How To Remove Discoloration of Muffler

[dduelin]

With nearly 3000 miles on my NC now I noticed the stainless steel muffler was beginning to show the effects of heat and oxidation. This shows up as a brownish or golden tint to the polished stainless steel. While some owners may like the effect as a badge of miles ridden I prefer to keep the oxidation at bay. It is just cosmetic and doesn't hurt the metal but I prefer to remove it.

There are metal polishes that can remove it but I am basically a lazy person and prefer better living through chemicals. No rubbing and polishing for me if I can help it. I took some Bar Keeper's Friend and made a paste of BKF and a little water and applied it to the muffler, leaving it for about 3 minutes. BKF is purchased at a grocery store in the household cleaners and it has oxalic acid in it with a little abrasive. Rubbing is not necessary and may scratch the polished metal so don't really rub it in, just a wet paste is applied with a sponge or paper towel. After 2 or 3 minutes rinse with water and the oxidation is removed. These pictures don't really show the effect as well as it works.

 

[turbodieseli4i6]

Looks good! I don't like polishing either! The Harley guy's at work just don't understand me.

 

[happy]

You deserve a few extra points Dave for this wonderful trick! All I have to do now is to find that tube you said (written sarcastically, we have none here).

But don't look at me, I don't know how to give points...

 

[Cutter J. Duke]

Good Post, I use BKF to clean about everything..now I have one more, thank you.

 

[jakeisbill]

I will keep this information in mind.

 

[bigjeff]

good tip, I will try it

 

[wozza]

I think it looks good as is. It gives the bike character.

 

[Tucsonrider]

Perfect! i was looking for something like this. Appreciate the tip...

 

[ron700]

Thank you for the tip.

 

[KGround]

I'll be intersted to see the results in 10 years or so. You see, stainless steel is 'stainless' because it protects itself with an oxide coating ("passivation"). The chemical cleaner removes the stain and also removes the protective coating so that a microsocpic amount (we hope) of fresh metal must be sacrificed each time to replace the removed oxide coat. I honestly don't know what will happen over the long run because I don't like polishing, but I also don't even like to wash them all that much. Maybe someone here has used BKF for many years, but I kind of doubt it because stainless exhausts have only become common in the last decade or so, I think. (Mainly because environmental regulations have rendered chrome plating very costly to the manufacturers while the price of stainless steel has come down.)

And of course you want to be certain that you remove all traces of the cleaner from any non-stainless steel parts it may have contacted since it will attack mild steel continuously until it is removed.

 

[dduelin]

I'll be intersted to see the results in 10 years or so. You see, stainless steel is 'stainless' because it protects itself with an oxide coating ("passivation"). The chemical cleaner removes the stain and also removes the protective coating so that a microsocpic amount (we hope) of fresh metal must be sacrificed each time to replace the removed oxide coat. I honestly don't know what will happen over the long run because I don't like polishing, but I also don't even like to wash them all that much. Maybe someone here has used BKF for many years, but I kind of doubt it because stainless exhausts have only become common in the last decade or so, I think. (Mainly because environmental regulations have rendered chrome plating very costly to the manufacturers while the price of stainless steel has come down.)

And of course you want to be certain that you remove all traces of the cleaner from any non-stainless steel parts it may have contacted since it will attack mild steel continuously until it is removed.

Polished stainless flatware has been cleaned by BKF for what, 75 years or so?

 

[Bug Dr.]

Don't brush your teeth or you will remove all of the enamel. You're much better off drinking Kool-aid to put down a protective layer of sugar.

I knew there was a reason I don't clean the stains off my tailpipe.
Mike

 

[dduelin]

Don't brush your teeth or you will remove all of the enamel. You're much better off drinking Kool-aid to put down a protective layer of sugar.

I knew there was a reason I don't clean the stains off my tailpipe.
Mike

Many of the ST crowd like the golden brown color but I don't care for it, I like mine sparkling clean. I clean them every 10 or 20,000 miles so it's not something done very often. It [discoloration] happened quicker in the first 50,000 miles or so.

 

[StratTuner]

well .... Darn... I was alll READY to go and try that.....

"Now I have Doubt!" (to paraphrase Rex the Tyranosaurus from Toy Story).

 

[ST13Fred]

I think it looks good as is. It gives the bike character.

The header pipes on my Motus are a light colored golden all the way to the cans (which do not change color) are beautiful to look at.
When I look at the burnt look of the NC can, I think cheap and too thin for the job.

 

[Brillot2000]

Polished stainless flatware has been cleaned by BKF for what, 75 years or so?

It's not heated up to 1,000° and then cooled repeatedly. If someone wants to have nice looking stainless exhaust, it is best not ride the bike.

Kind of defeats the purpose of having a motorcycle, doesn't it?

 

[dduelin]

The header pipes on my Motus are a light colored golden all the way to the cans (which do not change color) are beautiful to look at.
When I look at the burnt look of the NC can, I think cheap and too thin for the job.

Honda does make em cheap, only 6 or $8,000 grand instead of 30 or $36,000 for the Motus. Odds are one will last a lot longer than the other.

Over in ST1300 land golden pipes are visible mark of a ridden bike as it takes about 10,000 miles to get them and some riders like showing the "colors". I keep them sparkling stainless because I like them looking bright.

 

[L.B.S.]

I'm thinking that by the time continuous polishing the discoloring off an NCX muffler actually wears it out, that so many years will have passed that the owner will be too old to give a crap anymore; have bought other, newer bikes in the mean time, or ridden the bike so much that a worn out muffler will be the last of ills to worry about on the bike.

If the person was *that* desperate to fret over a worn out muffler finish by 2025, so that his (or hers) pristine yet multi-hundreds of thousands of mile NCX would look great in the living room museum, that they could simply buy a cheap second hand muffler on ebay now, and keep it in the garage rafters or something, for when that day arrives lol

 

[Deckyon]

Muffler discoloration of this kind shows use and miles, like a badge of courage. As long as it isnt rusting away, I am ok with that discoloration.

 

[ST13Fred]

Honda does make em cheap, only 6 or $8,000 grand instead of 30 or $36,000 for the Motus. Odds are one will last a lot longer than the other.
Over in ST1300 land golden pipes are visible mark of a ridden bike as it takes about 10,000 miles to get them and some riders like showing the "colors". I keep them sparkling stainless because I like them looking bright.

But the Honda is a better value, IMO the Motus is about $10K over priced.
The ST13 header pipe discolors right at the CAT, just before the cans. Since they were not polished at that location, I would use red scotch brite pad with chrome polish to bring my 04 back to a satin look.