Do your headers look like this????

[sconley]

I'm considering picking up a 2007 FZ6, it only has 3500 miles... The bike is super clean aside from these spots on the header pipes. I know the headers will become bronze due to heat, but I'm concerned about the darker spotting? Is that a normal discoloration pattern or is it a sign that there was a fluid leak at some time or ? Is this something that should make me pass on the bike and hold out for another? Any input or pictures of your headers would be appreciated... Thanks in advance...

 

[dturpen]

That's completely normal for the headers to start discoloring like that. Mine have looked like that for a while and I only have ~4000 miles on my bike. You can polish them up and get them looking like new again with the right stuff.

Don't let that hinder your decision on whether you get that bike. There's nothing wrong with the headers if they are discolored.

 

[sconley]

Thanks for the feedback, I've had a ton of twin cylinder bikes and they got goldish colored but they never spotted, the other I4's I owned had fairings so I never really looked... Thanks for the quick reply and sharing your wisdom, much appreciated!

 

[sconley]

BTW, I would be interested in seeing closeups of the drag bars... I assume they dropped the riding position down but see you added risers? What was the end result of all that? Thanks again...

 

[dturpen]

BTW, I would be interested in seeing closeups of the drag bars... I assume they dropped the riding position down but see you added risers? What was the end result of all that? Thanks again...

Well, I wanted my bars to be straighter because I didn't like the position that the stock handlebars put your wrists in. AKA, it had too much "pullback". I didn't realize that the drag bars have no rise, though. They're almost literally a straight-across bar with just a little "pullback".

So, I decided that I would try some risers to get the height of the handlebars up, but I still wanted the improved wrist position of the dragbars. It's worked out pretty nicely. It's almost as if you took the stock FZ6 bars and just bent them back a little.

I don't have any close-up pictures, but I do have this picture that you can kinda see them in. If you want, I can take a close-up when I get home.

 

[FB400]

Looks textbook normal to me..

I recently painted my header flat black VHT 2000 degree paint. An easy mod

 

[racebrooks]

You can see in the pictures that I had the headers powder coated. They also make a stainless steel powder coating that looks like chrome and is indistructable, so they say.

I also included the fz1 bar conversion picture. The riding position is much better for me. To each his own.

 

[Wolfman]

Ceramic coated headers! One very good way to rid yourself of the blight that is crappy looking pipes...got this done on both my FZ6's...looks great, easy to keep clean...no spotting.

 

[Erci]

As everyone said, totally normal and reversible. I too was turned off by the nasty header when I was buying mine. Glad I went through with the purchase

http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-general-discussion/17176-polished-header.html

 

[Sweeney_Todd]

I did as Erci to get them silver again.
And I use blue job form time to time to keep this look

 

[Wolfman]

Here are some pics of some ceramic coated headers....

View attachment 33150

View attachment 33151

View attachment 33152

View attachment 33153

View attachment 33154

:thumbup:

Your cleaning time will be cut down by about 80% i reckon...

 

[Goop]

My headers look like sh!t but that's part of the bike's charm.

The 2000º paint option sounds nice!

 

[Wolfman]

My headers look like sh!t but that's part of the bike's charm.

The 2000º paint option sounds nice!

Yeah, but it gets to a point after about 50000km's where they look so crap, and they are starting to show signs of decay, that it is time to get the ol ceramic coating...when all polishing fails, or they just look rusty!!!

:thumbup:

 

[sconley]

Gratzi for the additional thoughts and all the recommended cures... The coatings all look nice, I'll probably end up doing that eventually... And thanks for the pics of the bars, I do like the lower/straighter bars you both have... I am actually more comfortable at a slight lean that isn't as bolt upright as the stock bars put me, but not in the position that clip-ons would put me in either... Looks like the drag bars or the FZ1 bars just might be the ticket... Thanks again...

 

[greg]

in the meantime just spend an hour or so giving the headers some TLC with a cloth, some wirewool, and autosol metal polish

 

[no.1partsguy]

Wolfman where did you get your headers done? I know your across the pond but it's still worth asking thanks!

 

[novaks47]

My headers look worse than that. Just wait until the bike gets flogged(as in high RPM's for most of the day), and the headers get wet. Then you'll really see some discoloring!

 

[Wolfman]

Wolfman where did you get your headers done? I know your across the pond but it's still worth asking thanks!

Pacemaker Exhaust, or Ceramic Coating Australia, right here in lil ol Adelaide, South Australia...great people to deal with.

My headers look worse than that. Just wait until the bike gets flogged(as in high RPM's for most of the day), and the headers get wet. Then you'll really see some discoloring!

Yep, that's why the headers on the FZ6 Cup bike were sent to the ceramic coaters after 7000 racing km's...they were absolutely freaking destroyed!

 

[Chris_D]

As everyone said, totally normal and reversible. I too was turned off by the nasty header when I was buying mine. Glad I went through with the purchase

http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-general-discussion/17176-polished-header.html

Unreal mate! I checked out the link and will give that a go. I just bought my bike (a 2006, 47K) and have been scrubbing away trying to cut and polish with metal polish, but a fine sanding is clearly the way to get real results. Cheers.

 

[Sun Diego FZ6]

My headers look like sh!t but that's part of the bike's charm.

The 2000º paint option sounds nice!

Mine are also in need of some TLC.
Good to see some of the routes to have different looks for the headers. :thumbup: