Heat Wrap On Motorcycle Exhaust

[Buzz_Kanter]

Anyone have any experience with the heat wrap tape on exposed classic motorcycle exhausts?

What does it do (besides look tough) and how long does it last?

[Rubone]

It does not look "tough". It is totally "Punk" and has no business on any vintage bike! Never used in the day and pure crap today!
Robbie

[Dave Morrill]

Buzz,

I used it on my open wheel race cars a few years ago. The theory has something to do with maintaining a higher temp in the exhaust system that increases the shock wave and aides in engine scavaging. I had a fancy stepped tube diameter "anti reversion" header system that was wrapped. I didn't notice any real difference. When you install it, you wet the wrap, and tightly wrap it around the exhaust beginning at the exhaust flange. You then have to start the motor to dry the wrap and snugg it up.

I don't really like the look on motorcycles, but it does help in keeping you from burning a stray leg too close to the exhaust. It still gets hot though. It did allow us to be able to change plugs on a hot motor, along with kevlar gloves, without burning your hands on the headers. I also saw several guys, who wrapped older headers on their vintage racecars, having problems with their headers cracking. Keeping all that heat in old pipes may cause them to crack and if the wrap gets wet, to rust.

[MeanGene]

It's pretty much a phony looks thing on a bike, save it for the kids with the hat-bills turned up
We tried it once on the 410 sprint car, didn't run any better, and one evening of trying to clean the mud off that crap was enough- it was in the garbage can Monday night

[Bigincher]

About the only time I've seen it used is on a set of home-made pipes with a lot of different welds on them. The wrap was used to cover up all the ugly welds and pieced-together sections of pipe. A stop-gap measure at best.....

[rob]

there was something in this thread playing havoc with my laptop. anyway my wrap holds evey drop of oil and smokes like hell

[20scout]

The wrap will hold condensation and rot out your header pipes in short order. If you are thinking about doing something in this order I would concider ceramic coating your pipes instead.

[Chris Haynes]

Ceramic coating will chip anyplace a drop of cold water hits it when it is hot. Don't ride in the rain if you ceramic coat them.

[haugster1340]

I used DEI wrap on the drag pipes that were on my 26 JD bobber and on my 81 Shovel. I like the brown look of the wrap the way it comes out of the box but the directions say to use their high temp paint to make it last longer and easier to clean. The paint did what they claimed it would do. The wrap would get hot enough to melt the sole of my right shoe on both bikes. I used it for looks only, which I like. The pipes were wrapped since '05 on the Shovel and since '06 on the JD. The pipes on both bikes were in good shape when I sold them.

[Bigincher]

The original intent of exhaust wrap is to keep the heat in the pipes and help the exhaust pulses scavange spent air/fuel mix from the valve ports. It's a little more scientific than that, of course, but that's why pipes are wrapped--- not to prevent burns or anything aesthetic.