coating and extra detailing...
For front and side cowlings are provided masks to apply the base colors (red and white), and decals are provided for tri-color inserts and branding.

Jim, it sounds so good I may be tempted to exchange places . Well, once you get into one of these kits, you gotta love'em!

UPDATE
Oil wash applied on the engine and exhaust hoses... still drying but most of it will be removed. It worked wonders in showing even more of the luxurious detail:


Although dulled out somewhat by the wash, the engine looks somehow even more "metallic" - I like the effect (wash not cleaned yet)


A first encounter with the decals... They need no further comments:

A future clear coat is needed to seal the in and to cover the sanding marks you can see on the top of the tank.

And because I've got stuck with the engine assembly because of the rebellious muffler, I decided to go ahead and paint in advance some other details. I chose the wheels, because on my reference videos their color is a sort of a very glossy gunmetal. In attempt to replicate that, I primed the wheels with gloss black (Krylon), applied a chrome coat (Krylon again - it looks more like airframe aluminum than like chrome but that's what I wanted) and the subsequent coat is going to be smoke (Rust-oleum enamel). I know it's a long shot and I may end up with some glossy smoke gray wheels, but even so it's going to be fine.


More updates soon!
Cheers!
Gabriel

Hi, guys!

Things went a little better in my last painting session and I did some progress:

I started using the masks provided by Tamiya, but I realized I can do a better job with regular masking tape (also Tamiya):



As you can see, the only place I had some sipping was exactly where I used the masking sticker - I was inspired to do it with regular tape after all:


On the left cowling I also had some over-spray, but that's easy to deal with so no major problem here (hopefully):




The gas tank clear coated, decals sealed, and waiting for its cap and extra-detailing - the attaching mechanism should be black and silver:


Well... the wheels!
I didn't get exactly what I was after, but close enough: a hard to describe gray, bordering into metallic. I would prefer it a dash darker, but I'm content with what I've got:


More updates soon!
Cheers!
Gabriel

Excellent, no quit in you. Looks good.

KSO, that's one of the funniest and truest remarks made on my modelling ever! LOL! Yes, there's no quiet in me when comes about styrene...

UPDATE
I finally got around my error on the muffler and I added one detail color - one more follows:


Now, believe it or not, the application of these decals took me a whooping two hours, according to my camcorder timer:


I realized after the first one what I am against to, and probably I would gave up and do the red trim by brush, if won't be for these superbly printed branding stickers:


Probably next time I will cut the brand from the decal and do the trim by hand...

Thank you for following!
More updates soon!

Cheers!
Gabriel

Nicely done. Looks like you handled those decals just fine. Glad you used them because there are also the fine black lines on each side of the red.

That's some sweet looking paint work Gabriel

KSO , you're right about the black trim and I have considered that when decided to trade time against looks

Russel, thanks, mate! The model it's way to good to be treated disrespectfuly

Now, guys, I am in a two days break because I really need to put some order on my modelling desk. I also bought a new set of lights that need to be tapped into my desk's labyrinthine wiring but I'll be back with a couple of pictures as soon I get the chance to spray some clear coat on the mufflers, wheels and the gas tank support. I'm almost ready for the first screws.

Cheers!
Gabriel

OK, guys!

Managed to finish almost all my chores around the house and time has come for a new update:
Mufflers and the front box frame added; another trademark Ducati design, the engine block is incorporated into the frame:


One might guess already based on this picture only how aggressive this bike looks on the road...


I am a little reserved regarding how good the attaching screws look on the finished model, but let's see...


Side note I have noticed that Tamiya got wrong the mufflers and the exhaust pipe ends. On the original motorcycle they're not squarish like here, but plainly round. More yet, the Tricolore edition distinguish itself of Panigale S by new muffler cans (available for S as a separate update set) which reportedly give the engine an extra 25 bhp reserve! And the original Tricolore muffler cans really stand out - Tamiya omitted that. For me it's not a deal breaker by any means but for rivet counter can be pretext for a (justified) tantrum!

Brake disks: well, they look good as they are...

but I couldn't resist getting them drilled out


with all the afferent mess

Did I told you I just cleaned my bench? Oh well...

I just did some black pre-coating for some metallic paints on other sub-assemblies so stay close: more updates soon!

Cheers!
Gabriel

The engine looks great, Gabriel!

I like how you've drilled out the disc brakes too!

Thank you, Russel!
Yes, the engine is a stunning feature from Tamiya, as the following pictures illustrate:

UPDATE

The radiator and the radiator hoses added to the core assembly:


The whole assembly really looks busy, and that isn't all yet: I'm still working on additional details!


The chain and sprocket attached - this sub-assembly carries several other details which I am working on right now:


Thank you for following!
Cheers!
Gabriel

Very nice job on the drivetrain. It looks great. Drilling out the brake rotors is a nice touch. How think are they?

Jim

Hi, Jim! Thank you for your kind words. The thickness of the rotors are reason for slight concern: 1mm in 1/1 scale which render them huge in scale translation. At this point some PE parts will really make the difference. On the positive, the over-scale effect can be seen only when the motorcycle faces directly at the viewer, which is a rather unusual angle...

Thanks for stopping by!
Cheers!
Gabriel