exhaust system restoration

[R12RnHouston]

Hello all,

I recently purchased a 2007 R1200R with ca. 20K miles. The previous owner apparently never cleaned the exhaust system with the exception of the muffler. There is a great deal of baked on road crud and a bit of rust here and there, especially under the engine.

Can anyone recommend a product or products that could remove the crud and restore (as much as possible) the appearance of the exhaust system?

Thanks!

David

[deilenberger]

David - is it the chrome or stainless system?

Chrome will have blued headers, stainless ones turn gold color.

The stainless can be cleaned with steel-wool or even fine sandpaper for really burned on crap. Chrome is much more delicate, and I'd suggest visiting a Harly shop and ask what they use..

[R12RnHouston]

Oh, yes, it's the chrome system.

David

[deilenberger]

Oh, yes, it's the chrome system.

David

Then gentle is the word.. I'd see some shops that are experienced in cleaning chrome.. HD again comes to mind.

[AmostThere]

Didn't somebody here on the forum post pics of header pipes cleaned with Honda Metal Polish?

A little Honda metal polish does wonders for the stainless exhaust. No power tools.

[deilenberger]

I'd be a bit concerned with damaging the chrome with any metal polish.. gentle is the operative word, and metal polish is abrasive.

[hjsbmw]

You can wash off any grime with any kind of appropriate solution: car shampoo, engine degreaser, petroleum, acetone,... Acetone and plastic or rubber tend to not like each other, so care should be taken here. Baked-in rubber or grease comes off well with a razor blade. Yes, gentle is the key. Rust can be removed with a razor blade also, but, in my experience, that comes back quickly. Maybe a shop can recommend something better here.

After the exhaust is pre-cleaned I use Turtle Wax Chrome Polish according to instructions. Not because I think there is no other, but because I bought a small bottle about 10 years ago, and the way it looks it will last another 30. It does work well for me.

[Meatloaf]

If you have some anyway, I've had good luck using glass cooktop cleaner on chrome exhaust pipes (after the major crud is washed off of course). It's gentle enough not to scratch and the solvents are made for loosening baked on materials.

The brand I use is Weiman Cook Top Glass Cook Top Cleaner. You can usually find it in your local grocery store.

[Dale_K]

I've heard of using oven cleaner to get stubborn stuff like melted rubber off chrome. Obviously you'd want to be careful and try it in a small hidden area first. I don't know if the Honda metal polish would work on chrome. My instincts say yes but my exhaust system is stainless. As you can see in the pictures it works great but the shine doesn't last long.

[deilenberger]

I've heard of using oven cleaner to get stubborn stuff like melted rubber off chrome. Obviously you'd want to be careful and try it in a small hidden area first. I don't know if the Honda metal polish would work on chrome. My instincts say yes but my exhaust system is stainless. As you can see in the pictures it works great but the shine doesn't last long.

I did mine with another metal polish. It looked nice for about 5 minutes. Then it got hot 'cause I was riding it - and it's back to poop-brown.

[Mollygrubber]

I think you mean 'Golden Caramel'

[R12RnHouston]

OK, I tried Turtle Wax chrome polish and lots of elbow grease. It removed most of the rust and restored the shine to most of the system. There are a few hard to reach places I still need to work on, but overall the end result is not too bad!

Cheers!

David