How to clean exhaust headers? SS

[153731]

How can I get and keep the exhaust pipe on my R1200 shiny? I am not worried about it being Blued just can't stand the tarnished look.


Any help is Greatly appreciated

 

[grahada]

Autosol and fine steel wool will get it clean and riding will make it dirty. I like to clean mine once over the winter and then thats it for the year.

 

[Bobmws]

Only way to keep stainless shiny is the coat it.
http://www.jet-hot.com/

 

[jimvonbaden]

Only way to keep stainless shiny is the coat it.
http://www.jet-hot.com/

I'd have to agree.

Jim

 

[deilenberger]

If it is turning blue - it's chromed stainless and the use of fine steel wool will damage the chrome, likely making things worse. There are products sold at HD dealers that will remove some bluing from chrome - but it's only a short term fix - they will turn blue again in short order.

The unplated stainless systems turn baby-poop-brown when they get hot. They can be polished back to shiny stainless again - but after 45 minutes of running the engine you'd never know you did it.

 

[TourNut]

It seems like this "problem" the boxers have had forever would be a moneymaker for aftermarket exhaust pipe and SHIELD manufacturers to make some money. A shield that is hidden- clamped to the headers that present chrome to the visable side of the headers would be the ticket here. Maybe even BMW themselves could address this condition like the rest of the motorcycle world, instead of not giving a crap.

 

[Anyname]

It seems like this "problem" the boxers have had forever would be a moneymaker for aftermarket exhaust pipe and SHIELD manufacturers to make some money. A shield that is hidden- clamped to the headers that present chrome to the visable side of the headers would be the ticket here. Maybe even BMW themselves could address this condition like the rest of the motorcycle world, instead of not giving a crap.

Someone used to make vented shields for airheads. Since I have only seen them on one or two bikes, I'd guess that most of the BMW population doesn't care that much about shiny pipes.

 

[153731]

Cost of Jet coating?

Anyone have a guess on the cost of coating the front header pipes on the R1200?

I understand that they coat the inside of the pipes also?

 

[TourNut]

It would be great to have chrome some how. It's just the screwed feeling you get when you bring home a brand new $20K + bike and the exhaust pipes are already tarnishing up, and with the predetonating noises .You notice/compare it to the bike sitting next to the RT , an old 29 year old, $1250.-- Silverwing which still has nice shiny original pipes and it still doesn't predetonate. You then ride the RT to work and people ask why you put old pipes on a new bike ! How do respond to that ? They are thinking what you have already thought in the garage.
For 20 times the cost , I expect better from BMW !

 

[deilenberger]

You then ride the RT to work and people ask why you put old pipes on a new bike ! How do respond to that ? They are thinking what you have already thought in the garage.
For 20 times the cost , I expect better from BMW !

Strange - but in about 20 years of riding BMWs no one has ever made that comment to me. I look at bikes as a tool to ride, not as something to polish (NTTAWWT..)

If someone made that comment I'd reply "Yeah - they get that way when you actually ride the bike.."

 

[LONERANGER]

Hey guys its the Harley guys that that like to polish chrome and then just ride down main street and back to show off there loud pipes. BMW's don't have any chrome to polish so we can just ride.....

 

[mpmarty]

I kinda like my chocolate brown headers

 

[mneblett]

It would be great to have chrome some how. It's just the screwed feeling you get when you bring home a brand new $20K + bike and the exhaust pipes are already tarnishing up, and with the predetonating noises .You notice/compare it to the bike sitting next to the RT , an old 29 year old, $1250.-- Silverwing which still has nice shiny original pipes and it still doesn't predetonate. You then ride the RT to work and people ask why you put old pipes on a new bike ! How do respond to that ? They are thinking what you have already thought in the garage.
For 20 times the cost , I expect better from BMW !

You do have one OE option if have enough bux: The RT has always been avaialble with chrome pipes. If you (or the original purchaser) didn't check off the chrome exhaust option when the bike was ordered, you can always buy a replacement set of chromed head pipes directly from BMW.

 

[Anyname]

I'm fairly sure that pipes that don't blue are double walled. I don't know how much weight double walled pipes would add, but BMW doesn't seem interested in using them. On the plus side, the stainless exhaust on my 85 K100 were still solid after 22 years. The chromed steel mufflers on my Japanese bikes had holes after about five years.

 

[tinytrains]

I'm fairly sure that pipes that don't blue are double walled. I don't know how much weight double walled pipes would add, but BMW doesn't seem interested in using them. On the plus side, the stainless exhaust on my 85 K100 were still solid after 22 years. The chromed steel mufflers on my Japanese bikes had holes after about five years.

I have not looked at Japanese pipes in many years, but the above was correct last time I looked. They were double walled, plain steel inside with a chrome steel outer tube. These are subject to rusting out. BMW headers are solid stainless steel. They turn brown, but will last the life of the bike.

You can get them with a chrome finish, but it just cost more money.

Scott

 

[mneblett]

I'm fairly sure that pipes that don't blue are double walled. I don't know how much weight double walled pipes would add, but BMW doesn't seem interested in using them.

BMW does know how to do double-wall head pipes -- but the only time they have used them of which I'm aware is the R1200C -- precisely because the anticipated customer base was not expected to tolerate blue pipes.

 

[Ludell]

"Yeah - they get that way when you actually ride the bike.."

This marvelous boxer engine is the first of the many I have owned in road bikes that does not hide the real pipes - either by wall-in-wall in the case of Japanese or shields for the Harley.

And you know what? I love the colors they are turning - from yellow-brown to pink to deep purple, and not an ounce of extra weight to hide them. But I can see how some other owners might fixate on the kaleidoscope...

Ludell

 

[RSPENNACHIO]

I used schimi crome (I don't think that is spelled right) for the first 7000 miles then I gave up.

Keeping those headers bright is like rowing a boat up a never ending river.

Eventhough I quit I still subscribe to the "shiny pipes" news letter.