Yellow Exhaust

[BenndalebanditFJR08]

OK, I have searched and read the posts about this. But I think my exhaust looks a little excessive.

It is Yellow/Gold all the way back to and up the long muffler piece that connects to the exhaust from under the bike. Plus the right side is much more yellow than the left side. The bike is a new 08 bought in early May, and I have 3200 miles on it. I had it back at the dealer for a rough vibration at 4K RPMs and they re-tightened the motor mounts and the exhaust which got rid of most of the vibes. They did not sync the throttle boddies like I was hoping for, so I am currious as to weather a throttle body out of sync would cause my yellow exhaust. I am used to carbed bikes and I know with them you will get a "hot" exhuast if you don't get the mixture right. What would be an exceptable "honest try" from the dealer be? I would like to see them sync the T/B and replace the nasty looking exhaust, but I doubt that will happen. I have had several people ask me what is wrong with my NEW bike to cause such "hot" looking exhaust and I have no answers.

Thanks in advance!

-bandit

 

[Ignacio]

Normal.

Covered here and other places if you search on exhaust discoloration site:fjrforum.com and/or different color adjectives of yellow, gold, etc.

 

[Geezer]

It sounds like you are running lean. A TBS may help since you are getting more heat on one side than the other. Take a look at the Barbarian jumper modification and the threads on the PCIII - That's Power Commander III.

 

[BenndalebanditFJR08]

Normal.
Covered here and other places if you search on exhaust discoloration site:fjrforum.com and/or different color adjectives of yellow, gold, etc.

Like I said I have read all the posts found during the search feature...I realize the pipes will change colors....it's just that mine look worse than any others that I have seen. Thanks for your input.

-Bandit

 

[BenndalebanditFJR08]

It sounds like you are running lean. A TBS may help since you are getting more heat on one side than the other. Take a look at the Barbarian jumper modification and the threads on the PCIII - That's Power Commander III.

I will do the TBS as soon as my back ordered sync tool arrives. And I thought the BJM only helped smooth things out on the low end and how would it affect the mixture accross the TB at all RPMs? I'm not ready for the PCIII at this point.

-Bandit

 

[ionbeam]

Riding in the rain will cause the yellowing to appear worse. Washing and a bit of polishing will usually reduce the yellowing a fair amount. Yellow isn't such a bad color, blue is. The cat mixes all the head pipes together so post cat the color is no indication of which cylinders are causing the problem. In addition, cyls 2 & 3 head pipes share a 'balancer' cross pipe.

While your bike is new and breaking in (under 5k miles) I wouldn't be too concerned about straw colored pipes. If you haven't taken time to specifically wash and perhaps polish the pipes, do try that. All FJRs have some discoloration of the pipes.

Even if you haven't ridden in the rain you ought to wash the pipes and see if that helps reduce the yellowing to a less alarming shade. Pipes whose color results from excess heat will not clean up much with a wash.

 

[BenndalebanditFJR08]

Riding in the rain will cause the yellowing to appear worse. Washing and a bit of polishing will usually reduce the yellowing a fair amount. Yellow isn't such a bad color, blue is. The cat mixes all the head pipes together so post cat the color is no indication of which cylinders are causing the problem. In addition, cyls 2 & 3 head pipes share a 'balancer' cross pipe.
While your bike is new and breaking in (under 5k miles) I wouldn't be too concerned about straw colored pipes. If you haven't taken time to specifically wash and perhaps polish the pipes, do try that. All FJRs have some discoloration of the pipes.

Even if you haven't ridden in the rain you ought to wash the pipes and see if that helps reduce the yellowing to a less alarming shade. Pipes whose color results from excess heat will not clean up much with a wash.

I have done some ridding in the rain, sometimes daily. I just would hate to have to polish the exhaust every few weeks, that's one main reason I got rid of my Cruiser...too much Chrome to polish!! I understand the "mixing" pipe function, I just hate the look of the yellow pipes and others have made comments about the color. It may just be the FJR produces such a hot exhaust gas.....?

-Bandit

 

[ionbeam]

You will have yellow pipes no matter what. Part of your initial post was concern that your motorcycle is running too hot. Probably not the case. If it is strictly visuals that you are concerned about there are other options such as Cobra Heat Shields as well as others. You can read about one method of shielding at the FJR Tech site. This picture is borrowed from the FJR Tech site showing the heat shield in place. The shields come in different diameters and different lengths. (Note the shade of yellow.)

 

[FJRBluesman]

The exhaust is still pretty darn hot flowing out of the header collector and entering the pipe to the muffler. It's Stainless Steel and it turns a nice golden color when it gets hot. Polishing it takes away the golden color a little.

The muffler may also have a real thin coat of chrome on it and that might make it susceptible to the yellowing. Also the lean deal etc and all the things I mentioned may contribute to it.

On my 2005, I have 2-Bros slip-ons and the pipe portion is SS and it isn't getting too much gold color, but I like that look. My old Duc with polished SS header looked awesome with that golden tan. As long as it's not too lean, you should be fine.

 

[madmike2]

The exhaust is still pretty darn hot flowing out of the header collector and entering the pipe to the muffler. It's Stainless Steel and it turns a nice golden color when it gets hot. Polishing it takes away the golden color a little.
The muffler may also have a real thin coat of chrome on it and that might make it susceptible to the yellowing. Also the lean deal etc and all the things I mentioned may contribute to it.

Nope, no chrome. All stainless steel.

OK, I have searched and read the posts about this. But I think my exhaust looks a little excessive.
It is Yellow/Gold all the way back to and up the long muffler piece that connects to the exhaust from under the bike. Plus the right side is much more yellow than the left side.

Every FJR I've ever seen has "yellow" mid-pipes.

That one is more yellow than the other is not of much consequence. The two mid-pipes attach to the collector that contains the catalytic converter (Read: Very Hot!) so they don't indicate any grouping or pairing of cylinders is more lean than another.

I have had several people ask me what is wrong with my NEW bike to cause such "hot" looking exhaust and I have no answers.

From what knowledge base are their questions? Are they "cruiser" riders whose bikes most likely have double-wall exahust pipes to protect the chrome finish on the external (visible) pipe?

 

[Silent]

I had one of the can's replaced after about 3-4k miles on my 07. Got knocked over by a bus and dammaged the can. The new can was bright silver, and he old can was straw yellow. I took a solution of Hydrocloric acid and water and wiped down both pipes. Then washed them well with water. The acid removed the discoloration so both pipes apeared the same. I've got over 20k now, and there both slightly straw colored as they should be.

 

[Silent]

I gotta delete that prog that dupes my posts

 

[BenndalebanditFJR08]

OK, after these replies I guess I was just a little jumpy about the exhaust color. I have never met another FJR owner to be able to look at another one to compare to. And most of my experience has been with cruisers which have the double walled exhuast...so maybe I over reacted a bit. Everything about this bike is so well defined and smooth that when I saw the exhaust getting so discolored I was affraid something was wrong, or the TB were way out of sync. I have not synced them as my manometer has not arrived yet, but after all the post from y'all I will rest easy.

Thank you to all!

-bandit

 

[CRMH Eagle]

Lay off the crack.

 

[artistonFJR]

Krylon makes a nifty "Chrome in a can" for about $6.99 at Walf-Marf! Used it on a school project for my kid a few years back. You would have to reapply it after every ride, though.

Aaaaah, mine yellowed right up after a couple thousand miles, and frankly I like it. Has that "Forged-in-Hell" kind of look.

C