Current road machines in a generous size: that is what 1:9 offers. The kits cover modern sports bikes, large touring machines and city classics, between twenty and twenty-seven centimetres long depending on the machine, noticeably bigger than the standard 1:12 without demanding a shelf of its own. Fairings, brake callipers and instrument panels all read clearly, and because the subjects are contemporary a collection ends up looking like a dealer's showroom floor.
A good part of the range comes with bodywork already painted and printed at the factory, which means a convincing model without an airbrush and without any spraying experience. Below you will find how the pre-finished and conventional kits differ.
Compared with 1:12, the extra size shows in the small things rather than the obvious ones: handlebar switchgear, the texture of a seat cover, lettering on a brake calliper. None of it needs adding, because it is moulded in. The subject choice leans heavily towards machines still on the road, so the scale suits anyone building the bike they own or wish they owned.
Kits described as pre-painted arrive with the fairing and frame finished from the factory, graphics included; your job is assembly. Conventional kits leave the colour to you and give a free hand over shades and finish. For a first motorcycle, a pre-finished edition is the shortest route to something that looks right. Check whether decals are included either way, since small graphics are applied by hand in both cases.
Anyone interested in current machines, and anyone who wants a larger model without the space a display scale demands. It is also a sensible way back into the hobby after a long gap, because you need not buy spraying equipment to get a good result.
Factory paint changes the rules. Use an adhesive that will not attack the finish, which in practice means cyanoacrylate or a non-solvent type from the adhesives section rather than liquid cement, and test it on a sprue first. Handle painted parts with gloves or clean fingers; fingerprints show on gloss. Once decals are on, a thin coat from the varnishes section evens out the difference in sheen between factory paint and decal film.
For a wider choice of machines including racing subjects, see 1:12 motorcycle kits; every scale is listed in motorcycle model kits.
