Header Discoloration

[the Ferret]

Here you go Elipten

FYI: Honda Service Bulletin on CB 1100

 

[Elipten_imp]

I doubt it is Cosmoline, but that is what the service manager told me. And there is no way soap and water is going to clean Cosmoline.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[SUPERCRUZ_imp]

I think I have mentioned this before in another thread but what I have found works for me is using Semichome metal polish and some 000 or 0000 fine steel wool. Put a small dab of the polish on the steel wool and work an area of the header until shiny. Keep adding polish to clean areas of the steel wool as you work the header pipe. It does take some elbow grease and about an hour to do the entire system. Once clean, wipe down the header pipes with a clean rag and some WD40. The pipes will smoke a bit upon start up and will turn a nice golden amber in color but no more spots. Now, after each ride, I wipe the headers down with a rag and some WD40 and my pipes still look spot free.

 

[furious_blue_imp]

I think I have mentioned this before in another thread but what I have found works for me is using Semichome metal polish and some 000 or 0000 fine steel wool. Put a small dab of the polish on the steel wool and work an area of the header until shiny. Keep adding polish to clean areas of the steel wool as you work the header pipe. It does take some elbow grease and about an hour to do the entire system. Once clean, wipe down the header pipes with a clean rag and some WD40. The pipes will smoke a bit upon start up and will turn a nice golden amber in color but no more spots. Now, after each ride, I wipe the headers down with a rag and some WD40 and my pipes still look spot free.

Something to consider: Optiglanz will get the brown off the pipes in 4 minutes with no elbow grease required.. It's a remarkable time and effort saver !

 

[The Spaceman_imp]

I tried the scotch brite pad yesterday and it did nothing. I then tried a little semichrome polish on a small area and it did shine the header but did not remove the spotting. I will just live with it I guess.

Semichrome will remove the spots, but it takes a hell of a lot of work. A Dremel with a buff pad and Semichrome takes it right off, but it's a mess.

 

[1100rider_imp]

Why does it take so much work to remove something that should not be there? Is this a manufacturing error or is it common. I did notice that the 2013 and 2014 pipes on brand new showroom bikes are of a different color.

 

[furious_blue_imp]

Why does it take so much work to remove something that should not be there? Is this a manufacturing error or is it common. I did notice that the 2013 and 2014 pipes on brand new showroom bikes are of a different color.

Stainless Steel color changes due exhaust heat and temperature is a 'natural' thing to have happen.
It's just cosmetically unappealing and a lot of what this bike is about is it's appearance. So it looks nicer to make the color less brown periodically.
Optiglanz will take off the brown with practically no work required.

 

[1100rider_imp]

I am not concerned about the stainless changing color but the botching. In my first post you can enlarge the pictures and see what I am concerned about. I wonder if this is normal?

 

[shdwghst457_imp]

Live test of Optiglanz today. Kevin came over and used it on his bike today. He has not cleaned the bike since purchase.

One wipe with the Optiglanz and like magic the color changes and the red rag turned blue. A few more wipes and it is amazing. There are still some brown spots left and I thing some other polish would do the trick, but for a no elbow grease, no time great cleaning this stuff really does work.

I'm not easily impressed, but this was like the old late night Tarnix commercials from the 1980's.

Here is a picture of the one manifold on the right after the first wipe.

We will see how long it lasts

That is pretty amazing! Be sure and let everyone know how it lasts.

That is pretty amazing! Be sure and let everyone know how it lasts.
I will take pictures periodically if I remember to. The other three pipes are what the headers looked like at only 1400 miles!

 

[The Spaceman_imp]

The Nine-ARE-Tee appears to have stainless headers. I wonder if its forum will have endless threads like this one.

Optiglanz was invented for Bimmers.

 

[the Ferret]

I never got the spots on my 13 headers everyone is complaining about, they just turned a cruddy color and looked "dirty" all the time for lack of a better word. I love the chromed hed pipes on my 14 dl. Love em. They look good all the time.

 

[shdwghst457_imp]

I agree ferret. Elipten's is the first Deluxe I've seen and the pipes look awesome. It turns out washing my bike makes mine look good enough for me, though!

 

[ingobohn_imp]

Today I applied Optiglanz simply with a sponge, I applied it on each header pipe one by one and immediately rinsed it with a second sponge and plenty of water. It worked very well, the pipes are shiny now again. Of course, due to the sloppy way I applied it the "giraffe stains" did not vanish. I will drive and wait some hundred kilometers and check whether the discoloration comes back again. If so, I will again apply it and try harder.

Attached two mobile phone made pics (sorry for the bad quality).

 

[shdwghst457_imp]