Down Pipes

Right my down pipe is getting a bit of a funny colour , and i want to know what is the best thing to clean it with.

I know dizzy has polished hers and i was hoping i could do the same but don't know what to use and do you have to remove it to polish it?

Also once it is polished how often do you have to repolish it? Might be being a bit thick here but if you do polish it will it lessen the life of the down pipe?

Cheers in advance

The pipes aren't that thin!

Autosol is the choice product. Some wet and dry sandpaper will start you off more easily if it has gone a bit far. It's not difficult. If you want it to be polished chrome looking all the time you'll have to do it every few weeks, but most of us do it just to keep it from going rusty brown.

[yorkie_chris]

I think dizzyblonde does hers after every ride, but she's a bit odd

Get Bar Keepers freinds. You put in a pot, add water and make it into a thinkish paste.

Next, slap it all over the downpipe all the way down. Next, go and chill out, make a coffee, clean other parts of the bike or just stare into the sky.....I left it for about 20 minutes

Next, get a cloth and the BKF will have hardened, wipe it off, its like chalk.....next, grab some coarse wet and dry.......add autosol and sand until the autosol creates a paste and you start to see it going shiny. Wipe off the autosol. If it is still dull and grey / blackish.....keep going. Kept doing this until it was all clear metal. Next I used fine wet and dry....finally......autosol and wire wool to finish.

Once done, just then buff with a cloth.

Thats how we did it anyway. Each bike from start to finish on downpipe only took bout 35 minutes work....but well worth the shiney ness.

I take it you don't have to remove it from the bike to do it then?

Originally Posted by newts924

I take it you don't have to remove it from the bike to do it then?

Yes, you also have to remove the engine and invert the polarity of the flux capacitor (which can be found under the rear seat on K4 onwards bikes).

Doing the rear one, meanwhile, is a real struggle.

Originally Posted by sinbad

Yes, you also have to remove the engine and invert the polarity of the flux capacitor (which can be found under the rear seat on K4 onwards bikes).

Doing the rear one, meanwhile, is a real struggle.

I am not that clueless

Originally Posted by sinbad

Yes, you also have to remove the engine and invert the polarity of the flux capacitor (which can be found under the rear seat on K4 onwards bikes).

Doing the rear one, meanwhile, is a real struggle.

ooo those F-C's, they are a pain in the bum to get off, I had to use some 2,7-deoxyploraterium to dissolve the adhesive. WHy suzuki glue their F-C's to their bikes, I'll never know

[dizzyblonde]

Ok as shiny downpipe ambassador i say do as Lily says. But be aware that it will make the pipe dull, which is why you get the elbow grease and autosol out. You only need to use it once mind(the BKF). It was completely by chance i found this marvellous invention shopping in Asda for £1.94. I have since spread the word on here and its catching like wildfire....mwahahahahahaha

on the wet n dry thing you need 240, 400, 800, 1200 in that order


And no Im not a weirdo..I polish my pipes before i go out on a ride, just the downpipe, as the rest doesn't foul as quick.
I use fine wire wool with autosol applied to it. Do not use the wire wool up the link pipe or can it will mark it. Then get out the cheap yellow duster, one to wipe off and one to polish high
And on an odd occasion get the 1200 wet n dry out to get rid of a few odd spots away, cause tar spots mark.

really hopes this helps....as I plan to get the whole org with shiny pipes......mwahahaha

Thanks Dizzy i think i might have a go at getting them shiny as i am off work for a few days, thats if the weather stays fine .

I will let you know how i get on lol