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Melted rain suit on exhaust pipe

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Q. Had been in New York all day and while riding home that night my Gortex rainsuit pants touched against the head pipe of the exhaust, leaving a thick black marking. Did not find out until the next morning. To date, I have tried "Blue Job" [affil links], some other chrome cleaner and even brake cleaner. No luck yet. Any suggestions? I just installed these new Hooker headers about three months ago and consequently would love to save them.
Thanks

Kirk C [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
construction - Crofton, Maryland
2006

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

SONNY T [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- STANWOOD,Washington
2007

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Gentlemen and ladies,
I just purchased a new Vulcan 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 [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- North Dakota
2007

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Last week I got caught in the rain. My rain suit 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 000.html" --> with WD-40 [on eBay or Amazon] and it worked great. The cover came clean quickly and the steel wool left no marks. Thanks for the help.

Len L [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Warrensburg, Missouri
2007

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 [on eBay or Amazon] 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 [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Addison, Illinois
2007

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 [affil links]. 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 [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Hutsonville, Illinois
2007

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 [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
Harley rider counts - Seattle, Washington
2007

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2007

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 #0000 steel wool [on eBay or Amazon] 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 [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Orlando, Florida

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What worked for me, and, no, this is not a joke... Goof Off [on eBay or 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 [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Guelph, Ontario, CANADA
2007

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2007

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 Cooktop Cleaner [on eBay or Amazon] and Cerama Bryte cleaning pads [on eBay or 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 [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Niagara Falls Ontario Canada

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2007

For rubber heel burnt marks on my chrome pipe, I used 0000 #0000 steel wool [on eBay or Amazon] and WD-40 [on eBay or Amazon] . Looks perfect, no scratches.

I was skeptical, but it worked, and I had to rub reasonably hard, but it took only a few minutes.

Johnny B [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Ottawa Ontario Canada

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I want to thank everyone for the ideas in this forum. I had a shirt with cotton and polypropylene touch my exhaust and leave residue. I tried scrubbing with a rage and OOPS and WD-40 with no luck. I then applied the oops using 0000 #0000 steel wool [on eBay or Amazon] and that removed the residue with no scratches. THANKS.

Stephen Gannon
- Austin, Texas
April 5, 2008

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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, Washington
May 3, 2008

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2005

I have melted a rain suit on a black exhaust pipe, unlike all the solutions mentioned above are on a chrome pipes. Has anyone had any luck with any solutions on black pipes. I don't want to wear off the black finish which is not as strong a finish as chrome is.

Kekoo Gatta
architect - Niagara On The Lake, Ontario, Canada
June 18, 2008

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I tried many things to get melted plastic store bag off my exhaust....the only thing that worked was to heat it up with a propane torch..carefully...and wipe off with a cotton cloth then polish with Nevr-Dull [affil links]....no residue & nice and shiny!

Delores Maillard
- Levittown, Pennsylvania
August 23, 2008

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Hi I went through an enormous puddle broken sprinkler line and when I was touching up my paint fenders, etc. I accidentally dropped my micro fiber cloth on my hot pipes cooked on!
How do I remove it? PLEASE HELP!

Michael Galvan
A/C Tech - Palm Desert, California
February 20, 2009

A. I unintentionally rested my riding boot on the pipe of my guy's bike and had a mess. We removed the rubber with Brasso [on eBay or Amazon] metal polish. It worked wonders!

Marsha Hayes
- Ridgely, Tennessee
July 7, 2009

I never had to use it, but I've been told that a ball of aluminum foil will rub it off. Good luck

dan dewitt
- zephyr hills Florida
August 18, 2009

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A. I accidentally dropped my microfibre washmit on my hot chrome exhaust header. Once the header cooled off, stuck to it was melted orange microfibres - it was like baked on. I spent hours on the internet to check for a solution, however was not comfortable with chemicals as you never know what they can do (especially caustic stuff like easy off), steel wool (known to scratch), sandpaper (scratches like steel wool). I tried the magic eraser [on eBay or Amazon] with some success. Comet was mild enough, just like the magic eraser not to scuff the chrome. What really worked was a brass shim. Brass is softer than chrome and will not damage the chrome if you are careful. I was able to gently scrape off the baked microfibres without leaving a trace on the chrome. You should always try this on a small area first. Good luck!

Jim Simpson
- Vancouver, Canada
September 25, 2009

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My wife set her fleece on my seat witch of course as always if you put a jacket or shirt on the seat it ends up on the pipes

burnt on like plastic could not get it off tried steel wool and lacquer thinner [on eBay or Amazon] which got the big smooth black spot off easy that looked like it would be the hardest but after rubbing for what seemed like 30 minutes on what seemed like Small plastic dots I decided to try scratching at it with a nickel like I read on here I decided that the pipes were ruined and if I scratched them it would not be worse than what I had it worked great no scratches polished with Simichrome [on eBay or Amazon] .

note Simichrome will get all boot marks and bugs off easily.

Jason doe
- reynoldsburg Ohio
October 31, 2009

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I melted my nylon sweat pants on the exhaust of my new Fat Boy, then read all these postings, spent over $40 buying Road Rub, Goof Off, Weimans cooktop cleaner, Classic cloth, a nickel, almost everything recommended here. NOTHING WORKED IN THE LEAST! Don't waste your money!

What did work perfectly and with little effort: I used a propane torch on the thick stuff, wiped it right off with a rag. Then used an SOS pad [on eBay or Amazon] to remove the rest easily. SOS pad [on eBay or Amazon] doesn't scratch chrome. A little Mothers chrome polish and Wala ... perfect. Don't waste your money on the other stuff!

steve betts
- Cincinnati Ohio
December 6, 2009

I used the Easy-off oven cleaner and a nickel. It worked like a charm. Left it on about 2 hours or so, scraped with a nickel and it's beautiful. Awesome stuff that Easy-off.

Darren Barnes
- Hahira, Georgia
April 9, 2010

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I tried Nevr-Dull (yes, that is the way it is actually spelled) Did nothing for the rubber on my pipes other than make everything else really shiny.
Once your pipes are COOL get an old rag and a little gasoline. Might take a little elbow grease but should take anything off with ease. && There is virtually no way to harm your beautiful chrome pipes.

Eric Phillip
- Terre Haute, Indiana
April 19, 2010

To all of the above: Give britepipes motorcycle exhaust cleaner a try. This product works to remove all melted on residue from your pipes effortlessly and without scratching.

Kim Long
- Montville, New Jersey
April 26, 2010

To remove boot marks, raincoat, and other things on exhaust pipes try brite pipes. This is the first product that really worked.

Henry Canup
- New Smyrna Beach, Florida
April 29, 2010

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June 15, 2010

There is a remedy for your problem. Catch it before it starts or cover up a hole with a BANTHEBURN patch. Adhere the patch to any rainsuit or pair of pants, let dry then ride.

Erik Ryan
- Deerfield Beach Florida

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August 24, 2010

My husband's rain suit melted onto his pipes. I removed the hardened mess using a penny. A penny is softer than chrome so it won't scratch your pipes. To get more pressure, I held the penny in a pair of pliers and was able to apply a great deal of force as I scraped, being careful to not let the pliers tips scratch the pipes. Once the gunk was off I rubbed the pipes with a stick of Road Rub to polish the pipes back to a mirror finish, removing the small speck size pieces.

Karen Seavers
- West Frankfort, Illinois

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May 4, 2011

The Nylon liner of my jacket made an ugly spot on my (brand new) chrome tailpipe.

A razor-blade took everything clean off.
Tips:
1) Use brand new blade (no kinks)
2) use very shallow angle
3) remove loose dirt around area, to avoid scratching.
4) Finish off with chrome polish

It took a fraction of the time, I expected.
I can't tell that there has ever been a mark.

Cheers,

Matt Minetzke
- Irvine, California

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May 22, 2011

Hello, For everyone having problems with burnt (Melted) materials on your exhaust pipes, this is the only thing I use and it works great!

Purchase a butane torch [on eBay or Amazon] and some steel wool. You should purchase 3 different grades. Very fine (0000), Fine, Medium and Heavy.

THIS IS DONE WITH THE PIPES COLD :-).

FOR CAKED ON MATERIAL:

Use the butane lighter to soften it and the medium to heavy gauge steal wool (depending on the amount of material). Rub pipes with the steel wool in a circular motion, heating it with the Butane lighter until the material is either removed or only a small portion of it remains.

CAUTION: THE STEEL WOOL WILL GET HOT! BE CAREFUL NOT TO PRESS TO HARD OR YOU'LL SCRATCH THE CHROME :-).

Slowly alternate between the butane lighter and the steel wool until you begin to see the Chrome start to show through.

Once the material is removed or the material has lessened to a degree where only a small amount remains, Use the FINE steel wool and continue with the Butane lighter and rubbing the stain on the pipes.

You will begin to see the chrome start to return and you should move the wool over the outsides of the stain to blend and remove the outer parts of the stain. Once the Chrome has returned and the material is removed. Purchase a good Chrome cleaner and polish to restore the shine.

IF THE MATERIAL IS NOT CAKED:

Follow the above procedures ONLY use the Fine or Very Fine steel wool. Moving slowly and in a circular motion over the stain until it is gone. Use the Chrome Cleaner and Polish to restore the shine.

This procedure works for most of the materials that will melt or stain the pipes. Other methods I have tried are either expensive or have damaged the Chrome to the point the pipes needed to be replaced.

Your experiences with this method may vary, but it works for me.

Bikerman

Ken Miller
- Portland Oregon USA

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I tried the oven cleaner on my tailpipes and it did nothing. I didn't want to use any abrasives on it (steel wool--are you kidding me?) so I tried Goo Gone [on eBay or Amazon] , which I used to remove the sticky residue left behind by price tags. Just poured it over the plastic while the pipes were cold, and lo and behold, the plastic slid off in one solid piece. Amazing. I don't know if it was just the Goo Gone [on eBay or Amazon] or the combination of whatever the oven cleaner and the Goo Gone might have done but it was miraculous! So I'd say go with the Goo Gone ⇨

Ruth Tarbell
- Alexandria Virginia USA
June 13, 2011

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I melted the sleeve of my freezer jacket to my pipes. I poured Goo Gone [on eBay or Amazon] .
over it and the nylon peeled right off with a little help from a finger nail. The 6x4 patch was off in about 10 minutes.

Beverly Larson
- Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
June 24, 2011

Saddle bags fell and melted on pipes -- softball-size thick spot. I need help in removing this, JUST HAD PIPES PUT ON 3 MONTHS AGO. LOST, ANGRY AND FREAKING OUT. DID NOT NOTICE WHAT HAPPENED UNTIL HOURS LATER. VERY BAKED ON. HELP......

DOLLY MASSEY
homeowner - ORLAND PARK ILLINOIS UNITED STATES
August 19, 2011

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September 28, 2011

I have used tin foil and it works wonders. It is softer than chrome, but harder than plastic, vinyl, PVC, or whatever else is burnt on to your pipes.

1. Make sure the pipes are good and hot (great excuse to take a ride...)

2. Scrub with foil which smears the hot material but frees it up.

3. Wipe clean with a paper towel or rag.

Griffin James
- SeaTac, Washington, USA

I read all the accounts of using cleaners/solvents, etc. and the simplest method I could see was Felix E. He was right on! I secured a nickel coin to vice-grip pliers and scraped off approx. 3"x 8" melted-on snowpant plastic coating off my Harley pipe in about 15 min. The coating was very thick and I could really dig in with my make shift scraper and I absolutely did not leave any scratches. Keep it simple is my motto, elbow grease is way better that all those harsh chemicals.

Mark Bravo
- Stoney Creek ON Canada
February 7, 2012

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February 7, 2012

hahahha it works....

Thank you everyone.. I read all the comments and my first attempt was perfect. My wife was getting treats out of my saddle bags for Superbowl Sunday (yay Giants) and yes plastic shopping bag melted all over my brand new pipes.
I tried this on my 1982 450 bobber before my brand new honda vtx 1300 retro.

Today is 2-7-12; after reading blogs I found on and watching youtube.com vids I chose to use the gasoline and penny method, because I had both in my garage. To start off, you will need 5 things:

- red shop rag,or any cloth
- gasoline, that was in my gas can for emergencies
- a true copper penny, pre 1974, I used a 1972.
- cooled off pipes, unless you wanna catch something on fire..but really you probably don't want to..
- 18.9 seconds of free time, yes I timed it.

step 1: damp rag with gasoline and gently dab and gently rub affected area on cool pipes

step 2: after about 4 seconds of dabbing, use 1972 copper penny to chip away melted plastic Walmart bag (due to the copper being a softer metal than chrome it will not scratch the chrome but in fact wear down the a little bit of the penny).

step 3: go apologize to your wife for yelling at her for effen up your chrome.

There ya go. 19 seconds later you feel like a new man.

JARED YOSHI MONTEMAYOR
- lehi ,utah, usa

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I had the same problem with a rainsuit that was melted on my pipes. I took it off with an Astro Smart Eraser Pad .

I place the pad in my drill and rub the melted area. The pad is rubber so the Pipes were safe. Without effort you have the pipes shiny again. :)

Gilbert Ramirez
- Puerto Rico
February 7, 2012

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Q. Well, I may have blown it.

Purchased a bike, the exhaust of which had a bit of melted shoe. I jumped in without doing much research and managed to get most of it off with a razor and the rough side of a sponge.

Here's the problem: in spite of how careful I was, at a couple of points I scraped at too deep of an angle and seemed to have removed a thin layer of the chrome plating. Also, the sponge left a lot of small scratches, giving the chrome a burnished-looking texture.

Now, I don't mind the scratches or the "burnished" spot, but my worry is that I actually gouged away the plating and have exposed the steel underneath. Is this possible? I do NOT want to see rust. Should I expect premature rust in this area? Am I completely screwed?

If there is some sort of protective coating I can apply periodically, please let me know. However, keep in mind that it's a high-heat exhaust pipe, and so a wax coating won't work.

I'm kicking myself right now, damn it.

Patrick [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Oakland, California, USA
June 4, 2012

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