Inventor's bright idea comes in kit form

A British inventor has created and patented the first full-sized plastic model motorcycle kit.

Peter Manning from Somerset is starting out with a vacuum-formed plastic kit based on the design of a 1962 Harley-Davidson Duoglide, but without any Harley branding.

Manning, who’s previously invented a stackable watering can and a lid to keep spiders out of stored wellington boots, told MCN: “It’ll be great fun to build and I think it will be for people who want one in their studio or home. It’s light enough to be mounted on a wall.”

The model will take around 23 hours to build and a further 10 hours to paint and weighs 16kg. It’s assembled mostly with glue, with some sections screwed together so it can be partially disassembled in future to help with transport.

Manning has designed it in a way that allows people to sit on the models without it having to bear their weight.

Manning, 60, says the kits are production-ready and will cost £525. Potential customers can register an interest now at www.fullsizekits.com and deposits will be taken from April 2015.

The inventor, a long-time Harley owner, was inspired by a kit he created while he was bikeless and wanted to share his interest with his son. “My son was five or six at the time and I wanted to make a bike, so we made a full-size one. I found it again in the garage when I moved home and thought ‘there’s something in this’.”

Manning has spent two years working on the idea and secured funding from an investment company to bring it to market.

He said: “It’s been great fun to do and I hope that we will be able to create other designs of bikes in future as well.”