Header Wraps

[Hammered]

Is it possible you would see a much greater percentage power increase on a car with a 454 and carburetor under a hood than a bike because
the bike's motor is out in the wind? I believe there are old muscle cars that lose a lot of HP with headers because of all that heat in the engine
compartment. This causes less oxygen to get in the engine as a result.
A bike would not have this problem.

This could be the issue. We are talking about cars to bikes with this. And 68ish HP on 454 that is built to produce isnt out of the question. With a simple exchange of intake, you could see that much, IF properly tuned. To all those saying no, its not possible, watch the show. Research it. I only presented the info I saw. If I could find this show online, Id link it and let you be the judge of their findings. If you have issues with what these PROFESSIONAL builders did, take it up with them. It seems thought that no matter what findings are presented, those that dont believe, will simplly find a way to ignore it. All I know are top names in motorsprots use some sort of thermo-barrier material to increase power gains. From Cyril Huze to every tean in NASCAR and NHRA. If you feel that exhaust thermal barriers arent worth the benefit or expense, then dont. I know they are and have and will continue to. And now that some of the companies making coatings, are able to offer a chrome like finish, the "look" isnt even a reason not to anymore.

 

[Agemax]

i'm gonna spray my exhaust pink, google says a pink exhaust gives as much a 25% BHP increase haha. (only joking, its only 19.76%)

 

[hampshirehog]

i'm gonna spray my exhaust pink, google says a pink exhaust gives as much a 25% BHP increase haha. (only joking, its only 19.76%)

Pink eh? Now where have we all seen a vid of your bike with some pink things on it? Wouldn't be those slippers would it? Now maybe if the wrap was as fluffy.........

 

[80-81, GS 1100]

There was just a show on Spike's Sunday line up. Horsepower Tv was doing a 454 build. At the end of the show, they had an LS on the dyno. They wrapped the headers, received the power boost mentioned and reduced the over all temp by 100*. I don't see a way to link to an online link of the show, but Im sure it will run again sometime. IIRC, the increase in HP was roughly 15%. I wont say you will see that from wrapping a set of bike pipes but... They were using the DEI Titanium Wrap kit.

I didn't see the show so I am only guessing on this. But I have seen
old muscle cars where the owner will build up the engine but want to
keep a stock(outer) appearance. So instead of somehow giving the engine
fresh cold air ( which has much more oxygen) all they have is a chrome
high flow air cleaner under the hood. (who wants a hood scoop?)

You can solve this problem with some
kind of snorkel going through the front like a new car may have but thats
ugly. So the headers make the car sound great but because they heat up the engine compartment the owner is wasting a lot of HP.
So while some of the HP gain is due to scavenging effect a lot of it may be due to just giveing the engine colder air.

 

[beergood]

Personally, on the proper bike, I think they look cool (and better than my slightly pitted tubes).

As for performance, I have no idea.

Here is a personal anecdote: I was squatting down monkeying with my engine a couple springs ago, and lost my balance. Instinctively I reached out to grab something to steady myself, and instead of grabbing the frame (or falling all of two inches to the ground) I accidentally grabbed a naked header pipe. For some reason, my bike was only running on two cylinders, and I grabbed one of the hot ones like it was a monkey bar. So, I had my hand burned into the shape of a claw for a little while (which definitely resulted in a performance loss). Now with the wrap I can grab a pipe all day long.

And if you suffer occasional stupidity like I do, then the wrap might prove very useful.

 

[Agemax]

Pink eh? Now where have we all seen a vid of your bike with some pink things on it? Wouldn't be those slippers would it? Now maybe if the wrap was as fluffy.........

haha yeah, you got sommat there mate, pink fluffy header wrap, other colours available at extra cost. guaranteed 15% increase in power and just imagine the WOW factor it will have on your bike!

 

[Hammered]

It is what it is. Im not a salesman, stockholder or spokes model for any of the products. People with far more knowledge than anyone on this board use some of the above in various combination to achieve the results they do. It is funny that the people first to scuff at personal experiences with these products, have none of their own. The one demanding hard data arent willing to research any of it on their own and those in the world of motorsports using these products, making money researching, engineering and racing using these, arent as informed as some of the people on this board. As I said, if you feel the performance to cost ratio isnt high enough, dont use them. If you think its all a scam to make money by the manufactures, then dont buy them. I just presented what Ive seen in the past. Its my experience that some of the members of this board are simply here to play devils advocate.

 

[beergood]

Hey, maybe header wraps can become the next big I'm right/your wrong GSR argument.

Let's see, so far we have:

1. Pods versus Air Box
2. Handlebars (often about clubmans, and whether or not they are upside-down)
3. Restoring versus Modding

To be honest, I am getting kind of tired of seeing those arguments, maybe it is time to add a new one. I also recommend that all attacks immediately get as personal as possible, with a maximum of name-calling.

 

[Agemax]

It is what it is. Im not a salesman, stockholder or spokes model for any of the products. People with far more knowledge than anyone on this board use some of the above in various combination to achieve the results they do. It is funny that the people first to scuff at personal experiences with these products, have none of their own. The one demanding hard data arent willing to research any of it on their own and those in the world of motorsports using these products, making money researching, engineering and racing using these, arent as informed as some of the people on this board. As I said, if you feel the performance to cost ratio isnt high enough, dont use them. If you think its all a scam to make money by the manufactures, then dont buy them. I just presented what Ive seen in the past. Its my experience that some of the members of this board are simply here to play devils advocate.

you are SO WRONG with that statement, a FEW people reading and commenting on this thread know a lot more than some others think they know. some people need proof to prove the theory, some dont.
when asked, the people who are trying to prove the theory CANNOT provide actual proof, whereas the people who are " disbelieving" the theory can give more relative information, from experience, rather than GOOGLING it.

 

[hampshirehog]

Hey, maybe header wraps can become the next big I'm right/your wrong GSR argument.

Let's see, so far we have:

1. Pods versus Air Box
2. Handlebars (often about clubmans, and whether or not they are upside-down)
3. Restoring versus Modding

What about the most important of all - red versus blue!

I also recommend that all attacks immediately get as personal as possible, with a maximum of name-calling.

Oh goodie - that means I can stick my tongue out.

 

[Calvin Blackmore]

you are SO WRONG with that statement, a FEW people reading and commenting on this thread know a lot more than some others think they know. some people need proof to prove the theory, some dont.
when asked, the people who are trying to prove the theory CANNOT provide actual proof, whereas the people who are " disbelieving" the theory can give more relative information, from experience, rather than GOOGLING it.

Do they also know more than they think they know?
I do believe that proof is required to prove something that may even define the nature of and purpose of proof.

When did it become O'kay to use Googling as a pejorative?

Are you for or against header wraps?

Screw it all header wrap looks posh so the price is justified for that reason alone.

 

[Agemax]

Do they also know more than they think they know?
I do believe that proof is required to prove something that may even define the nature of and purpose of proof.

When did it become O'kay to use Googling as a pejorative?

Are you for or against header wraps?

Screw it all header wrap looks posh so the price is justified for that reason alone.

googling is required by the people who are convinced that wrapping your headers increase BHP but they cant actually prove it themselves apart from saying in their posts "google it and find out"
i am against header wraps, they look ****e, and cheap (how you think they look posh i will never understand!) and dont have any purpose apart from covering up old and rusty headers

 

[Agemax]

What about the most important of all - red versus blue!



Oh goodie - that means I can stick my tongue out.

:lol::lol::lol:

 

[Guest]

1. Pods versus Air Box
2. Handlebars (often about clubmans, and whether or not they are upside-down)
3. Restoring versus Modding

To be honest, I am getting kind of tired of seeing those arguments, maybe it is time to add a new one. I also recommend that all attacks immediately get as personal as possible, with a maximum of name-calling.

You forgot another biggie....pipes.

4. (Loud) 4X1 vs. p*ssy-quiet stock system.

Tony.

 

[KiwiGS]

I had my racebike pipes coated with a HPC ceramic coating inside and out.
Cant say for sure how much of a gain (if any) I got.
I do know that the life of the pipe was hugely extended, having seen what header wrap does to the pipes, if it is not redone regulary, I would never used it again on any of my bikes. That and I had some catch fire during a race., and yes it was the good stuff.
Cheers

 

[handyjoe]

Header wraps are the poor man's exhaust coating. End of story.

On these bikes you may not see a huge difference, which is why it's more effective to wrap them. Why pay to get the headers coated for a couple of horsepower?

And if you don't like the looks of it...don't do it. Why is it this hard?

 

[Hammered]

Agemax, nothing Id post could change your mind because it seems to me, you dont intend to have it changed. I mean this with no disrespect, but no I dont think you or anyone else on this board has the knowledge or experience that professional race team engineers do. If you did, you wouldnt be here, youd be testing your team's engine. Thermal barrier materials have been in use for decades. And used by near every race team today.Racing Headers come from the factory now, already coated with ceramic/metallic materials. Im sorry I didnt save images of past dealings or save a copy of Dyno printouts from days gone by. Believe what you will, I didnt ask you to buy it or into it. I simply offered my personal experience in the matter. Im sure youll be fine without any such voodoo on your bike.

 

[Nessism]

Agemax, nothing Id post could change your mind because it seems to me, you dont intend to have it changed. I mean this with no disrespect, but no I dont think you or anyone else on this board has the knowledge or experience that professional race team engineers do. If you did, you wouldnt be here, youd be testing your team's engine. Thermal barrier materials have been in use for decades. And used by near every race team today.Racing Headers come from the factory now, already coated with ceramic/metallic materials. Im sorry I didnt save images of past dealings or save a copy of Dyno printouts from days gone by. Believe what you will, I didnt ask you to buy it or into it. I simply offered my personal experience in the matter. Im sure youll be fine without any such voodoo on your bike.

Did you see Rapidray's post? He said he dyno's a race FZR1000 and saw a 2 hp increase with the wrap. Figure on about 150 hp from a race bike like that so the increase was roughly 1.5%. Your claim of 15% increase is unrealistic and saying we are uneducated on the subject is not helping your case.

 

[Hammered]

Did you see Rapidray's post? He said he dyno's a race FZR1000 and saw a 2 hp increase with the wrap. Figure on about 150 hp from a race bike like that so the increase was roughly 1.5%. Your claim of 15% increase is unrealistic and saying we are uneducated on the subject is not helping your case.

And READ my post on the where the gain was. A 454 CHEVY. See theres the main issue with too many of the posters here. You only skim. I never once claimed that you will see the same results on a bike. I said you will see results, but I never said what they were. Now on the 454 in question, the show claimed roughly a 15% increase. And if you look back in other threads, Ive posted to the thermal blocking benefits but wasnt sure of the overall increase in power. So Im back to my claim that you will see some gain in performance. And as we all should now, YOUR RESULTS MAY VARY! Now Nessism, you taking offence to something I didnt say makes me wonder. And I still stand behind my statement that neither you or ANYONE else on this board has the training, experience or time involved on this subject than the manufactures and pro race engineers do. But if that aint so, you prove me otherwise.

 

[Nessism]

And READ my post on the where the gain was. A 454 CHEVY. See theres the main issue with too many of the posters here. You only skim. I never once claimed that you will see the same results on a bike. I said you will see results, but I never said what they were. Now on the 454 in question, the show claimed roughly a 15% increase. And if you look back in other threads, Ive posted to the thermal blocking benefits but wasnt sure of the overall increase in power. So Im back to my claim that you will see some gain in performance. And as we all should now, YOUR RESULTS MAY VARY! Now Nessism, you taking offence to something I didnt say makes me wonder. And I still stand behind my statement that neither you or ANYONE else on this board has the training, experience or time involved on this subject than the manufactures and pro race engineers do. But if that aint so, you prove me otherwise.

No offense from my side. I just think you are very naive. There are all kinds of snake oil salesman out there trying to find suckers to buy up their overprices wares. It's a simple fact that the GS engines flow pretty well with their stock intake and exhaust systems, enough to match their compression ratio at least. Slapping on a header and pods is proven to only lead to single digit power increases so some header wrap is not going to have a profound impact in of itself.