How long did your chrome last on your Vance & Hines?

[Guyver]

I am considering my options on replacing the aging Vance & Hines exhaust on my GS1100E and although I really like the exhaust I hate the way the headers look later in life so I'm not sure whether I want to order a new system. I was wondering if anyone has any recent experience with the system or can recall how long it was before the pipes blued and then turned that craptacular golden bronze color.

 

[GER144]

I had a new V&H chrome pipe (sidewinder) and it didn't take very long at all for it to loose it's chrome. I had it rechromed at a local plating shop and the chrome is lasting way better this time around.
If I had to do it again I would probably get it ceramic coated. You can get it in a chrome-like ceramic and it is tough as nails.

 

[RJ]

You can always wrap it with a header wrap. The wrap actually makes the exhaust work better by keeping the heat in the exhaust gases which helps it flow out of the pipe better. It also gives the bike an industrial kind of tough look. It's cheap too.

 

[80GS1000]

Mine's rusted way too fast for my taste. The PO put it on a couple years ago and it's already rusting, especially at the joint between the midpipe and the megaphone. And I'm anal about washing my bike too.

 

[tracy borchert]

never

never

I have had my V & H since I bought my bike in 1985, still in great shape. The only thing wrong with mine would be it's a little flatter than it should be from being lowered and a little blue(er) since it was installed.:-D

 

[Jethro]

I had one on the 81 for years. The chrome still looked pretty good when the slip on joint and exhasut hanger rotted through and I lost it in Western MA. It was actually very good quality, and lasted a suprisingly long time as the bike spent every New Englnad winter outside in a snowbank...

 

[gsbill]

Have it HPC coated...

http://www.hpcoatings.com/

 

[gsgeezer]

Ceramic coating will cost half as much as a new set of pipes, it lasts a long time.