Review
This offering from Meng is from memory the second 1/9th scale motorcycle that I have had the chance to have a look at. It arrives in a very deep cardboard tray with a card lid. The model fills the box thoroughly, and so it is not a box that is there to garner your interest - it is there because it needs to be that size. This particular model is the pre colour edition and the single colour version is £60 cheaper - So you are paying a premium. An examination of the contents reveals no issues with regards to moulding and the packaging has been very well thought out to provide the maximum protection for the contents.
If you decide to purchase and tackle this model, you need to be aware that Meng has built into the kit a lot of functionality and so this model is a long way away from a shake and bake. You also need to be aware that a lot of this release uses mechanical connections in the form of screws and working springs on the suspension. The wheels of the model have a lot of detail present, from photo etched brake discs, moulded spoke detail that will require care during removal and the model has vinyl rubber tyres, which I know can be a touchy subject for some. The engine and transmission for the model which utilises direct drive rather than a chain, and while the detail is good it needs to be remembered that a large portion of engines these days is hidden from view.
All aspects of the front forks from suspension to steering and wheels and braking are extremely well detailed with good functionality is present in all locations where needed. The frame of the motorcycle actually screws to the power plant which is a little bit of a surprise to me, as I cannot think what the benefit of that is. To give you an idea of just how detailed this release is, a battery is included which is hidden inside a casing. Should the modeller decide that they would like to see the battery you can. The front forks are secured to the frame of the model, again via screws. A highly detailed radiator and plumbing in included and looking at this myself I am a little stunned by how much detail has been captured.
The frame that creates the mud guard above the rear wheel, again has a lot of screws holding everything together with the seat that hides a lot of this detail being made of 4 separate parts just so that you do not have to paint it!! There is an option to turn this into a 2 seater version, but you do lose the benefits of the pre-coloured parts in that area. A pre-chromed exhaust is provided and I do not believe that any work will need to be done on it, except to remove the chrome coating where glue needs to be applied.
Moving to the area concerning the fuel tank, vinyl tubing has been provided to show the fuel from and to, and also the cables for the brakes, throttle and clutch. The fuel tank itself is made up of a number of elements, with 2 colours applied to the fairing that runs from the front down the centre of the fuel tank. I cannot tell by touch if this colour detail is moulded in or applied after removal from the moulds. But I cannot detect how it is done for definite. Side panniers are supplied, as is a top box and it is another area of the release where Meng has not skimped on detail.
Conclusion
This offering from Meng is truly stunning in all regards. From the fact that they have used screws to put the model together, they have even remembered to provide a screw driver so no guessing about what size screwdriver you need. They have even supplied a polishing cloth, which just shows their attention to detail to make this kit shine. Many of you will ask pre-colour is it worth it, and all I can say is yes you can paint it but getting the level of finish you get in this release will prove a struggle for many. Various colours of plastic look to have been injected at different points in order to have multi coloured parts mark this as a first in my book.