E30TECH Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 I'm trying to clean up the exhaust on my RT - mainly the header pipes. I was able to clean them up fairly well, but I'd like it to look better. I have tried, Bon Ami, wenol metal polish, and each of those with 0000 steel wool. Any other suggestions? Its obviously that time of year Link to comment
waylap Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 I'm in on this one too. 000 steel wool just wont get the pipes behind the front wheel looking good. Will they ever look polished again? Link to comment
E30TECH Posted January 15, 2007 Author Share Posted January 15, 2007 I used that wenol polish and my cotton (?) dremel disk for that area. It came out pretty good as I got it from a brown color to somewhat shiney chrome. I dont mind the blueing, but the mud brown behind the front tire bothered me. I'm doing one pipe at a time, so if you want a pic, I'll post one. I did a little searching, and saw the use of oven cleaner. I dont think this is going to do what I need it to do as I want to remove more staining than baked on rubber from boots. Link to comment
USAF1 Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Try installing a mud flap.......... It won't keep it perfectly clean....but it will help. Pat Link to comment
E30TECH Posted January 15, 2007 Author Share Posted January 15, 2007 I was looking into that this evening. From some of the pics I saw, it looked like the flap hit the bottom tupperware cover. This is a dealer item? Link to comment
RFW Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Scotchbrite (the green variety). This is a nylon mesh with very fine abrasive througout. Bon Ami is utterly useless, because it has no abrasive or polishing properties at all (Bon Ami is just powdered feldspar, a very soft mineral). Link to comment
Jon_M Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 I assume you are talking about stainless headers. In my experience, you can use Semichrome or any of several metal polishes made for alloys, stainless, or aluminum. Any parts store will have a choice, and different users recommend different brands. I don't think it matters much what you use. The secret is LOTS of patience. In fact, it's a pain in the rear. When I clean mine, it takes close to an hour per side. I usually take a long piece of rag, like a shoeshine rag, slather it with cleaner/polish, and wrap that around the pipe. Pull one way, then the other, moving the length of the pipe. When I am finished, they look practically new, but two weeks later, it was all for naught. Is it worth it? Probably not. The longer I own the bike ('05 12RT), the less I fret about the discoloration. Think of it as patina that gives the bike that vintage feel. Link to comment
Haynes Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Every 5000km or so, I remove the whole exhaust systems and clean it thoroughly starting with some petroleum based cleaner to remove tar deposits and then moving to metal polish with lots of rubbing. Link to comment
E30TECH Posted January 15, 2007 Author Share Posted January 15, 2007 The secret is LOTS of patience. I'm out.... I read in the archives someone used Bon Ami to clean their exhaust. They said it made it look like new. Didn't do squat for me, but I will get some of the scothbrite. I have some here at work. As far as rwrapping the rag and pulling it, I know what you mean. I tried that with 2500 grit paper. I have to remove the tupperware in order to get in there. I'm not sure if the headers are chrome or just SS. The clean spots look pretty sparkly. Then again I know you can make SS look like chrome if you polish it enough. Chrome was an option I guess? Link to comment
Boffin Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Chrome was an option I guess? Not on the 1150, at least not in the UK. The headers are single-wall stainless and they will blue/brown up with use. Some people have had the headers ceramic coated giving a chrome-like appearance that stays. My bike has the standard mud-brown finish as I am too lazy to polish them. Andy Link to comment
E30TECH Posted January 15, 2007 Author Share Posted January 15, 2007 So it is somewhat normal for the pipes directly behind the front tire to turn brown (like a header in an old car). I didn't realize that. I thought maybe the PO did something and I would be able to clean them up. It is a very dull, almost mud brown. Not a blue or bronze. If they were blue or bronze some people have mentioned, I'd be happy. Link to comment
Aluminum_Butt Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Here's a couple of links to recent board discussions on permanent solutions to this problem: Link 1 Link 2 Link to comment
philiph24 Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 take a look at the exhaust pipes on this rt then on ebay item no 190072277007 and thats done 28,000 miles plus.Mine hasnt done 1000mls yet and doesnt look that good. I wonder what they used to clean them up cos i want some. Link to comment
270 Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 SOS pads, plenty of WD40. So easy it's not even funny. Link to comment
Dave Grinsel Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 On my old R1100S with stainless steel header pipes, I would polish them about twice per year. I would use fine steel wool and California Custom Purple Metal Polish. Each header would take about 10 minutes. I would then apply a thin coat of WD40. After a short ride, they would turn a beautiful gold color. I traded in the bike with 55,000 miles and the pipes were like new. Because my new ST has chrome pipes, I can't use steel wool and have to resort to just polishing them. The stainless headers were much nicer. Link to comment
E30TECH Posted January 15, 2007 Author Share Posted January 15, 2007 take a look at the exhaust pipes on this rt then on ebay item no 190072277007 They look new. SOS pads, plenty of WD40. So easy it's not even funny. Great, now I got the SOS song from the commercial going in my head....Its so easy, so easy, so easy.... yeah, yeah, its so easy... I'll try it and report back. I would then apply a thin coat of WD40 If I can get them to clean up, I'll try that. I assume you spray it on, then heat the pipes? Link to comment
Stan Walker Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Any other suggestions? Buy new headers. Quit riding. Stan Link to comment
steve.foote Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 SOS pads, plenty of WD40. So easy it's not even funny. Tried it, didn't work for me. I couldn't even tell where I had been working. Link to comment
E30TECH Posted January 15, 2007 Author Share Posted January 15, 2007 SOS pads, plenty of WD40. So easy it's not even funny. Tried it, didn't work for me. I couldn't even tell where I had been working. I just tried the WD40 and scotchbrite. I got 2 different pads - one 'light duty' and one 'heavy duty'. The heavy duty one started to lightly scratch the metal - nothing that couldn't be polished out though. I followed that up with the light duty pad. It lightened it up quite a bit. Someone beat me to the fender extender in the classifieds Link to comment
tomk99r11 Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 After a while that baby poop color kinda grows on ya! Link to comment
E30TECH Posted January 15, 2007 Author Share Posted January 15, 2007 After a while that baby poop color kinda grows on ya! I dont have kids for that reason Order #31XXX Fenda Extenda for BMW R85/11/1150 RT $34.98 Blue Away - Chrome and Stainless cleaner $10.16 Damn OCD Link to comment
Godfather Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 I used Mothers metal polish with a 3" wide strip of cloth and polished as if I was buffing a shoe. In the tight areas I wrapped the cloth all the way around the pipe and pulled the cloth back and forth which polished all the way around at one time...Looks Awesome! Link to comment
George Posted January 16, 2007 Share Posted January 16, 2007 If you look at this thread HERE you will see my home made belly plate. I made it to try and keep the exhaust and motor clean. The bike has done 19,000 miles and is on it's 2nd UK winter. Over here we use Solvol Autosol US LINK it is slightly abrasive, but if you look at the pics of my pipes, they do not look too bad Link to comment
NickRT Posted January 17, 2007 Share Posted January 17, 2007 Try using a quality alloy wheel cleaner on your pipes. In the UK we have a brand called Wonder Wheels which you simply brush on to the area to be cleaned and leave for a few minutes before washing off. It brings stainless steel pipes back to new appearance with very little effort.. Link to comment
E30TECH Posted January 18, 2007 Author Share Posted January 18, 2007 I think there is so much crap burned on, I need to use some felt polishing tips. I have used Wenol, Noxon, steel wool with WD40, Scothbrite with WD40, scotchbrite with metal polish, etc. It looks a lot better than it did, but now I want it to look like a mirror. So what should I use for my OCD? Link to comment
MikeB60 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 So what should I use for my OCD? Prozac??? (sorry, I couldn't resist) Link to comment
E30TECH Posted January 18, 2007 Author Share Posted January 18, 2007 So what should I use for my OCD? Prozac??? (sorry, I couldn't resist) To hijack my own thread....I was put on that as a teenager when I found out how bad relationships could turn. Several years later, they find that Prozac could have depression as a side affect. I could have told them that years before that - as I ended up in the hospital So Prozac is no good for me Oh and yes - I'm 'normal' now, well except for the OCD part Link to comment
DouglasR Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 I can't see my header pipes when I'm riding, so I don't usually give much thought to what they look like! The only time I've ever purposefully cleaned the headers on the GS was after riding about ten miles through rain-wet slime magnesium chloride mud. That crap baked on like porcelain and I had to use a toilet brush to get it off. I thought the pipes were SUPPOSED to be baby-poop brown??? That schmuck was packed up under the tank, baked into the fins on the heads, baked onto the catalytic converter slimed literally EVERYWHERE and was a greasy nightmare to remove. Seriously, my RT's chromed pipes don't get the abuse the GS pipes do, but they are blue and nothing I've ever tried got them cleaned up, so I quit worrying about it. Pray for Spring so you can quit this silliness and go riding! Doug Link to comment
E30TECH Posted January 18, 2007 Author Share Posted January 18, 2007 The pipes on your GS look better than the pipes on my RT - well looks better than one of my pipes as I polished the one side. Your bike is clean compared to my ATV - that only gets cleaned when I go thru water crossings Link to comment
AdventurePoser Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 I'm trying to clean up the exhaust on my RT - mainly the header pipes. I was able to clean them up fairly well, but I'd like it to look better. I have tried, Bon Ami, wenol metal polish, and each of those with 0000 steel wool. Any other suggestions? Its obviously that time of year You can always tell when it's winter around here... Did your pipes turn blue, or that nasty mud brown? On my R1150RT, the pipes turned muddy brown within the first thousand miles of wear. No amount of polishing would clean them. I thought they looked so bad I almost condsidered having them Jett-Coated... Now my R1200RT has about 3500 miles on them and the headers have turned a lusterous blue. Very nice, IMHO. I think they look sharp... Steve in So Cal Link to comment
Jon_M Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Did your pipes turn blue, or that nasty mud brown? In my experience, chrome almost always turns blue and nothing will remove it. It just goes with the material. Think of it as patina. The only exception I have encountered was some really badly tarnished R69S headers that I threw in with a batch of other parts for a cheapo replating, thinking, they are shot, what can I lose. The new chrome looked much better than I had a right to expect, considering how little I paid, and they never turned blue again. They've been on the bike now (it's the one you see in my avatar) for over ten years. Stainless, in my experience, nearly always turns brown, from a nice straw color (on my RT muffler and the Epcos on my /2) to a deep, ugly, mottled and splotchy color (on my RT headers). Unlike the blue on chrome, it can be polished out, and it's just a matter of how much you care, because it's a PITA whatever technique you use. Link to comment
E30TECH Posted January 19, 2007 Author Share Posted January 19, 2007 deep, ugly, mottled and splotchy color (on my RT headers) You must have seen mine They are coming along though. It is more work than I thought it would be. Someone mentioned spraying WD40 on them to make them turn a nice bronze. Anyone else do that? Link to comment
moshe_levy Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Someone asked about the Fenda Extenda. It's a common item, about $35 from Bob's BMW or any other dealer. It does not hit or interfere with anything, and it does do wonders to keep the area behind the fender unusually clean. Here is mine installed on the RT http://www.mklsportster.com/r1150rt/fendaextenda.jpg -MKL Link to comment
E30TECH Posted January 19, 2007 Author Share Posted January 19, 2007 My fenda extenda just came in the mail yesterday. I got mine from CaSportTouring.com. took 2.5 days from the time I ordered until it was on my doorstep - 3K miles away Link to comment
waylap Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Do you have to remove the front wheel to mount the extension? Link to comment
moshe_levy Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Do you have to remove the front wheel to mount the extension? No. Installation is a less than 10 minute affair. You simply clean the underside of the existing fender and drill 4 tiny pilot holes. Then you take the extenda and press it in place. It has some adhesive tape on the backside. Finally, you screw in the 4 included small self-tapping screws, which go through the existing fender, and then through the fenda extenda. No, the screws do not hit anything or get too close to the tire. It's a 1 on the scale of 1-10 difficulty - a no brainer, and it's pretty effective too. -MKL Link to comment
rocks Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 It looks a lot better than it did, but now I want it to look like a mirror You know there are easier places to shave your face Link to comment
E30TECH Posted January 19, 2007 Author Share Posted January 19, 2007 It looks a lot better than it did, but now I want it to look like a mirror You know there are easier places to shave your face Its not my face that I'm shaving (my face doesn't hang that low) Link to comment
Kroref Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 This thread must be one of the symptoms of the dreaded PMS (Parked Motorcycle Syndrome) ? Link to comment
revdoc Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Power coat and go for a long ride.. Link to comment
waylap Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 All this talk about polishing your pipes ......Sheesh , It'll make you go blind man. Link to comment
E30TECH Posted January 20, 2007 Author Share Posted January 20, 2007 All this talk about polishing your pipes ......Sheesh , It'll make you go blind man. I need stronger glasses to see the hair on my palms Link to comment
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