The care and feeding of a chrome exhaust

[Sable]

Niewish bike has a chrome exhaust. I hated chrome before I bought this bike but thought what the heck, its only the exhaust, all the rest is chrome effect plastic. How hard can it be to keep in good nick?



I hate chrome more. The exhaust constantly has crud burnt and stuck to it and it looks tattier than a tatty satin black exhaust when tatty. Before I give up and spray this exhaust black, is there any quick and easy way of keeping chrome clean?

[grr666]

Solvol by Autosol

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Autosol-Solvol-Chrome-Metal-Alu-Cleaner-Polish-3-pcs-Detailing-Brush-Set/221812378843?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D29975%26meid%3D9a134ee1b960418fb86d87a4bcdaba3e%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D320925147531&clk_rvr_id=878057822812&rmvSB=true
____________________
Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[kramdra]

Is this the sinnis? does even count as chrome

[Sable]

@Grr666

Will try

@Kramdra

It hasn’t flaked off or gone manky yet, it counts as chrome until that happens or I got sick of cleaning and polishing it and paint it black.

[P.addy]

[stinkwheel]

I consider the shoddily constructed, £50 Indian home market chrome exhaust on my enfield to be disposable, and have looked after it accordingly.

It's been on for five years now and still hasn't rusted through.

Do you expect your Sinnis to still be up and running in 5 years?
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[kramdra]

[Sable]

[kramdra]

[wr6133]

[Sable]

[Copycat73]

I would be inclined to spray said exhaust with wd-40 or gt85 or whatever spray oil is deemed to be good if I had been out on it in the wet or washed it..
____________________
Whatever I post I have no citation and no intention of providing one..
caveat emptor

[grr666]

^^^
If I was going down the protection route I'd use ACF50.
____________________
Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[Sable]

Thanks for suggestions.

I didn't think of acf50 or wd40 because I thought they would just burn off the first ride after applying.

[SwartGevaar]

[Copycat73]

[MCN]

TLDR all of it.

Be careful how you clean the exhaust.
Most of the shit is road tar flicked up by the tyres.
It is like very course grinding paste. Gum with an abrasive mixed in.
I use petrol to dissolve the tar by soaking with a rag.
Minimal rubbing as it's the rubbing which scratches the chrome.
When you get all the shit off then use a chrome/metal polish.
|Some metal polish will remove metal so take care how often you use it as you will eventually wear the chrome off it's not very thick.

[Sable]

Unfortunately Copycat my bikes more or less in constant use.

@MCN

Tar sounds right. It was the crap on the downpipe bit that needed a brillo pad to remove with the Wash N Shine.