As I'm in the process of acquiring a vintage ('78) BMW R100RS Motorsport, and there is at least one 1/12 scale plastic kit of it, I'm wondering if there may be a second.
I've once built a Matchbox kit of this bike, painting it the black- fogged-onto-metallic-red airbrush scheme they used (and in the process, necessitating complete repaints of damaged panels whenever the fogging was scratched). In fact, if anyone would like to buy this scale model, email me and we'll talk. I won't necessarily need two of 'em around.
However, I'm gettin' the white one and I don't want to a.) strip the one I have back down to its original puke green or b.) start with another puke green Matchbox and repaint it white unless I have to. I've seen an Aoshima R100RS on ebay that appears to be molded in white at about twice the cost or more. There are also IMAI BMW 'boxers'.
Questions:
Is the Matchbox the same mold as either IMAI or Aoshima? The Matchbox was a bit 'fussy' to build, but not too bad for a bike kit. I can live with it if it's the only one out there - or substantially cheaper than the others.
Is an IMAI likely to be the same mold as an Aoshima?
If it's not the same, is the Aoshima better or worse? I think I know the answer, but a voice of experience would make me feel better about it.
Does the Aoshima come with the hard side bags? I can't see them in the photos of this kit, but they're included in at least one IMAI BMW bike kit. I'd like them since I'll have them on my 1:1 - even if I do have to repaint them white from black. In the alternative, if anyone has a (1/12 scale!) R100S in whole or in part, do you want to sell some hard bags?
-- C.R. Krieger (Soon to be Beemin')