Video: Building a breathtaking Hayabusa... from paper

Some are 1:1, while others, like the one shown in this very calming video, are small enough to sit in the palm of your hand.

This papercraft rendition of a late model Suzuki Hayabusa is made with pieces of paper, sketchbooks, tissue boxes, and receipts, held together with friction or starch glue. The builder, whose channel is simply called “Paper Modelling,” has amassed millions of views across just eight videos, one of which shows a paper crank assembly with a movable connecting rod and piston for a tiny KTM 390 Duke. 

To me, the builds feel like contemplations on each motorcycle. The cardboard frame jig for the paper frame is a highlight for me, along with the movable pistons, hex-headed “bolts,” rear suspension assembly, and the 3D dash that even includes needles for the gauges. The builder captures so many key details to the construction of each bike while offering some thoughts on the papercraft process and motorcycling in general. The video’s description suggests that this creator is a rider, which wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if true.

If you want to try papercrafting motorcycles for yourself, Yamaha used to have an entire page dedicated to downloadable models. They inexplicably pulled the page and associated files in 2018, but they can be found fairly easily from other sources if you do a little research. You can also use the Wayback Machine to access some of the plans. (I tried downloading the Ultra Realistic YA-1 PDFs as a test, and it worked for me. I do not plan on building one, since I need to finish my real Yamaha first.) 

Want more papercraft action? Try this Saxon Guzzi “Monna Lisa” from Paper Modelling. It adds color and carbon fiber texture to the build process, plus those Saxon Guzzis are just neat motorcycles.