When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Vance & HinesVance & Hines is product design and manufacturing company that produces high quality, high margin Performance Products within the Powersports industry.
Brake cleaner from Gunk?
I buy it by the case for cleaning engines.
Not sure if the black coating would discolor, so try it somewhere that is not obvious
TBH I think the "black" color of VH heat shields is a little weak. In bright sunlight it's notieceably lighter than the rest of the matte black on my bike. Thinking about getting some high temp rust-oleum and darkening them up.
I'd just contacted V&H about my black pipes a few hours ago before reading this. I've got the black big radius too. The instruction manual and the V&H website doesn't have crap about care and cleaning.
I was riding two nights back and got mud splatters all over including on my front pipe. No biggie I think. This morning I was cleaning my bike and VERY gently got the mud wet and wiped it off very carefully. I then noticed that the area where I'd removed the mud off the pipes was lighter than the surrounding areas. FCK.
So waiting for a reply back. I'll post here after I find out something.
If I was going to redo them I'd use black 'stove pipe' paint like I use on my wood burning stove. The stove pipe gets way hotter than any exhaust pipe and holds up well. And the color is very very close the my V&H pipes.
I'd contacted V&H about this but it was like pulling teeth to get any answers. After 6 back and forth emails I didn't get much in the way of answers. I think they'd rather sell you a new exhaust shield. Bet it costs buku. Here's what they did say:
1. We use over the counter automotive cleaner to bring out the finish, but it will not help for discoloration. We also sell replacement heat shields if you want to get a new one. Please contact our customer support to place an order at 562-921-5388.
2. I then asked what exactly do they use for the finish. The guy sent me a pic which I couldn't tell what the hell it was. F'em.
3. I then asked about refinishing them and what the pipes were painted with (hi temp, ceramic, or powder coat). The reply was: We use a ceramic coat finish on all our black exhaust.
OK - so not much help there. Other things I found on the net had to do with just redoing the pipes:
(using VHT ceramic) However some other things I read says that type of paint just fades out pretty quick
Another post here on hdforums recommends the stove, or BBQ, paint. I use that on my wood stove. Tough stuff. If I was going to redo things I'd use that and not the other 'new crap'. See this post:
Myself - for the discoloration I'd try some very mild rubbing compound where it looks crappy. Wouldn't over do it though. Supposedly the ceramic coat V&H uses is about 2 mm so so light rub shouldn't hurt it. But you just never know.
For my pipes - since it's not too bad I'll leave it alone for now. I might try some light rubbing compound this next weekend just for kicks - in an area that isn't noticeable.
One last thing - according to the internet the ceramic coat is pretty tough and will stand up to some types of solvents. I imagine that would also have to do with just how good a job was done putting it on and how good the coat material is.
First clean it soap and water cool pipes of course dry well clean with pig spit see how it looks before you go nuts painting.
If you are really interested in VHT I can show you the results and enplane the heating steps. Did it on the exhaust of my 750 Street.
The orange was a joke took it back to black. Things you do when you have time on your hands.
External breathers would definitely keep you from having the issue depending on the air cleaner that you have installed. I know that when I had this issue in my '04 FXD, I pulled the rocker covers and replaced the breather assemblies, and I haven't had a problem since. For cleaning the black heatshield, I'd recommend some form of mild dish soap and water to see if you can get it off with some elbow grease.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
Cleaning Black Exhaust
