10-21-2021, 12:29 PM
(10-21-2021, 09:59 AM)peterbaron_imp Wrote: We need pics of spoken shiny headers...and the best would be before and after
This job was done at the end of the third week in March, the end of the calendar winter in Canada.
The "before look" (no image) is the typical brown with black splotches and maybe a bit of purple/blue. The black splotches was salt brine washing up against the hot stainless steel headers during winter. In any case, there is no shine. Brown, brown, black.
In Canada, if you have to ride your CB1100 in winter, sometimes it is better to ride in sub-freezing temperatures because the salt will likely be dry. -10C is quite reasonable, although it sucks on the freeway if skin is exposed. -25C on the freeway and your eyes will freeze if you open the visor for less than a minute. It actually begins to hurt in the head.
I really dislike washing bikes, let alone polishing them. I have no patience. But, the headers on the CB1100 are designed to impress the onlooker (*sigh*). Soooo, this job took a total of about 25 minutes (including a 5 minute coating of metal polish to give it the mirror finish). It was a quick job and I didn't focus at all down below. I believe I had to be somewhere else after this picture was taken. This will last until next March. If I took the time maybe during the summer and do the pipes patiently, I might spend about 60 minutes and do it right.
Once the pipes heat up well, the bright chrome look will slightly hue to a very light and uniform gold colour and lock in, just like the day the CB1100 rolled out of the showroom.