Triumphrat

hogwylde

I'm obviously not talking from experience as I don't own a Triumph but from what I have read, having the pipes turn blue is just a characteristic of Triumph's personality. I did note that when I test rode a brand new Bonnie for about 15 miles, the pipes were already turning..

Anyways, I was just doing some reading somewhere on the 'net about this and it is claimed that if you wrap a a copper wire or strap at the base of the pipes, that it will absorb the majority of the heat and either prevent or slow down the bluing process.

Just thought I'd share this.

Although to stop the bluing on my Sportster, I just scuffed up the pipes and painted them with high heat BBQ grill paint and think it looks better than the chrome.

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The mind is like a parachute. Works best when open.

HOOPLA

Man I learned to love the blue! Non blue looks like the bike has never been ridden. So those who worry about it, don't, it's a badge of riding hard, and having fun.

Hoopla

BigChiefWoody

I like blue pipes.

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Aussiematt

Copper heat sink ?! - good trick

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2004 Thrux, FCR39's, Uni filter, 813 cams, Works shocks, Ricor valves, progressive springs, Pieman ignitor, green springs, GT501s, Beringer caliper, predators, damper, fork brace, Corbin gunfighter, custom tinware, lowered instruments, JMC swingarm

Geimer

I was hoping for a blue pipe thread.. I just checked header temperature today.
When I got my completely stock 2005 Bonnie with 2000 miles on it the pipes were a bit blue.. almost to the end of the first bend. Before long I removed the air injectors and polished off the bluing. I haven't really paid too much attention to it since. I did a baffle-ectomy since then. I had some signs of it running a bit lean when the throttle was wide open... not sure if it had anything to do with the baffle-ectomy... probably not but I changed to 112.5 mains up from the stock 110s. The pipes have slowly slowly blued up since I last cleaned them a year and a half ago.. the left side a little bit more then the right. So... being the paranoid type I got worried. Even though I keep the carbs synchronized, and it runs like a top, I keep wondering... is there something making the left side run too lean?
So this weekend I borrowed a Fluke thermometer from work and a thermocouple. After a nice long run earlier today I checked temperature on top of the pipes at the junction of the header pipe and the weld. Both sides were almost exactly the same temperature. Around 595 to 605 °F... the reading was jumping around... no wonder they turn blue though. Even with A/I removed and slightly larger jets (to run a little richer and therefore cooler) the pipes are still almost hot enough to melt lead at the point where they exit the engine.

My best test would be a dyno check I guess but the plugs look the same and the temperature is the same and I cleaned off the bluing again and they look to be evenly bluing (about an inch and a half) after a week... SO... I'm not going to worry about it. Bare pipes on these machines will always blue to an extent I think. I'm not going to paint them with stove black or wrap them or anything.... I think a little blue looks better than that.... I might make up a heat sink though... That sounds kinda cool... if it were made decently... hmmmm , maybe that's my next mod ...

Kem770

You painted your chrome pipes?

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biker7

Geimer,
What did you use to remove the bluing from the pipes?
Thanks,
George

BudDaytonRat

George, there is a lot of stuff out there. I use DRI WASH n' Guard Premium Metal Polish. PM me if you want more info. BTW I bought my Bonnie new in March of 2001 and it now has over 34,000 miles on the clock.

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Bud
2001 Bonnie
2006 Sprint ST

Thunderlips

Excellent. Just googled it and it looks like it's easy enough to get here in Australia. Fairly expensive though.

I was also looking at this but I'd need to buy from the States.
http://www.loudpipes.com/html/lp_/bluejob.htm

Dutch1976

I dig my blue pipes, kinda goes with the look of the bike imho.