Tamiya 12657 - 1:12 Ducati 1199 Panigale S Front Fork Set

Front fork set with metal tubes for the Tamiya 1:12 Ducati 1199 Panigale S (14129)

The front fork of the Ducati 1199 Panigale S has distinctive gold tubes — a feature that catches the eye immediately and that is the hardest thing to reproduce with paint on a model. Tamiya 12657 is a detail set that replaces the plastic front fork legs with metal parts, prepared specifically for the Tamiya 14129 kit in 1:12 scale.

The outer tubes and the damper reservoir are turned from gold-anodised aluminium, while the inner tubes are brass with a gold coating. The result reproduces the characteristic gold coating of the fork tubes used on real sportbikes. The set is completed by blue fork caps, black anodised fork ends, aluminium parts representing the floating brake disc pins, and plastic parts: the lower triple clamps and lines. The motorcycle model is sold separately and is not included in this set.

What's in the box:

• Gold-anodised aluminium outer fork tubes with the damper reservoir
• Gold-plated brass inner fork tubes
• Blue fork caps
• Black anodised fork ends
• Aluminium parts representing the floating brake disc pins
• Plastic parts: lower triple clamps and lines

Set specifications:

• Scale: 1:12
• Product code: 12657
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Type: front fork set with metal fork tubes
• Material: turned gold-anodised aluminium, gold-plated brass, plastic
• Dedicated kit: Tamiya 14129 (Ducati 1199 Panigale S)
• Motorcycle model sold separately — not included in this set

Metal fork tubes – the real gloss of metal instead of painted plastic

Fork tubes on a motorcycle are metal and glossy by nature — and that depth of shine cannot be fully reproduced on a plastic surface, even with metallic paints. Turned gold-anodised aluminium and gold-coated brass deliver colour and reflection straight from the material itself, with no paint layer to soften edges and bury the finest details.

Metal parts also give sharper detail than a moulding: the turned surface is smooth, perfectly round in cross-section and free of mould seam lines. The parts are fitted in place of the corresponding plastic components of the base kit. If you plan to paint the remaining fork components, a metal primer is recommended first — model paints adhere far better to a properly prepared metal surface. The gold-plated and anodised parts themselves come factory-finished and need no painting.

About the motorcycle – Ducati 1199 Panigale S:

The Ducati 1199 Panigale S, built from 2012 to 2014, was a landmark design in the history of the Bologna marque. At its heart was the Superquadro engine — an L-twin of 1198 cc producing 195 hp, with an extremely short-stroke layout that let it rev unusually high for a twin.

The Panigale broke with the tubular trellis frame that had been a Ducati signature for decades. In its place came an aluminium monocoque frame using the engine as a stressed member — a solution taken straight from racing practice, cutting weight and concentrating mass closer to the centre of the bike. The S version stood out with, among other things, Öhlins suspension, including the front fork that is the subject of this set.

Original specifications (Ducati 1199 Panigale S):

• Production years: 2012–2014
• Engine: Superquadro, L-twin
• Displacement: 1198 cc
• Power: 195 hp
• Frame: aluminium monocoque, engine as a stressed member
• Suspension: Öhlins

About the manufacturer – Tamiya:

Tamiya is a Japanese company from Shizuoka, in business since 1946 — originally as a timber works, and from the 1960s as one of the most recognisable plastic model manufacturers in the world. Its 1:12 motorcycle range is among the most highly regarded parts of the catalogue. For selected kits Tamiya produces its own detail-up accessories — turned metal parts, photo-etched parts and dedicated decals — designed around a specific model so that fitting requires no modification.