R850R / R1100R exhaust pipes

[Grant Freeman]

#2817

Hi,I am thinking of having my 1999 R850R exhaust pipes (headers) HPC coated and wondered if the pipes are chromed steel or stainless? Apparantly chromed pipes need to have the chrome removed before they can coat them? I cannot tell by looking at the pipes, but I have read /heard that the exhaust system is stainless?Appreciate any help.Cheers,Mike

[Dave Ross]

#11369

The pipes are most likely chromed stainless steel. The chrome seems to burn off after few years, leaving a brownish rusty looking surface. This can be cleaned off with a bit of wet and dry sandpaper, strart with about 400grid, then 800 and then use Autosol. Once this has been cleaned you'll see the transition from chrome to steel.If your headers are not chromed, they will have a dark, slightly bluesih appearance. I had thought about doing the same, but I am happy enough with the cleaned up look.

[Grant Freeman]

#11370

Hi Kokopelli, Thanks for your reply. 9 year old bike and 52000 Kms, the chrome should have burnt off by now, so maybe I will have a go with the wet and dry and Autosol and see how it looks.If I get some road gravel damage on the left hand cylinder that goes across the front of the engine, you tend to get a very light brown surface corrosion mark if it gets damp, so I thought they could be chromed steel, but I will see how I go with your suggestion.Thanks,Mike

[David]

#11371

procure magnet, hold against pipes, if chromed steel it will stick, if stainless – it will not!Be carefull about spending money on pretty pipes, it doesnt matter what you do they dont stay that way for long, especially if you ride the bloody thing  🙂

[Anonymous]

#11372

procure magnet, hold against pipes, if chromed steel it will stick, if stainless - it will not!Be carefull about spending money on pretty pipes, it doesnt matter what you do they dont stay that way for long, especially if you ride the bloody thing  🙂

Depends how cheap you S/S is or how much steel has been added. Just see what comes out of China, and they have the check to say it is 316 s/s

[Dave Ross]

#11373

I don't think these bikes came without an ss exhaust. By the way, there is one for sale in the newsletter. $350, seems reasonable. This would save you a lot of polishing.

[Anonymous]

#11374

I don't think these bikes came without an ss exhaust. By the way, there is one for sale in the newsletter. $350, seems reasonable. This would save you a lot of polishing.

You can get them re-chromed for less than that

[Richard Kuysten]

#11375

I still have one gathering dust in the shed for $250 – now that has to be a bargin  😀 You could use one while polishing the other ready for the weekend run.  👿Malcolm

[Dave Ross]

#11376

In that case I would polish Malcolm's one and keep it shiny in the garage.

[Grant Freeman]

#11377

Hi Guys,Thanks for all the help and comments. It is actually the two into one pipes themselves that I am talking about - the collector box and silencer are all 304 stainless. 409 stainless is actually magnetic as it is slightly martensitic, but I have not tried the magnet idea yet - good idea.I do ride my bike, but I do value the bike looking good as well and the HPC coating is only $80 approx plus a cleaning charge and there are horse power gains to be had as the process coats the inside of the pipes as well and provides for faster gas extraction - that what HPC coatings say anyway - my idea was the cosmetics of it.Cheers

[Grant Freeman]

#11378

I checked the pipes with a magnet over the weekend and both pipes are now confirmed as NON magnetic and hence, I think they must be 304 stainless.Cheers,

[Dave Ross]

#11379

Had a bit of a clean up on mine. I didn't get too carried away with it. You can clearly see the transition from stainless to chrome. I've come to terms with the fact that the bike will never become a beauty queen. It's a GS after all, it bears its scars with pride. Chrome won't get you home, or what ever the Rustys say. 😀 I will give  it a bit of clean tomorrow, but don;t blame me if it rains on Sunday.Before:After:

[Dave Morris]

#11380

In that case I would polish Malcolm's one .

you can keep that mis-behaving to ya meetings at the local public toilets

[Grant Freeman]

#11381

Hi Kokopelli,You made a nice job of polishing your pipes. Mime look like your "after" picture even before I start polishing but I am a bit of a polish freak anyway.Have you removed the CAT collector box and just have a pipe between the silencer and your pipes? From the photo it looks like you just have a single pipe to the muffler? or am I mistaken by the photo? That is another modification I was thinking of - removing the cat collector etc and just having a single pipe into an aftermarket stainless silencer and other than the weight reduction, I wondered if there were any other benfits? Freer revving etc.Cheers,Mike

[Dave Ross]

#11382

The bike is stock standard, Mike. I am don't think there are any gains to be had, apart from a different sound, and perhaps a little less weight. The cat's weight is so low down, that you won't notice any benefits, apart from a bit less weight in your wallet. As the wallet is usually a lot higher up, there may be a slight benefit there.I only just cleaned my bike, I do it a couple of times a year, whether it needs it or not. As it's never stayed clean for more than three days in a row, I figured that I'd be polishing  through the paint before too long.

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