Hi guys (long time no see). I'm digging the race bike out of the back of the garage so I can get it ready for this season's track days. One thing that needs done is painting/powder coating the wheels. The front one is from a RVF400 (I think - the forks are USD) and the rear one is a R/SE and I need them to be white to match the bike (right now they are green, ick).

Last week I called a local place that does powdercoating to find out what I needed to do before dropping them off. The guy said I should remove everything that bolts to them and then take out the wheel bearings. My questions are:

1. How do I take them out easily? I was thinking a wood dowel/brass rod and hammer from the opposite side but wanted to check to make sure that wasn't a "bad" idea.

2. Any tricks getting them in?

3. Any other suggestions while I do this?

Thanks for any advice.
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Craig
MC21 SP Rothmans
MC21 R fake Rothmans - track bike
MC21 SE R9N

Use a long drift and tap them out gently from the otherside. Once they are out check em over and if in doubt replace. To replace them, I tend to cover em in grease, stick em in the freezer to cool off nicely, heat up the rim a bit with a heat gun and then pop them in. Use a large socket to push back into place.

after the wheels are coated and before you put everything back together, clean it all up and coat everything with a layer of grease to help prevent corrosion. Cant help myself from doing this... too much mountain biking LOL

Have a look at my magtek thread...that will tell you all you need to know.

A standard wheel will be easier to remove the front bearings as to the best of my knowledge there is no metal bar thing between the bearings.

The way I've always put bearings in and if you have removed them from the wheel why wouldn't you replace them is cover the race in grease and use the old bearing to tap them into place as it's exactly the same size innit!!
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MC21SP - Roth-tax
CBR400 - track
MC21R - sold
MC21SP - sold

There is (or shoud be) a "metal bar thing" between the bearings on any wheel, otherwise the bearings take the side load you crank on by tighening up the axle.

A drift and gently tap is a nice idea, the reality tends to be a massive screwdriver and belt the living hell out of it.
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Please do not PM me technical questions, if you can't find it on the Forum start a thread

As Fonty said, there is a spacer between the bearings on the standard wheels. And I have had to resort to the dremel to cut bearings out that refuse to budge, but try the drift first!

I dunno if I want to check out your thread Monkey; I have a feeling something bad happened and it scares me! LOL

A little off subject, but if you are ever stuck getting a disintegrated bearing out (where all you have left to work with is the outer race), take a mig welder and run a bead around the inside of the race where the balls run.
Let it cool and turn the wheel over and the race will fall out on the floor.