Pipe Care

[mnnthbx]

I'll say up front, I'm very anal with my bike. I have a FMF pipe with a half dozen rides on it. I clean the bike up imediatelly after use, dry the pipe, then WD-40 it. It still seems to develope a stained look at the first eight inches of the headpipe, and just after the coupler on the silencer. Polishing seems to have no effect. It is the nickle plated woods pipe. Do you all have any tricks, or do I just have to live with it?

 

[jtorres]

I hope we don't have to live with it because i have the same problem

 

[nectar]

Get some aluminum polish it will make your pipe look better than new. I got a bottle from walmat for like 2.50. Its almost a paste like consitancy, and you rub on with cloth when it turns black you buff with clean cloth....fyi, stay away from fmf pipe cleaner its horrible stuff that does not work.

 

[mnnthbx]

I've tried two different aluminum polishes. One a paste, the other wadding. Neither helped much. Again, it's not TOO bad, I'm just VERY particular.

 

[cicone]

You should see my heap. It's 14 years old and looks like hell---but it runs like a scalded cat!!! I'm anal about performance, not looks. But that's just me. :laugh:

 

[nectar]

....perhaps it was the brand of polish you used, cause I shyt you not my pipe looked better than new when done. Ofcouse, inorder to do a proper job you would have to remove the pipe and apply some elbow grease. Anyways, pipes get dinged, dented and discolored with use so you may have to just live with it....

 

[Patrick]

The only thing that worked for the really bad stains near the front of the pipe was Scotch-Brite pads. What I thought was rust was actually baked-on mud stains. However, Scotch-Brite is slightly abrasive and will take the glossy look off the pipe. The chrome finish remains but it looks like brushed stainless steel. This worked when nothing else would. It is also very quick. The polishing creams or Nev'r-dull pads work on the light stains but require a lot of patience. They will not change the finish, so you might try that first.

 

[cicone]

speaking of scotchbrite pads----they make 3 types. Most just know of the green ones. They also have a less abrasive red pad and a very fine white pad. Ask around---the white pads are finer than 0000 steel wool and really polish things up well!!

 

[Patrick]

I use the red #07447 "General Purpose" pad and Varsol (or kerosene) for the pipe and for cleaning carbon off of KIPS valves. There is another red pad that is finer and a white that is even finer. Look for these at automotive paint stores, or auto parts stores.