Heat Wrap on Header

[838]

I have an old rush reaper pipe for my 05 ultra classic, heat shields are not pretty any more... is heat wrap ok for these ceramic coated pipes? Bike does 500 mile days a dozen times a year and cruises around town other than that.

[kd]

IMO you are better off having them re-plated if chrome or scuff them up and apply some hi temp header paint.  The experience shared on this site is they'll rot your pipes out.  On the other hand it would be a good way to get forced into a new set of the latest and greatest that you have been wishing for.    I understand that Reaper pipe performs fairly well so for me it would be re-chrome or paint first.

[guido4198]

I've been down this decision tree myself as exhaust options for my 1985 FXRS are pretty thin. The set of Paughco pipes I'm currently running look pretty rough, but run good. I investigated wrapping them and found the general consensus to be as KD pointed out. If you do it, you might as well start shopping for a replacement if this is a bike you're keeping. If it's not..go ahead and wrap'em and let the next owner worry about it. I'm a "Keeper"...still riding the FXRS I bought new in 1985.

[Nastytls]

Wrapped my perfectly good Bassani just because I liked the looks. I don't recall how many miles it took, but it ended up cracking a few inches past the front exhaust flange. Never again...

[rbabos]

If you want to destroy the pipe in short order, wrap will do that. It will either promote rusting under the wrap or overheat the metal and break it down, then crack.
Ron

[nibroc]

interesting thread

[Hossamania]

The wrap was originally intended for drag racing to quickly build and hold heat in the pipe for quick warm up at the track. It is not meant for long term use to hold heat. Exhaust pipes, while designed to hold some heat, have a main function of taking heat way from the engine. Wrapping them defeats that purpose.
Wrapping a short section to protect your leg from getting burnt probably won't do much harm.
Just my sideline observation.

[838]

Reaper is a good pipe, I've had great results with rush products, and the bike is a keeper. That wrap woulda looked sweet though! Thanks all.

[No Cents]

  I would scuff up the pipe and heat shields then shoot them with some hi-temp black paint...and rock on.

[kd]

 

[2006FXDCI]

Well I will probably jinx myself but ive ran my bassani pro streets for at least 4 years now with them wrapped with DEI titanium header wrap . Never had an issue to date . I left the first 6" from where the pipe exits the head of each pipe unwrapped to try and let some heat out at the hottest point . One thing I will mention , I never wash this bike with water . It's a bike that I mostly use at the drag strip so it never gets dirty .

[PoorUB]

Four years, but how many miles? I know guys that don't put on 500 miles in four years!

[Hossamania]

Right, if it's mostly a drag strip bike, the exhaust is probably fine, it's not getting hours of continuous heat run through it.

[2006FXDCI]

Four years, but how many miles? I know guys that don't put on 500 miles in four years!

Just looked at my odometer , 1,973 miles on the pipes along with 127 passes at the strip . I really think never getting the header wrap wet helps with the rusting of the exhaust . I agree if running thousands of miles it will deteriorate the exhaust metal from the heat . I also think it helps to not run the header wrap all the way up to the beginning of the exhaust where it enters the head . Most exhausts for these bikes are super thin to save weight . With a thicker walled pipe Im not so sure the deterioration would happen as fast or even at all . I see allot of nostalgia and gasser cars at the strip running header wrap and it looks like it was put on in the 1960's . 

[PoorUB]

Thanks, I just thought it would be more useful to know the miles. Many will put 2-3 times that, or more, in a year so it gives some reference.

[2006FXDCI]

Thanks, I just thought it would be more useful to know the miles. Many will put 2-3 times that, or more, in a year so it gives some reference.

Understand 👍