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2013 R1200RT Chrome exhaust

alsbmwlt

New member
Contemplating a new RT purchase. Dealer wasn't sure when I asked the question about the "chrome exhaust" in one of the packages. He seems to think it isn't chrome, but highly polished stainless steel.

Does anyone know if it is steel that is chome plated, or polished stainless steel?

Would prefer stainless steel as less maintenance.

Thanks in advance.
 
Stainless is standard

Chrome is optional It is chrome.

Well, it has been. 2013 could be new and different

BTW, when it gets old, the stainless headers are butt-ugly brown. Chrome maintains some semblance of good looks, but it will be blue. You can probably verify this by looking at some of your dealer's used bikes.
 
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Stainless or Chrome Exhaust

If I were buying again I would consider the chrome exhaust over the stainless.
 
Spend the $150 and get the chrome. Keep in mind this a single walled exhaust and that is why near the head it discolors; nothing unpleasant to the eye but it will not remain straight chrome. BTW, I believe the chrome option also gets you the chrome can which will remain what you would expect from something chrome. There is no discoloration at this end of the exhaust.
 
The systems are equally durable but that browned stainless, though a bit of a BMW trademark, is pretty ugly. The chrome blues like any chrome up by the cylinders and back a couple feet of the pipe.
You won't get the shiney chrome look of a double wall pipe on a BMW. If you don't like blued or browned, you can get the pipe ceramic coated- jet hot or similar- best done on a new pipe if you want to go that way..
 
My GSA/Chrome:)

With 88000m now the chrome pipes are still blue FREE, no blueing at all. Many may still do it, not mine. My GSA has seen many hard offorad miles too and the pipes have taken a great deal of abuse and held up really swell. I use "NeverDull" on'em about twice a year(stinks), but burns off quickly. All my older beemers had blue pipes, just not this one. '07GSA1200. Randy
 
My 12 R1200R has chrome head pipes and cat. Stainless muffler with a chrome hanger. Looks good to me. I can clean the stainless if I want.

Blue starts at the ports and goes almost to the cross over. I think its the sign of a classy bike.
 
I have a 2011 with Chrome and 6000 miles on it.

The header edge of the exhaust pipes is a sharp blue color, the rest of the pipes and muffler are shiny polished chrome-looking.

I'm very glad I bought the option - I like the chrome muffler and I like the blue a lot more than the brown it turns to as it ages.
 
You won't get the shiney chrome look of a double wall pipe on a BMW.
Unless you own an R1200C -- the only double-wall piped BMW of which I am aware.

Why are the R12C head pipes double-walled? As I understand it, because BMW's marketing surveys side cruiser riders wouldn't buy a bike whose chrome pipes didn't stay "chrome"!
 
I'm one of the lucky guys with a 2010 R1200RT with gold stainless steel header pipes. They turned gold colored on my way home from the dealer. My friend purchased another RT at the same time and we rode together on our way home (about a 400 mile ride) and his pipes are brown.

Not sure why two identical bikes riding the same roads at the same speeds would have one with golden colored pipes and the other with brown colored pipes. He even had the dealer check the fuel ratios but all was normal.

tsp
My Blog: http://www.swriding.blogspot.com
 
What you get on stainless is a function of temp, moisture in the air and indivdual pipe variation. That gold look isn't always permanent.

My chrome has blued less than some I see but I'm not going to polish the blue off so it can reappear- did that to bikes in the 60s and 70s, no more for me...
 
I thought that chrome was on top of a steel base, and therefore magnetic. But stainless steel is not magnetic.

I have a magnet that sticks to what I call a chrome exhaust muffler on my V-Star. But, that magnet will not stick to the header or "chrome" exhaust muffler on the RT, which makes me say it is polished stainless steel.

My metallurgy knowledge is not great, mostly just what I've learned from being an amateur welder.

Is there someone here who knows more about this and is it true?
 
Interesting point- now I'll have to go put a magnet on mine to see. But I do know it blues lightly with no tendency to brown up like most BMW pipes that don't have the chrome look. One can of course chrome plate almost anything with a proper process.
Most common stainless is non-magnetic or lightly magnetic at most while non stainless steel tube is highly magnetic- not a myth. IIRC most of the stainless exhaust tubing is 304 family, the ordinary type..

Used to be responsible for large mfg ops that had miles of (polished welds too) 316- you don't want to know what that stuff costs. Its the norm in high end, higher temp process and other industries where ease of cleaning and corrosion resistance at temp are critical. but even it has to be pacified completely or ferrite bleeding will cause a lot of rouging (red iron oxide formation). Most use citrate chelates for that today but dilute nitric acid is traditional and sometimes still used where handling of it isn't an issue.


I thought that chrome was on top of a steel base, and therefore magnetic. But stainless steel is not magnetic.

I have a magnet that sticks to what I call a chrome exhaust muffler on my V-Star. But, that magnet will not stick to the header or "chrome" exhaust muffler on the RT, which makes me say it is polished stainless steel.

My metallurgy knowledge is not great, mostly just what I've learned from being an amateur welder.

Is there someone here who knows more about this and is it true?
 
I had a R1200CLC and after 86,000 miles, the pipes had turned a beautiful gold hue for about 5" or so from the head.
 
I have the gold on Stainless... I like it, Wouldn't think of spending the money on the chrome, just my personal opinion, but I like the stainless better...

FWIW, I have a friend who has the chrome and it blued.. he hated it, got a can of flat black exhaust paint and painted his all the way back to the can.. It looks pretty good.
 
Blued chrome is beautiful.

IMG_20121007_160108-L.jpg


Chrome pipes and stainless can with chrome hanger are standard so are SS braided brake lines.

IMG_20121007_130649-L.jpg


David
 
Stainless pipes arrived in the Oilhead era and those of us from the previous era when it was chrome or nothing don't always care for it--especially when it's brown rather than gold.

Blue seems the traditional BMW "badge of honor" but brown really doesn't say much positive.

Coatings mostly look like an Airhead with the pinstripes painted over.
 

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Considering p[urchasing chrome headers for an 12 year old R1200RT- its about $2300

Stainless pipes arrived in the Oilhead era and those of us from the previous era when it was chrome or nothing don't always care for it--especially when it's brown rather than gold.

Blue seems the traditional BMW "badge of honor" but brown really doesn't say much positive.

Coatings mostly look like an Airhead with the pinstripes painted over.

What is everyone's option on replacing a stock non chrome header with a $2300 chrome header? I'm tired of looking at those ugly brown pipes, I bought the cycle new in 2011 and love it.
 
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