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Honda 750 MPC Released


drodg

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I Wish it had been done in the same scale as the Tamiya (1:6) so I could use the parts I have from the Tamiya original release. I still have the bag of chain links, Too fiddly for 10 year old me back in the day. I'm planning to build mine with the mods most of us made to our riceburners in the 70s. Header, lower handlebars, a mild shaving of the unnecessary parts. Rejetting the 1/8 scale carbs could be challenging.

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I will try to do a review this week.  I have started on it but have stopped as I need to finish my 68 Roadrunner kit now that the holidays are over.  My impression so far (I am not a motorcycle builder normally) is the technology is old school and it will take quite a bit of work to make a nice replica.  The biggest frustration is the amount of chrome on the kit.   I have started it & I find myself spending time removing chrome from pieces  or spraying chrome with dullcoat to make it look more accurate.   The fit on pieces are pretty good except for the wheels. I guess for 1970 technology it isn't that bad.  Anyhow I will post some  pictures this week.  

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I will try to do a review this week.  I have started on it but have stopped as I need to finish my 68 Roadrunner kit now that the holidays are over.  My impression so far (I am not a motorcycle builder normally) is the technology is old school and it will take quite a bit of work to make a nice replica.  The biggest frustration is the amount of chrome on the kit.   I have started it & I find myself spending time removing chrome from pieces  or spraying chrome with dullcoat to make it look more accurate.   The fit on pieces are pretty good except for the wheels. I guess for 1970 technology it isn't that bad.  Anyhow I will post some  pictures this week.  

Looking forward to your review. Some good information you've given us above already.

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The bottom of the MPC/Airfix engine has a different oil pan which represents the first 7400 Honda 750s out of a 1000000 serial number run. The short chain guard is the first 20,000 or so. I can't tell from the pictures well, but if the horn is on the left, it is the first 3900.

The MPC kit can be no later than the first 44,000 Honda 750s. The Heller is 44,000 and later and probably the next 2000000 serial number.

Honda didn't date any model years on the motorcycles until 1976. While the MPC kit could be 1969 to 1970, the Heller could be a 1970 to 1971 or even a 1972. The date of the bike was assigned by the dealer or the state when the bike was sold. After September 1969, all Hondas had a VIN tag with date of manufacture, not model year. It was possible that somebody bought a 1971 that was sold and titled as a 1972. The dealer would tell the buyer that this bike was virtually the same but would cost a little less.

It is safe to say that the MPC kit is a K0 model and the Heller is a K2 but has the incorrect tail light to do a US spec bike. A clever person can revert a Heller to a K1 by painting the fork ears and modifying the seats. 750 badges on the Heller should be yellow as a K2 but are correct as a K1. Honda didn't really care about years, again, just model numbers and running production changes. That means 2 K0s or 2 K2s might be different as Honda kept changing parts.

The destination country makes everything all the more confusing. Parts are changed to meet governmental and customer needs. The US DOT made Honda make changes. The Heller K2 is not American as it has a small tail light. The US version has a larger one with reflectors. Blinkers varied from country to country. In 1969 all the dealers in Pennsylvania had to exchange the yellow rear blinkers which came from Japan, to red rear blinkers. It was illegal to have yellow used in the rear. The law was changed later.

If you build either kits, try to find a original or correct restored photo of a CB750. A lot of bikes are called restored, but many are wrong using the wrong parts.

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Those 1/6 scale Tamiya kits are without doubt the best motorcycle kits ever made, but it's a bit comparing apples with pears here.

That is so true.   I can hear me now.  Yes honey I need to spend 200+ dollars on a model kit.   That works well for me......

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