Discolored pipes

[BayAreaRick_imp]

^^^
My (personal) opinion - I like Chip's 'bright-silver' pipes and if it makes it FAR EASIER to keep them that way, it's money well spent. Over time the hours will add-up, when you could be riding!

[uscgmac_imp]

I agree. I think the only real solution is to have them coated and in my opinion it looks really good. And true, the original question was about semichrome. I was kind of saying that cleaning and polishing solutions is more of a headache and not really worth the time and effort. Like you said Chip, not much you can do to change the characteristics of stainless. Unless you remove them, ship out and have coated. Propably the best option for the money unless you can live with the natural discoloration. I think we are saying the same thing just in different ways. All good.

Sent from my SM-G530T using Tapatalk

[rodsmith123_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]
Chip,

Where did you get your coating done. We have a location 4 hours away in North Carolina. Do they have other locations or did you ship yours to NC?

Rod

[ryanschillinger_imp]

I've just accepted the discoloration. I polished them not long after buying the bike, and they looked great. For about 2 rides.

[RedWinger_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.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

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]
Mine are filthy looking from bronzing/browning and have been just accepting fate. But the Hot Jet treatment is always in the back of my mind, especially at under $200. Is there a point where the headers are beyond the scope of Hot Jet? Can you just Hot Jet-away the bad colors? Or does it require additional expense to, I dunno, sandblast it first?

[4 Paws_imp]

I've been using the WD-40 "polish" on my Ural for the past four or five years. Does leave a "different" patina on the stainless. I've been wiping the whole bike down with WD-40 after riding and cleaning based upon an old timers recommendations, Ural metallurgy isn't exactly up to Honda standards. Ural is a strange beast.
I used semichrome several decades ago on the cases of my first four cylinder Honda, a CB550, with decent results. Short lived though. Lots of elbow grease.
On headers, my opinion is that any results from using semi-chrome or other polishes would be very short lived and I definitely won't use WD-40 as a metal polish on this bike.
I believe Chip has an excellent and cost effective remedy for the heat induced dis-coloration, if it bothers you.