Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Exhaust blue pipes on new bikes?

Went out to Grengras Triumph today to see what was going on for the "bike week for rest of us".Only thing that indicated it was not Just another day was the promo sign outside, no I didnt expect danceing girls or anything.
But if you are haveing an "open house" hey a cup of coffee would have been nice.

I was impresseed with showroom, good selection if clothing and doo dads,plentty of floor space at least one of every model. Looked at "fully dressed" R3. Ya know what
the more I look at them the less ugly they become.I'm starting to think that if i decide I want a heavy cruiser somday that might be it.

What I was not impressed with was ALL of the vertical twins.
Had some degree on blueing on the header pipes.

I was checking out a T100. At first I thought I was looking at a used bike. I meen the pipes were blued bad. then I look at tag said 2007, looked at odomiter 9 miles. Look around some more started looking at pipes, Some where just one side blue.Some both sides. I put 600 miles on my 06 before I removed AI and I had mabey just a touch of discoloration starting.The highest milage i saw on any was 13.

Ok now my thoughts on 07 America fianlly seen up close,
Nice paint blue/white like the look of the speedmaster style pipes.Dont like the wheels, and dont like the new p-pad.Like the "no more GeorgeForman look" and like the new style passenger peg hangers.

the AI has alot to do with the blueing.
My Thruxton blued up around the first bend.
and the AI came off as soon as I got it home.
the America and Speedmaster have double wall pipes ,
the pipe inside is blueing while the outside stays cooler.

Quote:

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and dont like the new p-pad

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But it is not up to you , it is up to the ole' ladies back side
to like it or not.

The blueing drive me nuts. My 05 standard blued out in less then 50 miles. They set the bikes up so dam lean to begin with from the factory, and the secondary air doesn't help. Triumph doesn't care either, which bothers the hell out of me.

I've seriously have been thinking of having my head pipes "Jet" coated, but for now the header wrap looks great on the all black Bon.

I had one America that blued the left pipe twice. We had to battle with Triumph to get it covered the second time. They have had a few double walled pipes welded up where the inner is almost touching the outter, and have blued.

Wound up being the left reed valve on the AI was hanging open just enough to cook the pipe.

All Bonnies, Thruxtons & Scramblers headers will blue at least past the first turn in the header even with the AI out. Without the AI out they can blue pass the second header bend.
Americas & Speedies have double tubed headers and usually won't blue more than an inch or so with AI in, unless your running very lean. Most new A & S s show bluing on the left header, at least ibn earlier models, because the carbs weren't balanced well at the factory.

That's the thing. When the bike blued the first pipe, the first things I looked at was the low speed screw settings, sync, and Co levels. Everything was dead nut on. Checked for vacuum leaks, and none present. Spoke to one of the techs in Newnan, and was told about the welding problem.

When it blued the second time, I knew it had to be the AI messing up. I put on a complete unit that was a take off from another bike, problem solved.

I know that blueing is a concern for many BA/SM owners - as it should be. However, the blueing factor is much more prevelent with bonnies, thruxtons, scramblers than with the BA/SM. The primary reason is the 'classic units have single wall exhaust headers, and like BMWs, Guzzis, nearly all sport bikes, the blueing is most always a fact of life. BA/SM blueing is due to whatever causes your outer pipe to to get that hot. I won't go on my "Don't blame your AI-Mine's still on.", rant, but will just say " A blue double wall exhaust is too hot. There are varying causes - nearly all curable. The only cause I've heard that may not be fixed is some pipe assemblies have too little space between the inner and outer pipe in spots.

I rode the first 400 miles with the AI and stock exhausts on my TA. It had started blueing more on the left than right. After the AI was out, carbs re-jetted, balanced, and new exhausts; I've had no blueing. The initial blueing I was able to clean off with Semi-chrome. 7000 miles now and they look brand new.

As I was looking to buy a used bike, I was really discouraged to see so many bikes with toasted pipes. That fact alone almost kept me from buying a Triumph. Before my purchase however I stumbled across this site and learned that it could be prevented. I was lucky enough to find a bike that already had the AI removed and nice shinny pipes.

Gerry

bringing this back up, because it is a concern for me. sorry. i have about 350m on my bike now (2009 america), and getting ready to take it in for first service next week. the pipes are blued already, pretty significantly, up through midway on the down pipe. i have the AI removal kit ordered, and TORs ordered as well, but both are on back order and neither have definite dates as to when they'll land. what the heck can i do? parking the bike is not really on my agenda. it's already september, and riding the bike is pretty much my fun time any more...

Tim I can remember reading on here somewhere that over in the US there is something called "Blueaway" see if anyone else chips in with further information.

Tim,
Pull the hose out of the airbox that runs to the AI. Then whack a 17mm Marble (ball bearing) in it and connect back up.

Blueaway,and Blue Job are 2 good ones, having used both I prefer Blueaway. There are other products but can't think of them at the moment.

A thought on the newer bikes with EFI. The AI removal kit is probably not a good idea (If they still have the AI on the EFI bikes) since the O2 sensor is probably calibrated for that being there. Not sure was just a thought.

There was an amusing post some time back about how one of our members had called a store to see if they had Blue Job. A young lady new employee answered the call, thought the member was asking her for something completely inappropriate, and almost hung up on him. It was pretty funny.

I dont know what all the fuss is about, I like them going blue!

Mine are more brown than blue???

Your right Dog about the O2 sensors on the EFI, mine idled very poorly when I removed the AI, until I bypassed the O2 sensors with the Tuneboy program.

I never have to worry about the blue again.

hmmm, where do you get this 'tuneboy', and how do you use it?

nevermind. googled it immediately after posting. and, i think i'm interested. gosh darn it, i new i'd get to tinker with something, even if it isn't the carburator, lol. plus, i dig rooting around in electronics/computers, so it's win-win.

oy vey though, at 500 bucks, that's a pricey little booger

I am going to have to learn this, I have never messed with mapping EFI. When I went to school for mechanics GM HEI was the new thing on the block. We all said it would never catch on! I understand the basics but never did the computer end of it since I never had to to fix a problem. Most of the time it was a sensor or injector or fuel pump or filter problem or a combination of the above.

check out tuneboys website, they have a tutorial on it. it's actually pretty simple (in concept, anyway)