Cleaning Headers

[dbrick]

What techniques and products do you use to clean the headers? I'm not aiming for showroom, but a little cleaner would be nice.

[mogu83]

Stainless or chrome

[dbrick]

I don't know. It's an '07 with the chrome muffler.
The headers look stainless...but I don't know.

[deilenberger]

David,

Are they goat-poop brown color (stainless) or blue-rainbow colors (chrome)?

If they're GPB - any metal polish will temporarily make them shiny and pretty again. A buffing wheel in an electric drill makes it go a lot faster (but splatters polish around..)

If they're blue-rainbows, some chrome polish, or Blue-Off (or whatever) from your local friendly HD dealer will clear them up for a while (and wear through some of the chrome.)

I did one of mine once. After about 300 miles of you couldn't tell which side I'd done. Mine are SPB/stainless headers. I'll do it again if I ever decide to sell the bike. Now I just scrape big bugs guts off them..

[dbrick]

Blue-rainbow is closer.

What's "GSB" mean?

[deilenberger]

Blue-rainbow is closer.

What's "GSB" mean?

It meant "goat-'fecalmatter'-brown" - we can't say the word that rhymes with "ship" here apparently.. so - phrase revised.. GPB now.

[dbrick]

I geddit, thanks.

[Boxerpunk]

Blue-rainbow is closer.

What's "GSB" mean?

It meant "goat-'fecalmatter'-brown" - we can't say the word that rhymes with "ship" here apparently.. so - phrase revised.. GPB now.

In Dutch it is "geiten stront bruin" (goats hit brown)

[parkec]

I clean mine with water. Sometimes I use a very soft wheel brush...no polish, or steel wool here.

[towerworker]

I wouldn't advise using anything abrasive. You can spend hours cleaning and polishing and after one ride they are dull again. I gave up years ago trying to make them pretty.
The headers are stainless and will only get but so shiny. The gold blue colors are distinctive.