New exhaust rusting quickly

[nitrosurf]

Hello all.

I know mild steel, factory painted exhausts for old or poverty spec bikes usually rust up but the one I've fitted to this GS 125 I've got is doing my head in. It started pitting and the paint started flaking off in the first couple of weeks, initially near the head then across the whole length. Since then I've cleaned it, brushed it back, coated it in rust eater and painted it three times in as many months. I've used specific manifold paint and high temperature stove paint with the same results. The exhaust is a genuine Suzuki item, but that doesn't mean it wasn't made out of cheese in China I don't suppose.

Can anyone offer any advice? The bike isn't running lean either, so the temperature of the exhaust isn't higher than it should be I don't think.

[jaffa90]

It`s too late now, you should have sent it back.

[A100man]

[Hong Kong Phooey]

Paint the outside as much as you like. Then lose sleep when you realise the cheap steel is rusting just as quickly from the inside.
____________________
'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8

[nitrosurf]

Bum cheese. You make a good (and now I think about it without a cloud of dumbassery in my way-obvious) point. As for trying to complain about it I suppose I could, but as I've attacked it with lapping discs, wire brushes, Jenolite and two different types of paint I think any salesman would have a compelling reason to tell me to furkorff... Should have whinged as soon as the orange stuff started poking through.

It's unfortunate that I have to ask a dumb question on the interweb before the obviousness of my errors become apparent...

Cheers though!

[tom_e]

Have it ceramic coated inside and out if you want something that has any chance of lasting.

[Rogerborg]

Exhaust wrap and sell it on as a "custom cafe flat bob racer".
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[spottedtango]

Was this someone selling it on eBay listed as genuine oem or an actual Suzuki shop?

I think you were lied to.

I had this problem with a 125 exhaust the whole thing became red with rust ended up painting it black.

There's very cheap pattern exhausts floating about on eBay that people are trying to pass as genuine items.

[Hong Kong Phooey]

Sandblast the lot and go for the rat look. No doubt will increase resale value, and also make it more nickable.
____________________
'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8

[nitrosurf]

I could lie like every bugger on eBay and call it a 'barn find'. They're supposed to be rusty right?

It was indeed bought from an eBay seller, and came in very convincing packaging and has the Suzuki manufacturers stuff cast into the exhaust. There is every probability though that someone is just knocking out pattern copies as the real thing.

Mod 1 is around the corner and Mod 2 shortly after that, so with the eventual advent of a 'new' big bike I'm going to have a go at 'restoring' the little bleeder. I've made a start on a couple of bikes before but never finished one, so I'll give this one a go. Good practise, and it'll give me an excuse to buy a stainless exhaust as well for the poor thing. If gets daily abuse and has cost next to nowt so can't fault it.

Thank you for your replies sirs.

😀

[Rogerborg]

On a bike that's been out of production that long, I'd be minded to believe that even if it's "genuine" Suzuki that they've just outsourced / licensed it to some Whang Dong Province outfit. Impossibru to say though.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[A100man]