Cleaning burned rubber from exhaust chrome?

[Phil]

Howdy,
I am new to this forum and also new to motorcycling. Got my GZ250 about 2 weeks ago and have around 300 miles on
it so far - that gives me a grand total of 300 miles of lifetime motorcycling experience, not very much!

Being older than most riders some things aren't as easy for me as they seem. For example, while I thought I was,
apparently I don't seem to raise my leg quite high and wide enough as I mount and dismount the bike and this has caused
the rubber sole of my boot to very slightly graze against the hot exhaust. It has left these ugly looking black burned on
rubber marks on the chrome exhaust and I can't seem to get them off. I have only tried rubbing them off and Honda
spray cleaner -- been afraid to try anything more exotic. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I
should use?

Thanks,

Phil

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Phil

Howdy,

It has left these ugly looking black burned on
rubber marks on the chrome exhaust and I can't seem to get them off. I have only tried rubbing them off and Honda
spray cleaner -- been afraid to try anything more exotic. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should use?

Welcome!

Yes.

Some 0000 steel wool, applied gently to cold (or warm) chrome should do the trick. Follow with something like 409 cleaner and finish with the spray cleaner/polish.

If you are nervous about the steel wool, try it first on the bottom or inside of the pipes where it's hard to see.

They will be easier to remove after they have "cooked" for a while.

OTOH, you could just leave them.......as a badge of "character".

I wash my bike once a year.......whether it needs it or not !! :biggrin:

[Dupo]

I've used goo gone on warm pipes ... that works.

[Phil]

Thanks Easy & Dupo.

I'm heading out this afternoon to pick up steel wool and goo gone. I'll let you know
how it all turns out.

Thanks again!

[Phil]

Well, I got everything at Wal-Mart and got it all laid out in front of the bike so I could
get those nasty marks off. I decided to use a drop of the Goo Gone before resorting to
the steel wool. And...

SHEZAM!!!

One drop completely removed several big ugly black burned rubber marks! A couple more drops
and the whole exhaust was shiny clean again. WOW! I am amazed at this stuff.

Thanks for the hints, you guys are great!

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Phil

I decided to use a drop of the Goo Gone before resorting to
the steel wool. And...

Fantastic!

Keep the steel wool dry as you may need it later for tar or paint that GooGone would have trouble handling........or for tiny rust spots, should you own the bike long enough.
It is NOT good for chrome of the plastic variety though !! :cool:

[Badbob]

Chrome is much harder than steel wool. I have used steel wool soaked with WD40 for cleaning lots of chrome over the years. Its very good for removing rust.

Don't use steel wool on chrome plated plastic! I'm not sure this is actually chrome.

For those rare detailing on my motorcycle I use Brillo Pads on the exhaust.

You should try getting melted nylon off the exhaust. Now thats a challenge. Steel wool and lots of elbow grease plus a hot exhaust to soften things up a bit finally did the trick.

[zoned10x]

It has been my experience from restoring motorcycles that steel wool will damage the finish of pipes and mufflers. The swirls may not be noticed in the shop, but you will see them under direct sunlight. Before using any abrasive on chrome, try chemicals to soften the burned on crud. Some fabric scars, fried bugs, and other carbon blems will let go with Easy-Off oven cleaner. Melted plastics and road tar may be dissolved with paint stripper. With both of these compounds, be extremely careful not to splash onto paint or plastic parts. If you must use steel wool as a final option, be sure to wash the area first to remove all dust and grit which will get trapped in the wool and make a real mess of the chrome.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by zoned10x

The swirls may not be noticed in the shop, but you will see them under direct sunlight. Before using any abrasive on chrome, try chemicals to soften the burned on crud.

Good advice. Steel wool works best when signs of rust appear. At that point, a few light swirl marks are probably the least of your worries.

As for nylon and some other hard plastics on the pipes, sometimes they come off best when it is REAL cold (like 0 F.) and you can shatter them with a little tap. Of course, I wouldn't expect anybody living Florida to know about something like that ! :cool:

[Badbob]

I lived in North Dakota for several years. I worked outside in sub zero temperatures with temperatures as low as -40 and wind chill factors of -100. I know a lot about cold.

I rode snowmobiles then not motorcycles.