Tamiya 1/12 scale Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R

Manufacturer: Tamiya, distributed by Tamiya America, 2 Orion, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656, 800-826-4922 www.tamiyausa.com
Kit: No. 14084
Scale: 1/12
Price: $37
Comments: Injection-molded, 134 parts (2 rubber tires), screws, vinyl tubing, decals
Pros: Excellent fit, instructions, and decals
Cons: Some ejector-pin marks are visible through the green-tinted see-through body panels

The flagship of Kawasaki's Ninja motorcycle line, the ZX-12R is perhaps the most radical motorcycle the company has ever produced. The state-of-the-art sportbike is powered by a lightweight four-cylinder liquid-cooled engine that's mounted in an aluminum-monocoque chassis and surrounded by wind-tunnel-tested bodywork. Like its predecessors, the new Ninja provides ballistic acceleration; the 463-pound bike has 178 horsepower at the ready, for when you need to get to the horizon right now.


The ZX-12R is the latest addition to Tamiya's long line of 1/12 scale motorcycle kits. Following the company's recent trend toward "full-view" kits, the model's body panels are molded in green-tinted see-through plastic, so all of the engine and frame details can be seen on the finished model without removing the bodywork.


A 21-step instruction sheet guides you through the model's assembly, beginning with the four-cylinder engine and continuing through the frame, driveline, and bodywork. I followed the instructions more-or-less to the letter, but left off many of the model's small parts (such as the clutch pedal, turn-signal stalks, and rear-view mirrors) until the very end to keep from knocking them off during assembly.


Admittedly, I've had a soft spot for see-through model kits since I spent most of a summer building a Visible V-8 kit when I was 10; I couldn't resist leaving the Ninja's body panels unpainted. Building a model with see-through body panels has its advantages and disadvantages. Sure, you don't have to paint the bodywork, but you'll need to paint everything else, because nothing will be out of sight.


Detail painting instructions are called out in each step of the instructions using Tamiya's letter-number paint codes. As suggested, I used Tamiya's Semigloss Black spray paint (TS-29) for the engine and frame. I used a variety of paints for the model's metallic parts, including SnJ Spray Metal, Testor Metallizers, and standard enamels. Testor Jet Exhaust (1796) is a perfect match for the titanium-colored engine and lower exhaust pipes. The box top features a photo of a full-size Ninja that's an excellent reference for painting the model.


Many of the model's components (including the engine and wheels) attach to the frame with tiny Phillips-head screws, and a screwdriver is provided. As you assemble the model, note the position of the screw holes and make sure they don't become clogged with paint. Two diameters of black vinyl tubing are provided for the bike's plumbing. The instructions not only indicate how long each piece of tubing should be, but also show how each one should wind through the bike's framework. I used the pointed end of a wooden toothpick to temporarily flare each end of each piece of tubing to slide it over its fitting. I used a small drop of super glue to secure the lines. A pair of pointed tweezers will help immeasurably here.

Chrome-plated parts are provided for the headlight reflector and the prominent exhaust pipe. Tamiya has done a wonderful job of engineering the parts tree; the sprue-attachment points are carefully located so they're hidden once the parts are assembled.


As I built the model, I noted several other details that were clearly engineered to make the model easier to assemble. For example, the black trim around the lower edge of the windscreen is a decal that's applied to the inside surface of the glass. This area would have been difficult to mask and paint; the decal takes only few minutes to apply, fits perfectly over the part's compound curves, and best of all, looks great. After the decal had dried overnight, I dipped the windscreen in Future floor polish to improve its clarity and lock down the decal before installing the part in the cowl. I used five-minute epoxy to assemble the green-tinted body panels and to install the clear windscreen in the forward cowl before installing the bodywork on the frame. Some of the body panels are designed to be removable, but I glued most of them in place.


The 2000 and 2001 model-year Ninjas differ mainly in their markings, and Tamiya provides decals to model either version. I built a 2000 Ninja; its simpler markings make it easier to see through the clear bodywork. The decals went on perfectly without any setting solution. Templated, self-adhesive chrome foil is provided for the side-view mirror faces and the tubular sections of the front suspension.


This was my first motorcycle model, and it was great fun to build over the course of a few weekends. It's a complicated model, however, with lots of delicate parts, so I recommend it only to intermediate to advanced modelers.