Tamiya 14102 1/12 Scale Akai Yamaha YZR500 Collector Model Kit  [14102]

Tamiya 14102 - Akai Yamaha YZR500 1/12 collector kit

This 1/12 scale plastic model kit recreates the Akai-liveried Yamaha YZR500 for display and collection within Tamiya's motorcycle range. The kit prioritizes authentic external appearance over mechanical internals.

The Yamaha YZR500 was Yamaha Motor Company's factory 500cc Grand Prix machine through the 1970s and 1980s, built around a high-revving two-stroke four-cylinder engine and development-led chassis improvements intended for competitive road racing. Team and sponsor liveries changed across seasons, producing distinctive paint schemes.

The kit's molded parts reproduce the YZR500's external character, indicating the look of a water-cooled two-stroke four-cylinder engine and a single-shock rear suspension. Included are Dymag-style wheel parts and Cartograf water-slide decals, with two marking options matching documented race appearances.

Builders should expect to perform painting, masking, and adhesive assembly to achieve a refined finish; attention to fairing joins, external tubing, and wheel alignment will be important for a display-standard result. The two decal schemes provide historically referenced choices without needing extra transfers.

An accurate external portrayal of a period racing livery, the kit is aimed at modelers and collectors who value historically referenced detail and tidy finishing.