header pipe wrap questions

[ktmrider714a]

Hi friends,

Im getting excited for the snow this year and cant wait to get on the snow bike! I just bought an 07 KTM 525 exc that I am going to try on the kit this season. Im setting it up now and am looking into wrapping the header pipe. What kind of advantages do you see in wrapping them? If I should do it, what kind do I get? And does it leave a residue if I remove/ can I remove it? I would like to be able to take it off after the snow season. Thanks in advance.

 

[Cberg]

It can easily be removed at any time. The thing that I did not like was it steamed A LOT with the snow constantly getting on it and the steam always seems to go right in your face

 

[vmax1200]

I wrapped up my Yamaha header pipe thinking this would help engine heat to stay up it did, but after three days had noticeable power loss ,removed the wrap and found the pipe deformed .

 

[Rush44]

The wrap you want to use is Volcano 1500 degree wrap. 2in wide and 50ft allows you to wrap the pipe twice a season if you find yourself in the trees brushing up against it a lot. DEI makes GREAT stuff. Here is a link for some:

http://www.designengineering.com/category/catalog/dei-cycle/motorcycle-exhaust-pipe-wrap-kits/titanium-exhaust-wrap-lr-technology

Then, after tightly wrapping the exhaust, you want to use some hi temp silicone spray. You should use an entire can on this, 4 coats of 1/4 can each coat. Spray it until it's practically dripping silicone and then wait about 10 minutes between coats. Let the project dry overnight (I put mine under a heat lamp). Mount the exhaust the next day and start up the bike and bring it up to operating temp... the exhaust will smoke a TON so make sure you are outside or have the garage door open. 20 min run time minimum, rev that baby up and get it HOT. After you are done kill the bike and listen to the wrap... it will set up like a cast. After that it might smoke a little bit the first ride out but after that you are golden. Awesome wrap.... the best we've done so far. Hat tip to Randy (mtn-doo) for getting us started on this method.

http://www.designengineering.com/category/catalog/design-engineering-inc/exhaust-wraps-accessories/ht-silicone-coating

 

[ktmrider714a]

The wrap you want to use is Volcano 1500 degree wrap. 2in wide and 50ft allows you to wrap the pipe twice a season if you find yourself in the trees brushing up against it a lot. DEI makes GREAT stuff. Here is a link for some:

http://www.designengineering.com/category/catalog/dei-cycle/motorcycle-exhaust-pipe-wrap-kits/titanium-exhaust-wrap-lr-technology

Then, after tightly wrapping the exhaust, you want to use some hi temp silicone spray. You should use an entire can on this, 4 coats of 1/4 can each coat. Spray it until it's practically dripping silicone and then wait about 10 minutes between coats. Let the project dry overnight (I put mine under a heat lamp). Mount the exhaust the next day and start up the bike and bring it up to operating temp... the exhaust will smoke a TON so make sure you are outside or have the garage door open. 20 min run time minimum, rev that baby up and get it HOT. After you are done kill the bike and listen to the wrap... it will set up like a cast. After that it might smoke a little bit the first ride out but after that you are golden. Awesome wrap.... the best we've done so far. Hat tip to Randy (mtn-doo) for getting us started on this method.

http://www.designengineering.com/category/catalog/design-engineering-inc/exhaust-wraps-accessories/ht-silicone-coating

Thanks for the links and instructions. I really like the looks of the pipe when done in mtn-doos picture. After spraying the wrap when it's all done, will I be able to remove it when winter is over? What does the header look like after you do?

 

[Rush44]

This is what the wrap looks like after about a month's use. No more burned pants either. I also forgot to mention that I use a standard worm-drive clamp on both ends of the wrap. When it comes time to take it off at the end of the season it will unwrap just fine (and probably fall apart a little on the inside turn of the pipe). Without the silicon treatment the longest I could get a wrap to last was maybe 6 weeks to so since the constant moisture would get in the wrap and heat up/cool down over and over eventually destroying the wrap. The silicon treatment not only helps with durability (and protects the pipe... think of how brittle the metal can get after being at temp and then dropped into freezing snow over and over) but helps to keep most of the moisture out. My buddy prefers the wrap so much that he runs his all summer on his woods bike. He loves not getting a face-full of steam crossing rivers and on super hot days out he feels cooler without that hot pipe bleeding heat up his leg.

 

[crawfishoo]

Rush,

I remember that you had wrapped the pipe on the Service Honda KX500AF build, but all the pics I have seen recently do not have wrap on it. Is there a reason you took it off, you see any advantage/disadvatange on the KX500?

 

[ktmrider714a]

Great info! This is what I will be doing. Looks great, and makes sense. Is there any reason to wrap it further back closer to the muffler? I think not burning the pants is a really nice benefit .
Great job rush

 

[Rush44]

The KX500AF is not mine... that's mtn-doo's project from last year. This year he has his KTM 450 SX-F and I don't know of his intentions to wrap the pipe. I will be wrapping mine again once December rolls around.

For all the times he took the 500AF out it always had the nice silicon wrap on it.

 

[Rush44]

Another thing to note:

You might notice on the Volcano Wrap section of DEI that it says at the bottom "Design Engineering HT Silicone Coating spray is NOT recommended for DEI Titanium wrap.". For our application it is not only recommended but necessary if you want the wrap to last longer than a couple weeks in deep wet conditions. The reason they don't recommend it is because with light applications the silicon can burn off and discolor the wrap. I already checked with DEI and with how much we are using (an entire can) it is not a problem.

 

[up-high]

Why not get the pipe ceramic coated? Worked great on a couple of sleds and guys use it on car headers.

 

[ktmrider714a]

Another thing to note:

You might notice on the Volcano Wrap section of DEI that it says at the bottom "Design Engineering HT Silicone Coating spray is NOT recommended for DEI Titanium wrap.". For our application it is not only recommended but necessary if you want the wrap to last longer than a couple weeks in deep wet conditions. The reason they don't recommend it is because with light applications the silicon can burn off and discolor the wrap. I already checked with DEI and with how much we are using (an entire can) it is not a problem.

Just read that on DEI, glad you brought that up. Definitely will do

 

[mtn-doo]

Rush,

I remember that you had wrapped the pipe on the Service Honda KX500AF build, but all the pics I have seen recently do not have wrap on it. Is there a reason you took it off, you see any advantage/disadvatange on the KX500?

Wrong guy, wrong bike. I explained the pro's and con's on the build thread Service KX500AF. No "con's". Just testing with and without. A 2-stroke needs pipe temp to light, needs to burn a blue flame inside the pipe to be "on the pipe". That requires pipe temp. There seemed to be no difference with or without the wrap. I would recommend the wrap procedure discussed. It is a hard, dry, long lasting wrap. Pipe temps stay up and no burned pants. Also NO steam! Clean and dry.

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

wrapping things up

thanks again for the silicone spray suggestion, almost as importand as the wrap itself.

wrapped my wr two years ago and after about 10 coats of silver silicone header wrap spray it wears like iron, that header wrap has knocked down more bursh than a sled bumper. I run it summer and winter. Wrap would last about a year on my M8 pipe, now with the silicone spary, looks as good now as the day I put it on.

Sooo, my new snobike is yz250. Before the 1st ride I am going to wrap the nice fmf ceramic coated pipe. Un insulated 2 stroke pipes in cold weather really don't work. I have spent years listening to sled guys cry over jetting and efi gremlins caused by a pile of thin walled woopazz uninsulated pipes that won't stay hot........ceramic or no ceramic. Lot of unbelievers on this issue, study the subject a little............a cold pipe 2 or 4 stroke won't work.

 

[kell8071]

The wrap you want to use is Volcano 1500 degree wrap. 2in wide and 50ft allows you to wrap the pipe twice a season if you find yourself in the trees brushing up against it a lot. DEI makes GREAT stuff. Here is a link for some:

http://www.designengineering.com/ca...wrap-kits/titanium-exhaust-wrap-lr-technology

Then, after tightly wrapping the exhaust, you want to use some hi temp silicone spray. You should use an entire can on this, 4 coats of 1/4 can each coat. Spray it until it's practically dripping silicone and then wait about 10 minutes between coats. Let the project dry overnight (I put mine under a heat lamp). Mount the exhaust the next day and start up the bike and bring it up to operating temp... the exhaust will smoke a TON so make sure you are outside or have the garage door open. 20 min run time minimum, rev that baby up and get it HOT. After you are done kill the bike and listen to the wrap... it will set up like a cast. After that it might smoke a little bit the first ride out but after that you are golden. Awesome wrap.... the best we've done so far. Hat tip to Randy (mtn-doo) for getting us started on this method.

http://www.designengineering.com/ca...exhaust-wraps-accessories/ht-silicone-coating

Rush/mtn-doo,
Can you confirm that you were referencing a 500 2-stroke pipe when you said that ~25'x2" will wrap the pipe? It looks like they sell it in 35'x2" too.

Thanks,
Kell

 

[lonespin]

dei titanium wrap

if you use the titanium wrap the ht silicone spray is not necessary.

 

[portgrinder]

If you don't have a pipe made of stainless. Wrap will eventually turn the pipe to dust.

Really the wrap just let's you get peak power a little earlier after you've parked for a bit. That's all.

In some cases, having it unwrapped can actually give your pipe more range. Changing the pipe temp changes the speed of sound inside the pipe, and what rpm it works at. I've rode lots of technical stuff this year where snow wasn't melting off the pipe. It works to your advantage a bit actually if you're going slow, just blipping around. Similar to what guys have done in the past injecting water into a pipe to cool it to give the motor a broader powerband.

 

[Robster]

Hi friends,

Im getting excited for the snow this year and cant wait to get on the snow bike! I just bought an 07 KTM 525 exc that I am going to try on the kit this season. Im setting it up now and am looking into wrapping the header pipe. What kind of advantages do you see in wrapping them? If I should do it, what kind do I get? And does it leave a residue if I remove/ can I remove it? I would like to be able to take it off after the snow season. Thanks in advance.

Why do you want to wrap it in the first place? Works perfect as it is.

//Rob