[timmyjimmy5150]

I'M thinking of buying a set of nice "lighter" aftermarket wheels (rims) for my 04 RC51.....
I'd have the local honda dealer put them on by swapping out my stock set...
My question is.... What else (if anything) will I need to get before I take the bike to the shop other than the wheels? Bearings, etc.... Can I use any of the "stock" parts on/ in the new wheels? I'll be using the stock rotors and sproket/ hub etc...
Any help?
thanks
tim

[sheepofblue]

Are you riding on the street? If so be sure they are street use rims (rather than the lightest)

In my search most rims do not use the stock rear sprocket. They also typically come with a new cush drive.

I bet the folks here could provide more specific feedback if you provided the brand of rim you are looking at though.

[nedro]

I've got a set of Marchezini forged Magnesium Five spoke wheels off my 929. You'd need to get spacers. Not sure if you would need to change out the bearings or not.

[Rigor]

Who ever you buy wheels from (new) will be able to direct you as to what rear sprocket you'll need, as well as spacers for your exact application.

As stated, the rear sprocket will not be the same as stock, and your stock rear wheel spacers will not work, rather, the ones made for that brand of wheel.

If you find a used set from someone, you should be set, all the way around. If not, ask them where they got them and you should be able to source out what you need.

I'd spend the money on suspension, FIRST, before wheels....

$2500 worth of light weight wheels are a waste if all you have is crappy suspension to keep them planted.......IMHO.

Then again, judging by your "Who makes the loudest exhaust" thread, your interest is in "Bling", not overall performance.........

loudest slip-on exhaust

[adzman]

rode my buddy's gixer thou k5 with BST carbons (+ superstock tune, 178 RWHP) & its the fastest turning thing ever... quicky than my missus' vfr400 (its lighter too)

wanna put carbons on the blade... but they cost what the bike's worth !!!!!

[timmyjimmy5150]

I was also thinking of just getting my stock wheels polished .... Then I could use the same spacers; sprocket; etc.......

As far as the loudest slip-on went ---- I don't want the loudest --- I was just curious if different brands had different noise Db levels...... I'd rather have a quieter pipe and add some horses than a screamin' demon pipe and sub-par performance......
It was just a question...that's all
tj

[Rigor]

Originally Posted by timmyjimmy5150

I was also thinking of just getting my stock wheels polished .... Then I could use the same spacers; sprocket; etc.......

Well, if now you're talking about polishing your wheels, then apparently the bling-appearence is what you're looking for. Not that there's anything wrong with that..... just admit it....

CF wheels or Forged Magnesium wheels are $1200+ range (CF MUCH more, like closer to $2500+) ) and polishing your wheels is less then $50, if you do it yourself.

I polished my wheels 2 years ago and the Honda castings are some of the best I've ever seen. Used aircraft stripper (available at any automotive store), 3M GRAY scuffie pads, Mother's Mag polish and took my time. Start to finish, including removing the tires and front rotors, it took me 8 beers and 3 hours time.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...999/side-1.jpg

[adzman]

Originally Posted by Rigor

Well, if now you're talking about polishing your wheels, then apparently the bling-appearence is what you're looking for. Not that there's anything wrong with that..... just admit it....

CF wheels or Forged Magnesium wheels are $1200+ range (CF MUCH more, like closer to $2500+) ) and polishing your wheels is less then $50, if you do it yourself.

I polished my wheels 2 years ago and the Honda castings are some of the best I've ever seen. Used aircraft stripper (available at any automotive store), 3M GRAY scuffie pads, Mother's Mag polish and took my time. Start to finish, including removing the tires and front rotors, it took me 8 beers and 3 hours time.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...999/side-1.jpg

maaaaaaaaaan, CFs are like £1800 here ($3400ish)

think it would have taken me 3 beers & 8 hours

=======

To continue the topic

aftermarket wheels should be lighter & lighter wheels make for far quicker steering bikes (in a magazine test, a set of CF wheel proved to 2.0s per lap quicker on the same bike with no other mods)

if you dont give a monkeys about 2.0s a lap, then polishing will be a far better looking option IMHO, especially to non-bikey people as no one notices carbon wheels unless they look, but something shiney always draws a crowd IMHO

Cheers

[Rigor]

Originally Posted by adzman

maaaaaaaaaan, CFs are like £1800 here ($3400ish)

think it would have taken me 3 beers & 8 hours

My bad, Adzman.....

$3400+ is more like it. It's approximately $3800 for the front and rear. I was only accounting for one wheel............. Not even sure if this includes gear, rotors, and bushings.............


RC51 - Indysuperbikes

[nedro]

Originally Posted by Rigor

My bad, Adzman.....

Not even sure if this includes gear, rotors, and bushings.............


RC51 - Indysuperbikes

FYI...It don't! you get carbon, only carbon.

[abtech]

Originally Posted by Rigor

Well, if now you're talking about polishing your wheels, then apparently the bling-appearence is what you're looking for. Not that there's anything wrong with that..... just admit it....

CF wheels or Forged Magnesium wheels are $1200+ range (CF MUCH more, like closer to $2500+) ) and polishing your wheels is less then $50, if you do it yourself.

I polished my wheels 2 years ago and the Honda castings are some of the best I've ever seen. Used aircraft stripper (available at any automotive store), 3M GRAY scuffie pads, Mother's Mag polish and took my time. Start to finish, including removing the tires and front rotors, it took me 8 beers and 3 hours time.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...999/side-1.jpg

but you only polished the rims, not the spokes and hub.

[sheepofblue]

Originally Posted by nedro

FYI...It don't! you get carbon, only carbon.

Good info thanks. I might get some RC rims (NOT CF) this winter and they were a bit less than Kyle on Magnesiums but I bet he is a total package

[Rigor]

Originally Posted by abtech

but you only polished the rims, not the spokes and hub.

Correct. Spokes and hub are a rough surface, and would require sanding at a minimum, to get them smooth. Not worth the effort to me, for a little more bling, not to mention the difficulty to keep them clean and shiney.

The rim area is relatively wide, and brightens the wheel greatly, when compared to an all black wheel. Clean up is simple, easy and only requires a rag and some Mother's about once every 6 months. Chain side gets wiped down with brake clean and a aerosol spray polish every so often to keep the chain lube off it.

The clean up was a little more the first year I did it, as my luck yielded me 8 of 10 trackdays in the rain.....

[Cajun Power]

What are you doing with the old rims? I might need a rear do to a dent on the bead on mine.

[abtech]

Originally Posted by Rigor

Correct. Spokes and hub are a rough surface, and would require sanding at a minimum, to get them smooth. Not worth the effort to me, for a little more bling, not to mention the difficulty to keep them clean and shiney.

The rim area is relatively wide, and brightens the wheel greatly, when compared to an all black wheel. Clean up is simple, easy and only requires a rag and some Mother's about once every 6 months. Chain side gets wiped down with brake clean and a aerosol spray polish every so often to keep the chain lube off it.

The clean up was a little more the first year I did it, as my luck yielded me 8 of 10 trackdays in the rain.....

I polished the rims on my TZs and the spokes and hub are very rough, but I polished the entire wheels. Try about 50 hours with every possible tool I could find and most of the work still required hand sanding/polishing due to the curvature of the surfaces. There are quite a few shops that polish wheels and the end product is definitely worth it.

[CBRVFR]

Originally Posted by abtech

I polished the rims on my TZs and the spokes and hub are very rough, but I polished the entire wheels. Try about 50 hours with every possible tool I could find and most of the work still required hand sanding/polishing due to the curvature of the surfaces. There are quite a few shops that polish wheels and the end product is definitely worth it.

So at Rigor's established beer per hour rate of (8/3)x50hrs = 133 beers... You could have just bought the Marchesinis!

[Rigor]

Originally Posted by abtech

I polished the rims on my TZs and the spokes and hub are very rough, but I polished the entire wheels. Try about 50 hours with every possible tool I could find and most of the work still required hand sanding/polishing due to the curvature of the surfaces. There are quite a few shops that polish wheels and the end product is definitely worth it.

You're a better man then I, Abtech. I looked at those wheels for a long time, trying to decide if that was what I wanted to venture into or not.....

No wonder you perked up when I said "Polished wheels in 3 hours"........

[hardcharger]

if you want a cheap lighter upgrade get 1krr wheels for the RC. the RR has some of the lightest OEM wheels you can buy. the carrazeria's forged aluminum were only .2 pounds lighter. I'm buying some forged mags for the RR and the RR wheels are goin on the RC.