I went for a ride up to the Blue Ridge yesterday afternoon and the bike was running great. Things cooled off once I got up the hill and it was a perfect day for riding. I stopped for a drink and a peach and when I started the bike up again it sounded like I had blown out the crush gasket on the front pipe. I pulled over right away and went to tighten it up. Started it and found it was much worse. The exhaust wrap I had on was covering up a complete crack in the pipe - see picture below. This exhaust is less than 2 years old. I have loved the performance, but this is ridiculous. Are these bikes known for cracking in this area?

It was a tough ride home. I found some muffler tape and a big clamp, but neither would hold worth a crap. I just limped it down the mountain and back home. Hope I didn't ruin anything in the engine.

 

They are known for cracking in the crossover pipe coming off the rear cylinder, not the front. However, I've heard a lot of people having pipe problems from wrapping them with that tape stuff. Usually they rust out fast. The pipe moves with the engine, right? I mean, it's not hooked onto the frame directly, right?

 

It is connected to the frame back by the passenger floorboard with a clamp. That was how the set up came. It is an aftermarket Bassani 2:1. There's a lot of pipe between the clamp and the crack so I would assume there is room for the flex. I don't think the tape would cause it to rust as it is stored inside. After riding in the rain the exahaust would be hot enought to burn off any water I would think.

 

have a muffler shop weld it up and then rewrap it. nobody will know.

 

Just got a response from the folks at Bassani. They will not warranty due to using the heat wrap. According to their website, the heat wrap "can destroy the integrity of the material causing premature wear or metal stress." I don't really understand how that happens as you would think it is not raising the temp of the metal that significantly. I saved my front pipe from the original and will likely put that back on and make an adapter to reach to the Basani muffler. Then, maybe I'll take this one down and have it welded. If you use the heat wrap, check the warranty rules on your exhaust. I didn't realize it voided the warranty. Also, Bassani claims to use 16 guage steel instead of 18 guage like others - if so and it still breaks in two, maybe others are destined for issues.

The whole thing still seems crazy to me. To break clean in half when there is really very little stress on it - just seems like it must be very poor quality metal.

 

The heat wrap keeps the heat in the exhaust. That means the pipe is hotter than it would be if it was exposed to air. Hotter pipes mean they will rust faster, as adding heat makes the reaction go faster. Rust is oxidation, iron + oxygen -> rust. Inside or outside, there's oxygen. More heat, more rust. Water comes from your gasoline, for one thing. "Hydro-Carbon." Add oxygen to "Hydro" (hydrogen) and you get heat and water.

People have wrapped cheap car headders and had them rust to nothing in 6 months. I generally don't hear about that problem as much on bikes with heat wrap, but there's other things at play like miles driven, temps, etc.

If that pipe mounts to the frame, that's a lot of stress. Look at how the stock exhaust setup is:


It mounts to the transmission, not the frame. If it mounted to the frame, when the motor moved in its rubber motor mounts, there would be a lot of stress on the pipes. I bet it would crack right up near the front exhaust port. Just guessing.

 

The exact same thing happened to me 2 months ago, but with the stock headears and in the rear cylinders. Mine were wrapped to.
I had to ride 300 very loud miles to get back home and this made a beautiful hole in my exhaust valve.
I`ve made a custom 2-1 exhaust system and I really don`t know if I`m going to wrap this one. I love the look`s but I`ve heard to many stories like this one about wrap.

 

Just had a new issue with 2-1's from Bassani. Just put them on and instantly the chrome began flaking and peeling off from the headers. Theres more chrome glitter on my garage floor than our last christmas tree. Im dealing with Bassani now about warranty and they related they had a problem with the chemical bonding when they came back from the chrome shop. This is strickly with the headers, as I have a blacked out muffler. Any one else having similar issues?

 

Looks like the OP should double check the mount at the trans. My Thunderheader has been wrapped since 2002, no problems.

 

I have wrapped many a pipes for many years. Never seen one do that. Of course I am not sure how many miles you have been. Also that pipe in the pic does not show any rust unless I am blind. Looks more like a stress crack. If you did indeed have the pipes mounted to the frame then I am suprised they lasted that long.