TAM1432 - Tamiya - 1/12 Honda NS500 Grand Prix Racer - WWHP113863

TAM1432 - Tamiya - 1/12 Honda NS500 Grand Prix Racer - WWHP113863

Preowned, Resealed, Mint

Honda returned to 500cc Grand Prix racing in 1979 with the four-stroke NR500, but it couldn’t beat the two-strokes. In 1982 Honda introduced the NS500, a light, agile two-stroke with an unusual V3 layout. Its centre cylinder pointed forward between the two outer cylinders, with a 112-degree vee between them, which kept the bike narrow and its centre of gravity low. It made about 130 hp and weighed only around 116 kg, so it gave up outright power to the four-cylinder Yamahas and Suzukis but made up for it in handling. In 1983 Freddie Spencer won the 500cc World Championship on the NS500, beating Kenny Roberts by just two points after a season-long duel. That made him, at 21, the youngest premier-class champion at the time. This Tamiya kit builds Spencer’s #3 NS500, with markings for Takazumi Katayama’s #8 bike as well.

• White and grey injection-moulded plastic parts in the sealed bag
• Clear windscreen
• Rubber-like racing tires
• Highly detailed two-stroke V3 engine
• Steerable front forks
• Brake and ignition lines, with tubing included
• Decals for 2 riders:
  • #3 Freddie Spencer, with U.S. flags
  • #8 Takazumi Katayama, with Japanese flags
• Sponsor decals for HRC, Castrol, Michelin, NGK, Showa, Keihin and RK Chain
• Illustrated instructions