cantilever
Scooter
I ride my bike (mostly) and don't really stare at it much, so I guess they are blue (which is #8 on the list).
Blue headers - once and for all
- Thread starter tuquoque
- Start date
I actually like the blue as it is the character of the bike, when people look at the bike and comment about the pipes being blue I just reply "it's a Bonnie" but with that being said for those that don't like it here is a suggestion. When I was tiding my thruxton up I thought I would rechrome the headers only because of some crap that had stained them when hot. Unfortunately the chrome shop could not do the job properly for some reason, the problem being that when starting the bike up after fitting the headers within seconds of the pipes heating up the chrome would crack and fall off. After 4 attempts and the bike being of the road for two long I told them to forget about it, give me my money back and to just polish the pipes being that they are stainless. The results were quite good, it is easy to manage (prepsol polish when washing) and after 4 months of daily riding, minimum of 100k/day and mostly highway, the pipes have not went blue yet but they do have a bit of a gold sheen about them.
ssjones
750cc
I guess I'm the only America/Speedy owner to pipe in here. We have double-walled pipes, so the damage can be removed. When I bought my '02, it had 1,200 miles on it, off-road pipes and the A/F had not been touched, AI was also intact. The header pipes were golden/brown/blue. I removed the AI and adjusted the A/F to remove the terrible popping on decel. One screw was 0 turns out and the other was 1/2 turn out. No wonder....
I pullled my headers and buffed them lightly with white jewelers rouge. That removed all the damage and it hasn't returned.
Before:
2007 with 30k on the pipes:
I pullled my headers and buffed them lightly with white jewelers rouge. That removed all the damage and it hasn't returned.
Before:
2007 with 30k on the pipes:
Bigted
Two Stroke
I really need to polish the headers this season. I haven't cleaned them since I bought the bike and now I'm getting ready to put some second-hand TORs on anyway, so while I'm at it I should spruce up the pipes. I'm going to try one of those power detail sanders with some Blue Job in the hope that it will make the job go more quickly. Anyone tried it?
I tried the Blu-job and was seriously underwhelmed by its effectiveness. If you watch the guy's demonstration video (the maker) of him removing blue from a pipe you would think it would be pretty good. In actual useage it doesn't work anywhere as good as his video, I think its a con job myself.
While it will remove a bit of blueing you won't have a finger left on ya and it will take about ten full hours per 6 inches of header. I think you would have about the same effect if you sustituted baking powder for blujob powder.
Anyway, I think simply using buffing compounds to polish them up is probably the answer (on a buffing wheel).
ps. I read in another post that Raask was going out of business...don't if true or not.
Also, one thing I don't like about the blue is every Harley guy who walks up and looks at the bike immediately feels the need to enlighten me with "you've got a problem man, your bike is running too hot, look at those pipes!" ....I feel like "chroming" him then and there.
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dschief
750cc
Now that's some funny shit there!