Origami being a hobby I adopted really young, when the link to this paper YZF-R1 showed up on Slashdot back in 2003, I had to investigate. I usually stick to models requiring folding only (i.e. no scissors or glue), but the detail in this model was so interesting I had to build it.
The pattern is still available from Yamaha's website. It took approximately 80 hours to cut, fold and glue, spread out over the course of approximately three months at the start of 2004.
The observant will note that the cycle is missing its rear right flasher. It was actually inhaled by accident while holding it up close to try and push out a kink. (Don't ask.) The fresh glue was difficult on my digestive system, even though the manufacturer claimed the glue was non-toxic. My vocal complaining prompted my chemical engineering friend to explain that "non-toxic just means it's not going to actively try to harm you, dude, it doesn't mean it's going to be fun to digest."
The above pictures are from 2004, when I finished building the bike. Six years later, I still have it, and it has proven both a blessing and a curse: I'm glad to have built it, but now I'm stuck with a new trinket, so to speak. As with most things, it was about the journey more than the destination, and now I'm wary of forgetting about the former if I dispose of the latter.
Lessons learned:
- When you set out to build something fragile like this, you really need to know up front where you're going to store it afterwards so it doesn't deteriorate. In this case, I think a shelf behind a glass window would have been perfect to avoid physical damage and dust. (The dust is now virtually impossible to get off.)
- Craft glue does not hold up forever. After a few years, the parts that stick out will start sagging, even if the model is not manipulated often. Be prepared to either endure or touch up.
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