K11 Owners Group

[jpberens1994K1100RS]

Ok then.
I don't mind maintainence, but I have had it with the pure crap paint job on the wheels of my K1100RS.
So, I've decided to powder coat them.

Here's the before pictures.
The bike just a year and a half ago.


The wheels this week.



Also need a new front tire so I bought a Michelin RP3, the rear RP2 will be re-mounted.

You cannot see it, but there are numerous spots where the paint acyually looks worn off. That & they collect the brake dust like crazy.

The rear is EASY! No bearings. The front on the other hand is trouble.
I could NOT get behind the bearing to drive it out. The rim would not fit in my oven to heat it up. So, Dremel to the rescue.
Yes, I cut that bad monkey out. I am NOT proud of this, but I am good at it. Took an hour to do too. I cut a " V " in the inner part of the bearing, then hit that point with a cold chisel to break it. Pop that out, remove all the left over ball bearings and holders, then use a small pry bar and a block of wood to lever out the outer race part of the bearing. Remove the spacer parts & drive out the other dual row bearing.
Re-fitting them is much easier. I'll grease & then freeze them over night.
Heat the rim over a pot of boling water using a towel so as not to scratch the new powder coating. Place the bearing in & drive home with a like size socket or piece of PVC.
The powder coat guys are local and do a lot of stuff. He new right away what area's needs to be masked off. It's more industial, but there where lots of car parts & MC parts laying around a nd a co-worker recommended them. They say it takes about a week.
I'm off to the stealer soon to get the new bearings. Moto Bins has 2 sizes listed for the dual row bearing. I cannot find markings on my stock bearings that match anything so I don't want to take a chance on that.
It'll cost maybe twenty bucks more at the dealer, about $70.00 for both bearings and this is one of those items that needs to be right.
We DO have a LOT of good bearing suppliers in the metro Milwaukee area, but it's all just too iffy when I talk to them. That & the weather is really starting to turn to spring on some days here and I want this done.
I will post pictures again when complete of just the wheels, the wheels & the tires, and when all back together.
I'll keep you guessing on the color until then.
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1993 K1100RS that I'd rather be riding FAST!
2014 Moto Guzzi Norge

[Mike d]

[jpberens1994K1100RS]

Thanks.
I e-mailed them with my year & model when they gave me the choice.
I went with the local dealer this time.
I need to pick up some water proof wheel bearing grease.
When I took off the rubber bearing covers using a dental pick, the grease was red rusty looking.

Keep them bearings packed tight boys & girls!
_________________
1993 K1100RS that I'd rather be riding FAST!
2014 Moto Guzzi Norge

[jpberens1994K1100RS]

Here we go, this the update as promised.

Wheels back from the powder coater.
Sorry cell phone pics.


Bearings and rotors installed.


New front tire & added tire pressure monitor valve stems that were a very generous gift. I went to the moto sports dealer on a Saturday morning. They had
2 techs on duty and nothing to do. They asked about the wheels and the coating, then asked if I wanted to watch them mount the tires. OH YES!!!! But no pics.
They used nice clean shop towels on the equipment to make certain the wheels were not marred. They did not put a single nick or scratch anywhere. The wheels sat in the rec room for a week with no change in tire pressure according to the new monitor system.



Spent part of the day getting it all back together and double checking everything. We had a snow storm yesterday and now cold air has moved in
for the next couple of days. Was cloudy when I took the pics and late afternoon. It looks good and the pictures don't quite do it justice.
When I first got the tires put on I thought how beefy the black color made it all look. Now on the bike, to my eye, it seems to make the bike
appear smaller & more compact. The coating is super slick after waxing and should shed and or hide dirt well.
Oh well, it's done now and I'm ready to ride as soon as the weather clears. Which should be in 2 to 3 days and we are back in the 50's.





Hope to see YOU down the road!
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1993 K1100RS that I'd rather be riding FAST!
2014 Moto Guzzi Norge

[Stoked Steve]

Looks awesome! I wish I could paint mine (now gold) the color of your originals, but then the rear drive would also have to be done..and on and on....

Looks great!
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Steve
Virginia Beach, VA
93 K1100RS Mystic Red SOLD
12 Suzuki DL650A VStrom

[SugarHillCTD]

I bought black powder coated wheels last year from a member here (can't remember who- must be "old-timers" disease)

They looked great and were much easier to clean......but...

Last fall I was out for a ride with a local GS owner and hit a really sharp bump (where the state highway crew had replaced a short section of paving and left off the top coat- without warning). Thought I might have a rapid deflate but no.

Unfortunately a few days later I had the bike on the centerstand to clean it and when I spun the rear wheel, noticed that the wheel now had a sidewards wobble- runout. DAMN! Not using that anymore.

Better luck with yours....

John
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John & Cathy

'92 K100RS4V Pearl White SOLD
'04 K1200GT
IBA Several-SS1k, BBG, 50CC NYC to S.F.

[jpberens1994K1100RS]

Yep!

YOU BEAT ME TO THAT BUY!!!!!

I was going to grab those wheels, but you were quicker.

I don't think the coating had much to do with the wheel bending. The cure temp is 400 F degrees. But who knows, maybe it's more critical than I imagined.

You can get it fixed & re-coated, or not. Rear is wobbly but the front is OK ? No warning by the road crew! YIKES! Glad nothing worse happened.

There's a few threads about tire pressure and bent wheels. I generally run almost the max tire pressure on the street. Especially true in the pot hole wonder time of spring on our roads around here.
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1993 K1100RS that I'd rather be riding FAST!
2014 Moto Guzzi Norge

[SugarHillCTD]

I agree- don't think the PC had anything to do with the bend. It was just a really hard hit.

Yours look GREAT.
_________________
John & Cathy

'92 K100RS4V Pearl White SOLD
'04 K1200GT
IBA Several-SS1k, BBG, 50CC NYC to S.F.