ceramic coating or exhaust wrap? or both?
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 192
Likes: 0
From: Seattle, WA
ceramic coating or exhaust wrap? or both?
Cant seem to make up my mind between getting a set of thunderheaders or the V&H big radius 2-2... Ive read good things about both and im not leaning towards one more than the other...
So ive narrowed down the deciding factor to looks and price...
The V&H comes with the ceramic coating so i would probably leave it as is... i think its a really cool lookin set of pipes... but i also think wrapped thunderheaders look badass too... ive heard thunderheader has some issues with quality, so if i were to get the t-headers id probably wanna get them coated.
Would wrapping the pipes over ceramic coating be detrimental in any way? Ive searched through the forum a bit and i can find threads about ceramic coating or wrapping, but nothing about what would happen if i did BOTH on top of each other.
Thanks in advance fellas.
So ive narrowed down the deciding factor to looks and price...
The V&H comes with the ceramic coating so i would probably leave it as is... i think its a really cool lookin set of pipes... but i also think wrapped thunderheaders look badass too... ive heard thunderheader has some issues with quality, so if i were to get the t-headers id probably wanna get them coated.
Would wrapping the pipes over ceramic coating be detrimental in any way? Ive searched through the forum a bit and i can find threads about ceramic coating or wrapping, but nothing about what would happen if i did BOTH on top of each other.
Thanks in advance fellas.
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
A few of years ago I went through a couple of VH ceramic coated pipes.
The first set lasted about 6 months before they rusted all to hell. The second set lasted 11 Days (yes days) before the ceramic flaked off and exposed bare metal.
After the second set of VH I had TH put on and have not had a problem.
Now, if you go with VH ceramic your millage may vary (they may have fixed them) however you might consider chrome VH and get heat shields. Good luck with whatever you decide.
The first set lasted about 6 months before they rusted all to hell. The second set lasted 11 Days (yes days) before the ceramic flaked off and exposed bare metal.
After the second set of VH I had TH put on and have not had a problem.
Now, if you go with VH ceramic your millage may vary (they may have fixed them) however you might consider chrome VH and get heat shields. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Last edited by Spork; Dec 7, 2012 at 06:39 PM. Reason: typo
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 229
Likes: 0
From: Singleton
I've heard ceramic coating is better, but I think wrap looks better. I wrapped mine and used high temp silicone paint on the wrap to keep it element-resistent and to prevent fraying and maintain a deeper color.
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 192
Likes: 0
From: Seattle, WA
So dont get the outside of the pipes coated? hmmm... didnt think about that.. Only reason i want the wraps is for the looks... I suppose I can get away with just coating the inside and wrapping the outside...
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 192
Likes: 0
From: Seattle, WA
Also, whats a good wrap that you gents would suggest? black bike, black pipes, so black wrap obviously...
Trending Topics
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 117
Likes: 0
From: Illinois
I used Thermo Tec, the stuff they sell at AutoZone. Great stuff, used what was left of the spray to paint my Cycle Shacks too and it was a lot better than the VHT I used originally.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 192
Likes: 0
From: Seattle, WA
It sounds like your decision is based primarily on looks, so you'll have make final call there. But no worries on function either way. The wrapped pipes will be as effective as the Ceramic Coated pipes. If you plan to wrap your pipes though, Ceramic Coating them first is the BEST way to go about it.
Wrapping uncoated pipes is typically a death sentence for them. The reason for this is that moisture gets trapped in the wrap so the pipes end up corroding fairly quickly. Worse yet, when guys wrap their pipes they rarely inspect them so the damage is usually pretty bad by the time they realize it.
The only problem I can foresee, with wrapping mass produced Ceramic Coated pipes is that most are not profiled during the coating process, i.e. they are not blasted. So the coating doesn't really have much to bite into which means they tend to peel or flake prematurely. If you choose to wrap these pipes I would make a point to inspect them every 6 months or so to reduce any potential damage.
Wrapping uncoated pipes is typically a death sentence for them. The reason for this is that moisture gets trapped in the wrap so the pipes end up corroding fairly quickly. Worse yet, when guys wrap their pipes they rarely inspect them so the damage is usually pretty bad by the time they realize it.
The only problem I can foresee, with wrapping mass produced Ceramic Coated pipes is that most are not profiled during the coating process, i.e. they are not blasted. So the coating doesn't really have much to bite into which means they tend to peel or flake prematurely. If you choose to wrap these pipes I would make a point to inspect them every 6 months or so to reduce any potential damage.
Judging from your forum name, im going to assume you know what you are talking about. Thanks for the info, I think I'm going to go with the thunderheaders and have em cleaned/coated and wrap em up as well, although i think it will end up costing more in the end compared to buying the V&H...
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 192
Likes: 0
From: Seattle, WA
