Letter 14006

Melted rain suit on exhaust pipe [Pennsylvania] 

I was getting off my motorcycle and the shopping bag (plastic) touch the pipe and I can't get it off to save my sole please help.

SONNY T [name deleted for privacy]
- STANWOOD,WA

You tried all of the suggestions and none worked, Sonny? Or you only tried some? If so, please tell us what didn't work.

Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, NJ

Gentlemen and ladies,
I just purchased a new Valcun and within the first 600 miles had black scuff marks from shoes on the exhaust. I was bummed. I did get it off no problem. While the exhaust was still hot enough to turn the product to steam I used mothers chrome polish. Took the marks right off no problem and chrome still looks like new. hope it helps.

Robert B [name deleted for privacy]
- North Dakota

Last week I got caught in the rain. My rainsuit pant leg left a mark on my exhaust cover. I rode to work twice and did a dinner run with my club before I noticed the burn mark so it was baked on pretty well. I tried gasoline, chrome polish, paint thinner, etc. and none of them worked. After reading the posts here I decided to try steel wool with WD-40 and it worked great. The cover came clean quickly and the steel wool left no marks. Thanks for the help.

Len L [name deleted for privacy]
- Warrensburg, MO, USA

Try ROAD RUB! It really helped me. The Harley store by me sells it but you can get it online too. It's less then $10 a tube and looks like a travel size deodorant. My dad burned his nylon jogging pants on my brand new bike's pipe. I had a huge brown burnt spot right in the middle of the pipe. I rode the bike to get it hot and used a terry towel to wipe off as much as I could. I got a lot off but what was left smeared across the whole pipe and left a thick dull haze. I wasn't sure what was worse. I tried everything: chrome cleaner, WD-40, coke cola, and was just about to break out the oven cleaner when my hubby started calling bike dealers for suggestions. The lady at Harley says they refer to ROAD RUB as "miracle in a tube". You just rub it on the mark while the pipes are nice and cool. It took it all off! It took a little elbow grease and almost 2 tubes, but it was worth it. The toughest spots were where I still had that brown burnt stuff left but everything came off pretty easy. Hope this helps!

Michelle B [name deleted for privacy]
- Addison, IL, USA

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Both my wife and I just purchased new bikes and we both at some point touched the sole of a shoe to the exhaust. I tried a ton of the different solutions offered on the web, but what finally did it for us was Bon-Ami [link is to product info at Amazon]. It's a very mild cleanser that does not scratch. I used a damp cloth, enough of the Bon Ami powder to make a paste and then just rubbed and rubbed. It was a lot of elbow grease, but no scratches to the chrome.

Steve M [name deleted for privacy]
- Hutsonville, IL, USA

I made the mistake of wearing a pair of nylon ski pants on a cold winter day when I rode my Harley and I now have melted nylon on my chrome exhaust pipes. What can I use to remove this without damaging the chrome? I know this is not industrial but an answer would be greatly appreciated. thank you,

John S [name deleted for privacy]
Harley rider counts - Seattle, Washington, USA

Well, first-you know those "microfiber" cloths you can buy for detailing your bike and/or car? Well, they are man-made and they melt. DO NOT even brush them across your exhaust when it is hot. They are made of some super-secret, space-age material and they are hideous on your pipes.

I have had boot rubber on pipes before. Messy? Yes. Work to get off? Yes. But this stuff resisted everything. I finally tried what I read in a few responses here-0000 steel wool with gasoline. It took work, but it came off.

I followed up with some Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish. Good as new.

Paul W [name deleted for privacy]
- Orlando, FL, USA

What worked for me, and, no, this is not a joke... Goof Off [link is to product info at Amazon].

2006 VTX. The spot on the exhaust was of unknown origin, but, it was so baked on that everyone (except me) was convinced it was a scuff/scratch on the pipe - kind of a dull grey smear abut the size of a quarter. Must have come from a shoe sole. Various cleaners and polishes did nothing. 3 repeated applications with the GOOF OFF (and some elbow grease) and it was gone.

For what it's worth...

No, I don't sell or market this stuff, but it is usable on many different kinds of surfaces and fabrics.

Pete K [name deleted for privacy]
- Guelph, Ontario, CANADA

The other day I bent over my bike to get gas and melted half of my nylon track pants on the pipe. I tried a few things to no avail and came across this post after a google search and was just headed out to Walmart to get some Easy Off when my mom said what about this? Now what could a mom know about getting burnt stuff off exhaust pipes, right? Well as it turns out she brought me out Weiman Glass Cook Top Cleaner [link is to product info at Amazon] and Ceramabryte Cleaning Pads [link is to product info at Amazon] and said how about this. So I figure let's give it a shot. At first I think this ain't working but then think wait a minute here. It started to work and even started taking big chunks off. It seems that it has some kind of properties that concentrates on separating it from what it's stuck to. Worked excellent. I hope this helps someone.

JOHN R [name deleted for privacy]
- Niagara Falls Ontario Canada

My 12 yr. old managed to drape his polyester motorcycle jacket across the pipes today and my first response (once I calmed down) was to get on the internet to see what to do. Thanks for all the help! I tried the Goo Gone and that didn't work. The Easy Off did the trick. I think the pipe is still a little discolored, but the mess is gone. I'll bet when the wife is the culprit it takes even more "understanding".

Thanks again.

Rich Ruess
- Maple Valley, WA, USA

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