newer airhead front wheel bearing removal

So I was all ready to do this yesterday. Got the wheel off and pulled off the brake rotor, etc.
The bearings are nothing i'm able to get ahold of. There's very little space between them and the spacer.

I thought I could simply use a drift to pound it out from one side, but even with the drift BENT at an angle I can't get a catch. It's a full 3" +/- from the hole opening to the beginning of the opposite inner race. Even if it caught, most likely it'd pop off the inner race and i'd still have the outer to deal with.

The autozone tools don't seem to have anything to do it and the local bike wrench (read: bike hacker) said "just press the whole thing out with a hammer, spacer and all".

Ed Korn's tool only does the tapered bearings and JTWIND tipped me off to this monster:

http://www.zelenda.com/Kukko/21.html

JT said "The dealer list is $71.00, it's $81.60 from Samstag Sales"

Since this will probably only need to be done hardly ever, I'm just gonna run by the dealer and take the wheel in and ask them to do it. If they use anything but the special tool, I'll let you guys know how it goes.

this won't happen until i'm over in Tampa next month for school, so if you guys get any genius ideas before then, let me know.

Happy new year!

Ideally you need a blind bearing puller. Don't think you can buy just one and a kit I'm sure would run over $150. So yeah, take it to the shop.

Well to top it all off, I went to put the brake rotor back on.
My manual is 45 miles away from me right now. So i figured "hey, just use the torque wrench on some low setting like 35 ft-lbs".

So I did. And I stripped one of the bolts. I'm so pissed right now I can hardly type. Shit.

Sell the GS....buy the Honda NOW!

The only problem is that none of the jap bikes have any class. Or I would.
At least the carb balancing yesterday was a piece of cake. My mirrors now present a crystal clear image at any rpm.

?? Doesn't the bolt go all the way thru the wheel and have a nut on the other end? How did that strip out?

The correct torque is 24 ft-lbs. I hate when that shit happens.

Take a look at the f650 site, may have a good way of removing the bearing using an expandable anchor.

http://faq.f650.com/FAQs/FrontWheelBearingReplacementFAQ.htm

Here's another idea:

http://www.boxerworks.com/phorum/read.php?f=1&i=156756&t=156751

Try here

HA! I'm cooled off now. On one side is the normal nylon-lined nut and the other end of the bolt is a recessed allen head.

It was the threads of the bolt where they contact the nut that stripped.
I'm gonna replace it with an appropriate sized bolt from the hardware store until I can get another one.

No real harm done. At least I didn't crack the aluminum wheel hub or something. Just frustrating.

dont fell bad, the same thing happned when I had my friends wheels powder coated.

Every wheel bearing I've replaced has that inner tube, I have always used a drift and hammer,and I hate it every time, but it works, persistance is the key. However, if you end up buying a puller, you'll be everybodys friend!

And also, there is a Jap bike with class, its a Honda NT650, and I own one.

Kukko puller pulling out dust cover.

Kukko puller pulling snow flake wheel bearing. See the metal liner? No heat is required.

Kukko puller pulling our race.

Kukko puller compelete setup. Ready to pull.

well rub it in why don't you!

beautiful tool, there homes. And i don't say that to just everyone.

Are we sure Ed Korn does'nt have a similar item??? I have'nt heit his catalog in years