K26 Exhaust Headers

[SimonD]

My headers are are rather pitted and corroded under the engine. I believe the bike (2010 TC SE) came with the Chrome Exhaust option but I'm not sure exactly what that means. Is it chrome over mild steel - if so I would expect it to look far worse than it does? Is it Chrome over stainless (is that even possible?) - in which case I wouldn't expect to see so much pitting.

I am tempted to buy a s/h set of stainless headers to polish and fit next year but most of those I find are for the pre TC ('04 - '09) models. They look the same but have a different part number. Dos anyone know if they are interchangeable?
The headers on my Buells can be polished to a bright shine relatively easily. Is it reasonable to expect to do the same to the BMW ones?

Thanks for any suggestions.....I can't quite believe I'm asking this question after buying it as a winter hack last year. It must be growing on me!

[David.]

My 2007 Hexhead had s/s headers as standard and yes, they could be polished. At the time chrome was an optional extra.

Both my 2010 and 2012 Camheads had/have chrome headers as standard. Stainless steel was an option.

The Hexhead didn't have the exhuast flap so the headers may well be different.

Have you considered Cermakrome, viewtopic.php?t=5053&hilit=cermakrome I did but have manage to keep on top of the chrome headers.

[SimonD]

My old S2 has a ceramic coater silencer, in fact Buell UK did this under warranty for some customers of later XB models. Unfortunately the results were only marginally better than just using regular exhaust paint.
I find polished stainless is the easiest finish to maintain on a bike that is used all year round.
I'd forgotten about the exhaust flap as it was one of the first things I removed when I got the bike. A quick check shows that the silencer has a different part number too though.

[David.]

The part number for the BMW stainless steel Camhead header is 18.11.7.716.481.

Camcoat, https://camcoat.com/ did the headers for Simbo.

[SimonD]

Thanks for that.
Camcoat is the company that I used. Buell UK used them too but customers were soon returning their rusty camcoated exhausts.

I can see the part numbers, it's just that I haven't seen a stainless TC header come up for sale whereas there are plenty around for the older model.

[simbo]

Thanks for that.
Camcoat is the company that I used. Buell UK used them too but customers were soon returning their rusty camcoated exhausts

Mine haven't rusted and in fairness would be in decent condition if I'd looked after them, I don't though as I only use the bike over winter so the conditions have taken their toll, they do clean up if I use the effort with Autosol, but who wants to polish exhausts in a cold garage over winter.

[Stu]

but who wants to polish exhausts in a cold garage over winter.

Not me!!

Thats why I have this bad boy

IMG-20241109-WA0002.jpg (221.3 KiB) Viewed 833 times

[SimonD]

Mine haven't rusted and in fairness would be in decent condition if I'd looked after them, I don't though as I only use the bike over winter so the conditions have taken their toll, they do clean up if I use the effort with Autosol, but who wants to polish exhausts in a cold garage over winter.

That's good to hear.
Having searched the headers currently available and looked at the parts catalogues I'm pretty convinced that the '05-'09 headers are the same as those on my bike apart from the extra length for the exhaust flap. They can be had for £100 - £150 which seems reasonable. I am beginning to wonder about other incidental costs of gaskets and the risk of damage to the O2 sensors and/or cylinder head studs. Maybe I'll try some penetrating fluid and some heat to see if they move before committing! There is also the worry about having a Cat of unknown history and mileage replace the good one on my bike.

Mine is a winter bike too but I tend to draw the line once temperatures drop below 5 degrees.

[burridge01]

Not me!!

Thats why I have this bad boy

IMG-20241109-WA0002.jpg

BAN,BAN,BAN

[Mart UK]

Not me!!

Thats why I have this bad boy

IMG-20241109-WA0002.jpg

Didn't see that on the Nippy Norman's website...