Discolored pipes

[ChipBeck_imp]

I would spend less time with the header pipe and more time riding. The bronzing of the pipe is just an excepted effect. You just get used to it and move on. Gives the bike character and not much you can really do about it.

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Not so but Semichrome is not the answer. Semichrome will shine your pipes back up but the first time you ride it they will be bronze again. Real chrome will "rainbow" near the engine where the pipes get hottest. The answer is Jet-Hot polished finish. My 2013 CB1100 header has had this finish for a year and countless rides and they are still a bright shiny silver that looks like chrome or polished stainless. This is the only lasting solution to bronze pipes. Cheers.

Chip

[url=http://s288.photobucket.com/user/chipbeck/media/Mod%20a14.jpg.html]

Not so but Semichrome is not the answer. Semichrome will shine your pipes back up but the first time you ride it they will be bronze again. Real chrome will "rainbow" near the engine where the pipes get hottest. The answer is Jet-Hot polished finish. My 2013 CB1100 header has had this finish for a year and countless rides and they are still a bright shiny silver that looks like chrome or polished stainless. This is the only lasting solution to bronze pipes. Cheers.

Chip

[url=http://s288.photobucket.com/user/chipbeck/media/Mod%20a14.jpg.html] My point exactly, you didn't solve the problem or clean or remove the bronzing of the original finish, you coated over the original finish with a ceramic coating. Same as having the original pipe chromed or dipped with some other coating just covering what's already there. It looks great but I'm sure comes with a pretty price tag. You could also just get a full aftermarket exhaust but I don't think that was the original question. So what can we do to restore the original finish of the head pipe, a lot of elbow work with little results. Just ride and enjoy or have them coated or replace.

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Gentlemen,

Well, if your objective is to do away with the bronze pipes so that the stock header is bright silver to match the muffler then I did solve the problem for $165 (a ton cheaper than any aftermarket header) plus the time it takes to remove the header and ship it. The original header as the bike is delivered new is already bronze and it gets more so after several heat cycles. The original question wasn't "What can we do to restore the original finish of the head pipe", the original post asked, "Has anyone used "Semichrome" on the headers, and to what effect?" I don't think the original question was asked because zippooriginal was thrilled with the original finish but perhaps I'm all wet here. So if a member doesn't want bronze pipes and finds them unsightly as I do then here is a relatively cheap and permanent solution. Polishing the header is only a solution if you never start the bike again. So unless one can change the characteristic of stainless steel to turn bronze when it gets hot that leaves coating to solve the problem of bronzing. Cheers.

Chip