Pipe colours

[John Gates]

All pics of GS show nice blue pipes at the headers. Mine are a brown/yellow colour. Is this because I am feather fingered or is my mixture rich?

 

[Stig]

I've done 2500m on mine .. and the pipes are brownish/yellow too!!.. not that its particularly bothering me any.. tho!!

 

[Dinger]

Mine are brown at 1200 miles. It's a good sign, blue pipes are for poofs.

 

[Skippy]

Blue for poofs

Dinger, may not be totally pc but funny as f..k that one!

Skippy.

 

[Emoto]

Stainless steel tends to turn a golden hue from repeated heating. First saw it in long ago on the old SuperTrapp stainless exhausts. Always liked it. I think the blue happens first at the hottest spot and then it gradually browns.

 

[GSmonkey]

Isn't there a chrome option that goes blue??

 

[Snowy]

All pics of GS show nice blue pipes ......

But what colour are your slippers?

 

[Desert Biker]

Stainless Steel pipes go brown. Chrome pipes go blue.
Not sure which is the standard option tho.

 

[riverking]

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Sexual orientation
Should give you a clue

 

[Alphason]

Stainless Steel pipes go brown. Chrome pipes go blue.
Not sure which is the standard option tho.

I understand that it depends on the grade of stainless. The pipes on the R1150R go blue, but the ones on the GS12 go brown.

 

[laughingBob]

Personally I don't mind the pipes going brown but, having covered the bike in ACF50, including the pipes, they went speckley brown. I cleaned them up with 'Autosol' and they've gone to a really nice golden colour. I dare say they will go brown again in a couple of days but, they were very easy to clean.

 

[Tim Cullis]

Chromed pipes (Krümmer verchromt) are option S0340 costing 90 euros. Don't know if UK dealers are aware of this.

Tim

 

[AusSteve]

Chromed pipes (Krümmer verchromt) are option S0340 costing 90 euros. Don't know if UK dealers are aware of this.

Tim

Yes, I saw chromed pipes as an option on the BMW stand at Intermot (see photo). It is also my understanding that chrome goes blue and stainless goes brown. As I will prefer blue pipes to go with my blue GS, I asked South London Motorcycles about the chrome option for my May '05 delivery and they had no idea they existed - still don't as far as I'm aware.
Steve

 

[laughingBob]

I ride my bike all year round so, personally, I like the stainless pipes, as I said, I don't mind the golden brown look. Once the chrome pipes start to corrode they go brown anyway

 

[Alphason]

Apparently stainless turns blue at around 800 degrees F, and eventually turns brown at around 1100 degrees F. No idea how hot the pipes get though!

 

[laughingBob]

Eeerm, that's pretty hot isn't it :

 

[Alphason]

Eeerm, that's pretty hot isn't it :

Correct, hot it is! Something to do with combustion I believe

 

[Stig]

Yeah!... the stainless pipe (staintune) on my XR650 went blue at first ... but now looks mostly golden brown-ish... !and!.. the headers glow red hot.. which you can see at dusk..!

 

[GSmonkey]

I've noticed that if you leave the GS at idle in the dark, the pipes can go a dark cherry red, which if I remember my engineering is around 700degC (1300F). Quite hot.

 

[laughingBob]

Yeah!... the stainless pipe (staintune) on my XR650 went blue at first ... but now looks mostly golden brown-ish... !and!.. the headers glow red hot.. which you can see at dusk..!

Fantastic...........Oh bugger, it's already getting light