So close ...

I took the day off yesterday and decided to change the oil and remove the wheels. I have new Pilot Road 4's coming in and have decided to powder coat the wheels white. Removing the front wheel wasn't as difficult as I feared it would be. Lifted the front with a jack and 2x4 under the pipes with the bike on the center stand and was able to get the front wheel off fairly easily by following the instructions in the service manual. I only removed the right side brake caliper and, with enough of a lift to the front, was able to slide the wheel out without removing the front fender.

Thanks for all the posts from others who have gone before me on their techniques for removing the wheels. I took what felt right from all of those and some videos I found online and did as follows:

1. Put bike on side stand
2. Loosen rear wheel bolts
3. Put bike on center stand
4. Remove rear wheel bolts
5. Remove rear wheel (that was easy)
6. Place jack with short 2x4 under exhaust pipes
7. Lift front end approx. 4" to 5"
8. Remove right side brake caliper
9. Loosen right side pinch bolt
10. Remove front axle bolt
11. Loosen left side pinch bolt
12. Put screw driver through hole in axle and pull axle out
13. Carefully slide front wheel (left side brake caliper is still attached) forward and out

14. Take a swig of a cold beer and wonder why you haven't been picked up yet by Team Honda to work the pit at MotoGP

I then removed the brake discs, spacers and seals. Going to have someone with the proper tools remove the tires, bearings and valve stems. Then off to the powder coater! Will post pics once I get her all put back together.

A couple shots in my cramped single-car (motorcycle) garage:

 

Be sure the powder coater covers up the holes where wheel bearings go !!!

 

Will do, thanks! What are your thoughts on having them cover the flat surface where the brake discs get bolted on (front wheel) and the recessed surface on the rear wheel where the bolts go on? I imagine the front wheel wouldn't be too difficult but the rear seems tricky to get in there and make sure no powder coating gets on those surfaces.

 

Good job......alittle nerving huh?

Sent from my SGH-T679 using Tapatalk 2

 

You'll probably find yourself removing the other caliper to ease installation. Never tried it with one caliper attached. If you can get away with it, awesome.

Your powder coater should handle any wheel prep. When I had mine done I removed the rotors. When it came time to mount the tires, they called and asked for the rotors. They wanted the rotors installed for proper balancing. I've never balanced motorcycle tires but it made sense to me to have them installed.

When you find a shop ask about wheel prep. If the shop has experience with bikes tire mounting may be included in the price quote. They should also know what areas to mask. Also when it comes time to mount tires, an experienced shop will know how not to damage their work.

 

Mentally if you were a tad bit closer you could come by my place, I have all the tools you need, bearing puller and a tire changer. Of course if feel inclined to drive up to Anaheim anyway, the offer is there, wouldn't cost you anything but drive time, a little $ for gas and a beer or two. Although this would mean you have to drive a car but gas prices are now the lowest I've seen in a long time! $3.69/gallon for 87 octane, not the best prices but still pretty low for being summer and all.

 

Yes, the factory did not finish these areas & neither should your powder coater.

Had a new tire put on this week. Since it was off I a snap a pic.

On the mounting side of the rear wheel, wheel to hub surface should also be unfinished. The lug nut bores doesn't matter. Ask your powder coater, they should know what to mask off. If they're not experienced with motorcycle wheels find someone who is.

 

For sure. But in a good way. It really feels great working on the bike and doing something I've never done before. Especially, when it works out the way it's supposed to!

 

I found what seems to be a reputable, experienced powder coater not too far away. They have great reviews on Yelp and plenty of photos showing off their work with plenty of those shots being motorcycle wheels. They're closed on weekends so I'll swing by one day next week and see what they say. I'm sure they'll know what to mask off but I'm going to ask anyway.

 

Is that offer good for putting the bearings, valve stems and tires back on? If so, I just might take you up on it! I went to what's considered a trusted motorcycle shop in town and had them remove the rubber, bearings, etc. and when I asked for a quote on putting it all back together after powder coating, I was told they wouldn't do it! They were cool about it but the guy who does the work said he used the machine to put the tires back on and if he marred up the new powder coating, I'd hold them responsible and then want to have them re-coated and then he went on about how powder coating cast aluminum is a bad idea, changes the molecular composition of the metal, weakening it and how powder coating isn't as good as using auto paint. I, of course, listened to everything he said but have read all about it. There's definitely a debate about how heat (and at what temp) effects aluminum wheels. I've read plenty of posts in all kinds of forums (Ducati, Ferrari, BMW, and, of course, our very own and VFRD) and people seem to be in one camp or the other. I find myself in the camp of, if it's done properly (lower temp, longer curing time) it won't be a problem. If there was, there'd be a whole lot more people out there saying how powder coating ruined their wheels, led to rim failures, etc. There simply isn't. Anyway, don't mean to turn this into a debate about powder coating but this guy obviously got me thinking about what I'm doing.

So ... if they won't replace things for me, do you have the tools to get it done and, what's your favorite beer?!

 

That's beautiful. Just what I'm going for! I'm going to bring in my seat cowl so they can match up the white. Did you have them add a clear coat (is that standard)? What have you found is the best to keep them clean? I read, on here I think, about wheel wax (I'm pretty sure it was Stosh who wrote about it). Think I'll pick some up. I went on a group ride with a guy who had a RC31 with white wheels. Great bike and it looked awesome but lots of brake dust and crud on his wheels.

And thanks for the info on what needs/doesn't need to be taped off. Handing over my wheels to someone and trusting them to get things right is a little unnerving. Knowing as much as I can about the process and knowing what to ask makes me feel a lot better.

 

Yeah, white looks really sharp, but it can be a hassle to keep spotless. I have a white wheel on the FJ and it stays clean about one ride. LOL But it sure looks good when it's clean. You may have to try out different chain lubes and see which one works best for you.

I had the wheels for my VFR powdercoated, and agree that if there was a problem with the powdercoating weakening motorcycle wheels we'd hear a lot, I mean A LOT, about it. But I've never seen or read any such thing.

 

Let's call it a standing offer. The No-Mar tire changer seems to live up to its name and so far I have yet to see a wheel get damaged. As far as putting bearings back in, yes I have the tools for that too. I also have rubber valve stems and wheel weights but I'm out of the angled aluminum valve stems but I can reorder them if you like. Or feel free to buy some and bring them along with your other gear.

My favorite beer is actually an Ale, I'm a big fan of Duvel but I'm not overly picky! Long and I have been drinking IPA's lately when we've been working on stuff. I've been buying Luganitas IPA the last few times.

Cheers!

 

No clear coat, not sure if thats even necessary with powder coat. As far as cleaning, start buying micro fiber towels. Your gonna need em if you want to keep the wheels clean. Any automotive soap will work fine. If you use a wheel cleaner make sure it's safe for all finishes. Personally I use Mothers, its non-acidic. Safe for all finishes. I'm in the habit of dusting the wheels every couple of days with an instant deatailer (Mothers Showtime). I'll wax the wheels a couple times a year as well. Any high quality wax of your choice will work. Ask your powder coater for cleaning tips, they should know what & what not to use.

 

Fantastic! I think it would be worth the drive just so I could meet you and, hopefully, Long can join us. Beers are on me. I'll wait till I'm in Anaheim to buy them so you'll have to let me know where I can get those Duvel or Luganitas. I already have some angled valve stems on the way. Got these from Kurveygirl.com:



I also ordered OEM bearings and seals from Bikebandit. I hope I'm not forgetting anything. Do you do your own balancing then? I'm assuming the answer is "yes" since you have the weights. Once my new tires arrive and I get my wheels back, I'll touch base with you to see if we can find a day that works for all of us. I really appreciate this.

 

I bought the No-Mar tire changer kit that had the wheel balancer too, but I had to buy the extra large cone kit because the VFR's rear wheel center hole is too big for the cones that come with the kit. Just give me a heads up and if I'm not planning on riding that day then I will normally be available. If there are free beers available, then I'm sure Long will find a way to be here :nod:

Finding Duvel or Luganitas is easy, there's a BevMo just down the street from me! They carry both, plus a whole lot more!

No worries, I bought the tire changer and apart from my bikes, I've changed at least 4 other member's/friend's tires as well. Got to put it to good use right!

 

Dropped the wheels off this morning at the powder coater! I brought my seat cowl in to compare colors and found a nice pearl white metallic that I'm going with. I was told they should be done by Friday! I talked to them about the "powder coating is bad for aluminum" debate and was told that with high enough heat, it can be a problem but they've been doing it for eight years, do motorcycle wheels all the time (the guy I spoke with was there about a year and a half and said he personally has already done well over a hundred wheels). They haven't had any customers come back with cracked/failed wheels. They cure at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. From what I've read, that should be low enough that there won't be any problems. He politely nodded and listened as I asked about what would be taped off and he showed me what they would mask off. If I would have gone with plain gloss white, it would have cost me $150 for the two. Because I went with the more expensive powder, it's running me $225. The things we spend our money on, right? Haha.

 

Got my wheels back today and they look great. I went with a pearl white/metallic. It's very subtle and I couldn't capture it with my mobile phone's camera but in the light, there's just a bit of sparkle. They did a fantastic job. (Bradford Powder Coating in case anyone is in San Diego and looking for a good powder coater.) Now, just waiting on my rear tire to arrive - due Monday - and by next weekend, if all goes well, I'll be sipping beers with OOTV and Long and watching and learning as they help me get my wheels all put together. Photos to follow but here's one of my wheels I took just a few minutes ago:

 

They look nice. Just wait until you get them on your bike! You'll be happy to know I also have white wheel weights too. See you next weekend.

 

Looks great. Their prices are reasonable, pretty much what powder coaters in this area charge. Be careful when installing / removing your rear wheel. If your not paying attention you can an hit the wheel studs & chip the finish. Ask me how I know.