Header Discoloration

[The Spaceman_imp]

I think the headers are coated with some sort of material. They are not just dis colored but looks like some of the coating is pealing off. That can't be right. I understand that the headers will tarnish and turn brownish but that is not the problem.

Nope, your photos show the same crappy stains we all get. It's particularly bad when they are hot and they get wet, as in riding in the rain. There's no coating etc.

You can buff it off with chrome/metal polish, scrub it off with a ScotchBrite pad, or use a chemical cleaner like the Optiglanz. Or you can spend $6,000 to trade in for 2014 DeLuxe with a double-walled chrome header that will be shiny until the day it rusts through from the inside!

Very often in my online shopping in the US, the cost of shipping and handling is as much as the cost of the product - not counting possible customs charges and fees.
Unless I absolutely cannot do without it, I pass on the product or look elsewhere.

Well, I'm going to try some cola on a hidden bit of the headers first.
If that works, various phosphoric acid cleaners are available at any hardware store for much less than the cost of Optiglanz delivered to Canada.

The phosphoric acid is supposed to react with the surface of the metal making it less prone to staining in the future, which seems to be the findings of those who have used Optiglanz.

Well, I'm going to try some cola on a hidden bit of the headers first.
If that works, various phosphoric acid cleaners are available at any hardware store for much less than the cost of Optiglanz delivered to Canada.

The phosphoric acid is supposed to react with the surface of the metal making it less prone to staining in the future, which seems to be the findings of those who have used Optiglanz.
I've often heard that Coke can be used as a mild cleaner, but never tried it myself.
Good luck and let us know how it works.

A lot of people around here use it to clean out their bank accounts.