Tamiya 12691 - 1:12 Suzuki GSX-RR '20 Front Fork Set

Front fork set with photo-etched parts for the Tamiya 1:12 Suzuki GSX-RR '20 (14139)

Of all Tamiya's front fork sets, this is the most comprehensive — beyond the metal fork tubes it adds carbon-pattern decals and photo-etched parts that reach well past the fork itself. Tamiya 12691 is a detail set prepared for the Tamiya 14139 kit (Team Suzuki Ecstar GSX-RR '20) in 1:12 scale.

At its core are anodised metal outer fork tubes and the damper reservoir, replacing the plastic fork legs of the base kit. They are joined by a yellow spring, dedicated plastic parts, carbon-pattern decals reproducing fork components, and photo-etched parts: radiator mesh guards, exhaust tip guards and seat cowl duct covers. The motorcycle model is sold separately and is not included in this set.

What's in the box:

• Anodised metal outer fork tubes and reservoir
• Yellow spring
• Dedicated plastic parts
• Carbon-pattern decals reproducing fork components
• Photo-etched parts: radiator mesh guards, exhaust tip guards, seat cowl duct covers

Set specifications:

• Scale: 1:12
• Product code: 12691
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Type: front fork set combining metal fork tubes, photo-etched parts and decals
• Material: anodised aluminium, gold-plated brass, photo-etched parts, plastic, decals
• Dedicated kit: Tamiya 14139 (Team Suzuki Ecstar GSX-RR '20)
• Motorcycle model sold separately — not included in this set

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

Fork tubes are metal and glossy by nature — and that depth of shine cannot be fully reproduced on a plastic surface, even with metallic paints. Turned 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. 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 components, a metal primer is recommended first — model paints adhere far better to a properly prepared metal surface. The anodised parts and the yellow spring come factory-finished and need no painting.

Photo-etched parts and carbon-pattern decals – detail beyond the reach of injection moulding

Photo-etched parts are chemically etched from thin metal sheet, which lets them be far thinner than any moulded plastic component. In this set the technology is used for details whose structure simply cannot be produced by injection moulding: radiator mesh guards with genuine open holes, exhaust tip guards and seat cowl duct covers. Cyanoacrylate glue applied sparingly works well for attaching them, and precision modelling tweezers or a photo-etch bending tool help with folding.

The carbon-pattern decals, in turn, reproduce the distinctive woven structure of the composite, which is hard to paint convincingly in 1:12 scale. It is worth applying them over a smooth, gloss surface — this reduces the risk of decal silvering — and sealing them with clear varnish in the sheen of your choice once dry.

About the motorcycle – Suzuki GSX-RR:

The Suzuki GSX-RR is a MotoGP-class racing motorcycle built for Team Suzuki Ecstar. Like other machines in the class it is a prototype, created purely for racing and not available at retail.

The 2020 season was a landmark for Suzuki: Joan Mir won the MotoGP world championship on the GSX-RR, and the team took the team title as well. That success was built largely on balanced, predictable handling and race-day consistency rather than qualifying dominance — and the machine behind this model earned its place in the history of the series.

Original specifications (Suzuki GSX-RR):

• Type: MotoGP-class racing motorcycle
• Team: Team Suzuki Ecstar
• Prototype machine, not available at retail
• 2020 season: MotoGP world championship for Joan Mir and the team title

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.