[Texun]

Got another noob question if y'all got a minute. I just bought my first bike after more than 20 years, a used Vulcan Classic with V&H long shots. The pipes would be perfect if not for some discoloration on one of them. It's not blue. It's near the back just slightly forward the passenger foot rest and it's the top pipe. My guess is that a passenger melted a shoe at one time and the owner may have used something harsh to remove the residue. It doesn't look like rust but it left a dull brownish finish and it looks like it's in the chrome so I don't think polishing it will do any good.

Has anyone ever had pipes re-chromed? The rest of the exhaust is near perfect and it would be a waste to buy new pipes just to get rid of the ugly one. Any idea what chroming costs now days?

Thanks.

 

[michiganarft11]

I'd try polishing them first. All you'd lose there would be a few bucks and some elbow grease.

 

[bikeaholic]

re

i'd try polishing also or 0000 steel wool,re-chroming prolly not cost effective as those pipes
are not that expensive.but i have seen blueing be brownish before :wink:

seems like all aftermarket chrome reqiures more tlc than the stock chrome especially
pipes :x

 

[ZX-2R]

NO SCRATCHING!!!

go to www.por15.com and look at Glisten PC....for thos of youz'e guyz and galz having pipes that rust and can't seem to find the right header pipe paint...try the same site only look at Black Velvet for 1200F paint, Factory Manifold Gray for 1400F or por-20 for 1400F paint...If you have a pipe leaking you might want to look at their Heat-Resistant Manifold Restoration Kit...it's a lot cheaper than replacement cans or pipes.

 

[Lobocop]

Most plater's won't rechrome pipes as the carbon inside the pipes will contaminate their plating tanks.

 

[mkelley]

That dullish brown finish might be the copper underlayer.

Check with Vance & Hines on the cost of a replacement pipe section. They sell replacement parts. No need to replace the entire exhaust system.

 

[StarGate]

Ummm... have you guys been looking at thread/post dates? :wink:

 

[Mr mischief]

Wow, I thought I was the only one to post to threads that old

Wow, I thought I was the only one sitting up at night, not
noticing how old the threads are, nice cold Guinness in
hand. . .

Seriously though, if you have chrome and a lumpy ‘blemish’.
You know, boot rubber, solidified road tar, or, even, bit’s of
road kill. . .
Polish isn’t going to remove it – scraping will!

Scraping ‘nice’ shinny chrome is not a good idea – true! –
Unless done properly

Properly is done with aluminium (spelt correctly), or copper.
A penny comes to mind, well the older English ones.
Don’t know about the US penny, or what it is made of. . .
If not a penny well, a piece of copper pipe – give it a try!

Why?

Well it is softer than the chrome, so, will not mark the chrome.
If suspicious, first try it on a bit of chrome that isn’t visible, like
under the exhaust, on that stubborn to remove whatever!

Then, as chrome is best treated, a good polish, Autosol springs
to mind as about the best available (country dependant)

Job done. . . to easy eh!

Mr mishief 8)