[TC19] Exocet

[1980SomethingSpaceGuy]

Hi brick fellows!

I hadn't been browsing the site for quite a while and Thursday (less than a week before deadline), I spotted there was a new TC going! Moreover about motorbikes! As a motorcycle rider and lover, I absolutely had to take part.
So I dug out some old school motorbike wheels I had purchased some time ago for my collection, which I hadn't actually used yet. They're not big, which calls for a small model; I figured this would fit considering the little time left.

These wheels breath custom chopper style, so that's the path I went. I started with the rear wheel, I wanted it to stand out. I tried a few approaches for transmission, but chain or shaft look huge in comparison and add to the width. So I figured an exotic solution that matched all my criteria, one that would make Solex bike enthusiasts proud.
I then fitted a gearbox and longitudinal flat twin, and wrapped those into a frame in the most classic bike style possible. The rear chassis with seat was a bit tricky, I had to limit the travel of the suspension and wrap the saddle and tail as close as possible around the wheel. The fork was pretty straightforward and from there, everything kinda fell into place and I could focus on details like the slickest possible headlight and gas tank, air intake and exhaust, license plate, etc.

Without further ado, here's the Exocet:

 

The model features steering, full suspension, a flat twin fake motor, a 2-speed + neutral gearbox and side stand.

Details include saddle, gas tank, full exhaust line, foot rests, front and rear lights, indicators, air intake filter, speedometer, etc.

It's hard to cram more than that in such a small model, but I wanted to feature a gearbox, so this is how I built it:

I had to do with available parts, so no fancy color or rare parts. Anyway, I'm happy with the proportions and the looks.

Cheers!

 

Edited February 8, 2021 by 1980SomethingSpaceGuy

[Man with beard]

Nice job! My first thought when I saw it was nostalgia for technic Racers sets from the early 2000's, due to that yellow shock absorber and all those red liftarms. I think building with parts you had on hand lent it a nice Lego-y feel which I personally like. Also, I agree with you that the proportions came out really well.

[Rudivdk]

Nice looking bike! It instantly gives me classic Technic feelings too, has the same vibe as the 90's trike (with the 8880 wheels)! It looks bigger than it probably is, you managed to make it look very 'complete' despite the scale and lack of panels thereof.

The shape of the frame with the stacked 5x9 double bent liftarms wrapped around the engine is beautiful! And the drive transfer is a smart and simple solution, it helps the minimalist looks of the rear suspension.

And by the way, good to see you active again, it's been a while... Good luck in the contest!

[1980SomethingSpaceGuy]

Thank you @Man with beard! You pointed the right spot. I started this build with red beams because that's the color I wanted the bike to be, but it indeed ended a bit too flashy. I wanted it flamboyant.

Anyway, I swapped quite a lot of red:

Still no fancy rare colors, but using the classic DBG and LBG instead of all red clearly adds something. It now looks a lot better, more grown up maybe:

Thanks you @Rudivdk! It indeed is quite small. The size in the end is dictated by the wheels, which are not big for a Technic motorbike. I'm happy to be back to building bricks and be posting things here. Thank you very much for making me feel at home 

Another couple more pics:

I kept the central L piece red for fun, as a reminder of my initial mistake.

Thank you both again for your feedback. I'm even happier now with this build!

[Rudivdk]

This color scheme indeed suits it better. It makes it look even bigger and, like you said, more mature. It also takes away some of the nostalgic feelings the original design gave me, but I totally understand your decision and I think this is the better option.

7 minutes ago, 1980SomethingSpaceGuy said:

I'm happy to be back to building bricks and be posting things here. Thank you very much for making me feel at home

Your welcome 🙏

[zoo]

This is brilliant! With the new colours this looks just perfect. I especially like the fact that all parts looks to serve a purpose. Very slim design. Well done.

[1980SomethingSpaceGuy]

2 hours ago, Rudivdk said:

It also takes away some of the nostalgic feelings the original design gave me

Yeah, me too.  But so much for nostalgia, it looks better now!

@zoo Thanks ! That's the way I build, usually: I try to make every piece count. Even more so here with a naked bike! 

My nephew is here at home right now, stress testing it. Looks like it's robust enough so far 

[Zerobricks]

The color switch really makes it look much more professional and cool. Well done.

[MajklSpajkl]

Wow, you managed to build this in only three days?! Great job! The last version looks much much better than the red one. It reall looks good. I like the flexible part wrapped around the back. Makes for a nice detail.The red fueltank really pops out well. Good entry!

Best regards!

[Man with beard]

8 hours ago, 1980SomethingSpaceGuy said:

Thank you @Man with beard! You pointed the right spot. I started this build with red beams because that's the color I wanted the bike to be, but it indeed ended a bit too flashy.

I liked the red, haha! But I like the new one too. The new version is a little less toy-ish and a little more intimidating .

Edited February 7, 2021 by Man with beard

[1980SomethingSpaceGuy]

Thanks @Zerobricks!

5 hours ago, MajklSpajkl said:

Wow, you managed to build this in only three days?

Yep. I guess that's the advantage of building small out of a small bricks pool (I currently have way under 20K Technic bricks); there's a limited amount of possible ways to assemble them..  Thanks a lot for your message!

1 hour ago, Man with beard said:

I liked the red

So did I. But rejoice, the pictures will remain here for whenever we need that rush of nostalgia 
Seriously, thanks again for pointing the right course, captain Manneth Berd!

[1980SomethingSpaceGuy]

There was a bit of sunshine this morning, and I figured sunlight is the best to make those chromes pop out. So I shot my final photos.

Now I can prepare my entry post.

Cheers!

[1980SomethingSpaceGuy]

Done! You can find it here: 

I went full salesman mode. Contests are for fun, ain't 'em? 

[1980SomethingSpaceGuy]

I filled the gap on the side of the tank, in an effort to smooth things a bit. Also replaced the red beam in the frame.

Et voilà! New family member: