Cleaning Chrome Headers

[DAC]

I've already got some bug guts on the chrome headers of the Deluxe. I spot cleaned a bit of it with Original Bike Spirits and it worked fine. Before I go at the rest of the pipes, I want to know from more experienced members if that's okay. This is the first bike I've had with chrome header pipes and I don't want to do something that will discolor them when they heat up.

Thanks!

[avsbezzy_imp]

Goof off will take everything off your headers. Just do it in a well ventilated area..or outside.

[SUPERCRUZ_imp]

My suggestion for chrome would be the following:

1. Car wash soap and water on cool pipes. Never attempt to clean them while hot.
2. S100 Bike Cleaner
3. WD 40 and a soft cloth
4. SemiChrome Metal Polish

[GoldOxide_imp]

The suggestions will work well for materials that haven't fundamentally changed due to the extreme baking from the exhaust heat.

After that, you may need other "ointments", and a bit of elbow grease. Try to avoid abrasives, however if need be, some have successfully used steel wool grade #0000, I think with a lubricant like WD-40.

I have routinely had success using Peek, available almost anywhere - at least in Canada.



It happens to also polish stainless steel headers, but would not be my #1 go to product to start that exercise. In this case, I would use Peek as the finisher product.

[peterbaron]

The suggestions will work well for materials that haven't fundamentally changed due to the extreme baking from the exhaust heat.

After that, you may need other "ointments", and a bit of elbow grease. Try to avoid abrasives, however if need be, some have successfully used steel wool grade #0000, I think with a lubricant like WD-40.

I have routinely had success using Peek, available almost anywhere - at least in Canada.



It happens to also polish stainless steel headers, but would not be my #1 go to product to start that exercise. In this case, I would use Peek as the finisher product.

GO, thanks, you are hired to clean mine = coffee&donuts included

[GoldOxide_imp]

The suggestions will work well for materials that haven't fundamentally changed due to the extreme baking from the exhaust heat.

After that, you may need other "ointments", and a bit of elbow grease. Try to avoid abrasives, however if need be, some have successfully used steel wool grade #0000, I think with a lubricant like WD-40.

I have routinely had success using Peek, available almost anywhere - at least in Canada.



It happens to also polish stainless steel headers, but would not be my #1 go to product to start that exercise. In this case, I would use Peek as the finisher product.

GO, thanks, you are hired to clean mine = coffee&donuts included

GO, thanks, you are hired to clean mine = coffee & donuts included
lol - I actually hate cleaning the boogers. I like looking at shiny "chrome", but have no patience otherwise. Anything to help reduce the labour for interested CB owners elsewhere. Mmmm, doe-noughts, hulllll-uuuu-ggttthhh.

[alprider]

often i control after every ride my headers....how many bodys ect i have catch....and minimum after the second ride i clean it....bcos so more backed so more problems after......in the past i used often only simple windowscleaner and after a chromepolisher....

today i use "vulcanet"...cleaning and polish in one step...without water....

the whole bike.....for the normal street-dirt

[Nortoon_imp]

Honda spray Cleaner and Polish will clean the worst of them off.

For the ones that are shellac, I use Autosol chrome polish and an old sock. Lay a line of Autosol down the header, and spread it around with the sock. Then wrap the sock around the header twice, and pull it back and forth. This is something I have used on headers since the 60s. It's as mean as it smells, so nitrile gloves are a good idea.

Walmart sell these gloves at a reasonable price. Pick up some baby powder while you are there. Dusting your hands with it makes it easy to get the gloves on and off.