Top Gun was een van mijn favoriete films, en toen ik een oude GPZ900r kocht, ontstond het idee om de Top Gun-filmreplica te maken. Het was leuk om te maken, en ik kreeg veel positieve reacties van mensen., omdat iedereen zich dit Icon herinnert.

De Kawasaki GPZ900R (ook wel bekend als de ZX900A of Ninja 900) is een motorfiets die van 1984 tot 2003 door Kawasaki werd vervaardigd. Het is het eerste lid van de Ninja-familie van sportmotoren. De GPZ900R (of ZX900A-1) uit 1984 was een revolutionair ontwerp dat de directe voorloper werd van de moderne sportmotor. Het werd in het geheim gedurende zes jaar ontwikkeld en was Kawasaki's en 's werelds eerste vloeistof gekoelde viercilinder-in-lijn motorfietsmotor met 16 kleppen.

De 908 cc viercilindermotor leverde 115 pk (86 kW), waardoor de fiets snelheden van 243 km / u (151 mph) kon bereiken, waardoor het de eerste racefiets in standaardvorm was die meer dan 240 km / u overschreed.

Voorafgaand aan het ontwerp had Kawasaki de productie van een subliter-motor voor ogen die de opvolger van de Z1 zou zijn. Hoewel het stalen frame, de 16 inch voor- en 18 inch achterwielen, de luchtvering en de antiduikvorken in die tijd vrij standaard waren, was de smalle, compacte motor lager in het frame gemonteerd, waardoor hij de Japanse superbike-prestaties aankon op een nieuw niveau. Zes maanden nadat ze in december 1983 aan de pers waren onthuld, namen race team drie GPZ900R-fabrieksfietsen op in de Isle of Man Production TT en eindigden ze op de eerste en tweede plaats.

Stickers!!!

"Unitid States Navy Fighter Weapons School"

This is the official name for the Top Gun School. A school for learning air to air combat. -"Dogfight". In the middle 80´s, Top Gun was located in Miramar, Fightertown, near San Diego California.

This sticker is placed several places on the bikes: Each side of the tank, on both sidepanels and on the rear panel.

On my bike, it´s 91 mm wide.

"Fighting 114"

"Fighting 114" = "VF-114". A Navy Squadron tag. "VF-114" was founded in 1945 as "VBF-19". Later it changed name to "VF-192", and then finally renamed again to "VF-114" in 1950. This Squadron, naturally, used to fly with a lot of different planes and have been in action in several battles, ex. Korea. In 1975 "VF-114" was assigned "F 14 Tomcat". This Squadron has been connected with different Aircraftcarriers and in middle 80´s it was located on "CVN-65 USS Enterprise", like the movie says. At the same time (1985) "VF-114" was going through some trainingsessions in Miramar.

This sticker is placed on each side on the tank, unlike each other.

It´s 76 mm wide and 86 mm high, on my bike.

"VF-213"

"VF-213" = "Black Lions", also a Navy Squadron, founded in 1955. In 1961 it was based in NAS Miramar Fightertown. In 1976, "VF-213" also got the "F14 Tomcat" and later that year, it was connected to "CVN-65 USS Enterprise". When the movie was shot, this Squadron was on board on the ship and was equipped with Tomcats, so also here the story fit.
The border on the sticker has changed color from white to black, since then.

Also this sticker is placed on each side of the tank, unlike each other.

It´s 78 mm wide, measured on the tips of the banner. It´s 82 mm high.

"No 55"

Trying to save fuel, the govenment in USA created a 55 M/ph speedlimit on the highway. It wasn´t exactly popular and this sticker signals a discontented aditude. Sammy Hagar performed a rocksong about the subject, called: "I can´t drive 55".
This sticker is still on the market, but it´s written with other fonts, compared to the ones on the bikes.

It is placed on the rear panel.

It´s 65 mm wide.

"No Bullshit"

"No Bullshit". -Speaks for itself...
Also this sticker exists on the market, but for some reason, it has been mirrored since 85.

This sticker is placed on one side of the tank. Oddly enough, it´s not placed on the same side on both bikes!?!?

Also this one, has a 65 mm diameter.

"No Wimps"

"No Wimps" Also speaks for itself.
I have not been able to find this sticker anywhere. -I believe it´s off the market...

Like the "No Bulshit" sticker, this one is placed only on one side of the tank, also in different ways on the 2 bikes. It can actually be seen in the movie and must be characterized as a regular goof.

Also 65 mm.

"No Turkey"

"No Turkey" is a rebus, cause the word "turkey" also means other things. I guess the message is something like: "Not for loosers"
I couldn´t find this sticker on the market either...

These stickers were placed on both bikes, during the movieproces, but obviously removed again, cause it only can be seen in the "Take me to bed or loose me foreever" harbourscene in the nighttime. I chose not to place them on my bike at all.

"VF-51"

"VF-51" = Screaming Eagles". Until its disestablishment, VF-51 was the oldest fighter squadron in continuous service with the Pacific Fleet. VF-51 has victorious been to war in WW2, Korea and Vietnam.

In 1985, VF-51 was one of several NAS Miramar based squadrons to participate in the filming of Top Gun. Some VF-51 and VF-111 aircraft were repainted in fictitious squadron markings for the film. Mike "Viper" Metcalf (Tom Skerritt) mentions VF-51, and several pilot names are mentioned during the end credits.

This Sticker is placed on top of the tank.

"Tomcat"

"Tomcat" is a nickname for the plane "F14". I guess the official name is "F14 Tomcat". There exists a lot of different Tomcat-stickers, but most of them looks a lot like this one.

I placed this one on top of the tank, where the VF-51 sticker is supposed to be.

It´s 76 mm wide and 89 mm high.

Former naval aviator Bill Montgomery enlighten that this is the sticker on the lower fairing.

It is a standard Tomcat logo.