| Author | Message | ||
     Moosestang |
Well I finally pick up a 2005 xb9sx and I'd like to wrap the headers. I'd like to do it myself if possible and make it look as professional as possible. Is there any tricks I need to know? Any specific header wrap I need? Thanks, here's the only picture so far. It got a little muddy coming down my dirt road, but I took care of it already.  | ||
| Packrat |
COOL !! glad to hear ya finally found what ya wanted...feels good, don't it??? On the wrap--be sure you thoroughly wet it down prior to installing and, the clamps that came with the wrap kit I bought were really cheesy and cheap-ass!!! I used automotive type "screw gear, worm type clamps, work a helluva lot better... Enjoy that Buell  | ||
| Moosestang |
So you use hose clamps to keep it in place? | ||
| Redponcho |
I used safety wire to hold mine in place. then I sprayed it with the black silicone spray. Cant even see the safety wire. | ||
| Snowshoeboarder007 |
You have been looking longer than I have Moosestang...where did you end up finding it, and how much $$ did you have to shell out for your new prize? By the way, she looks awesome! | ||
| Nillaice |
i wrapped my shít with lockwire, and then sprayed it with header(super-hi-temp) black paint. wetting the fiberglass strap will cut down on airborne fiberglass fibers but also weaken the structure, as will riding in the rain..... unless you seriously cake-on the paint i would reccomend getting at least 25 feet, and lockwireing at intervals to keep it tight. after a month, my wrap is starting to get loose from all that vibration. the DEI heat wrap is pretty thin stuff, so it is easy to make it look pretty. with the thicker stuff, you gotta stuff it in between with a credit card or something. i used some stuff from work, meant for steam pipe hangar insulation, so i don't think it really maters what brand or kind you get. the cheapest i've seen it is on the e-bay. | ||
| Strato9r |
It sure keeps alot of the heat off of your leg, and away from the cooling fins, too. The less heat those fins are exposed to, the more heat they can radiate. After wrapping the pipes on my bike, the cooling fan comes on less, and runs for much shorter periods of time after shutdown. That bike does look great, Paul, those things get my vote as the baddest looking bike since The Vincent! | ||
| Ttags |
best way to secure wrap is with automotive stainless steel straps. these little 1/8" wide straps look clean and function even better. they are used to clamp CV boots on cars. if you have a local 'harbor freight' , they sell 10-packs for 5 bucks . sorry no close pics. sold bike recently to get my buell . the pic i have i cant seem to shrink to less than 900 kb. will upload if anyone has delt with similar issue | ||
| Moosestang |
Thanks for the tips and help. I'm still planning on wrapping the headers, but I think i'll wait till after I get new tires and front pads. Priorities you know. Here's some better pictures of the bike on the ground. Notice the DIRT road in the background, not to be confused with gravel(carried over from another post).    I saw on americansportbike.com that you can get a set of xb headers with jet hot coating for around $160. Is the jet hot coating as good as wrapping or better? | ||
| Straitpipes |
hey moose,sweet ride and congrats.I did mine with 25 feet 2 inch white header wrap. dont go with the cheap shit or the colored stuff cause they fade and turn ash white color anyway.newlevel motorsports has 3000 degree (inferno wrap) I have not found higher temp rating anywhere.the white actually looks good on the pipes.i used sheetmetal scissors/tin snips to cut it and i did them on the bike,I took my time and kept the wrap as tight as possible with about 1/4 to 3/8 inch overlap: meaning 2 inch wrap should have about an inch and three quarters of each coil around the pipe showing, and put some high temp sila  cone on the frayed ends.also long sleeves long pants or you'll be sorry,I was.as far as jet hot pipes they work great,2 people I know did that on their sportsters pipes.I have not seen but I've heard of some jet coated pipes peeling and flaking.doing both dosn't sound bad either!!!!HAMMER DOWN. | ||
| Simple |
dont you guys worry about the pipe rotting from the inside out? i used to hear horror stories about it, it holds so much heat in, it cooks the pipe. theres a reason why the exhaust wrap voids header manufacturer warranties...! btw, nice City Cross! (Message edited by simple on July 26, 2008) | ||
| Moosestang |
Basically anything you do to something will void the warranty. While I've read that wrap and coatings will accelerate the aging process, i'm not overly concerned about it. | ||
| Kyrocket |
Do a search on Badweb and you'll probably get all the info. you need. I've put up pics somewhere on here and wetting it down helps alot. When you start at the top begin two inches down from your starting point, wrap to the top and then double back. That will reduce any frayed ends. SS hose clamps work great. 25 feet? I've got three feet left over from a 100' roll of 1". Wrapped it tight and painted it, looks extremely well. I'll try to post up some pics...found 'em.   | ||
| Glitch |
My headers were wrapped for three years, around 40,000 miles or so. No problems at all, through all kinds of weather as well. I'll be doing them again. 50 feet long, 2 inches wide can double wrap XB9 headers. I started at the front header and wrapped down to the end of the collector, back up to front of the rear header, back down to where the collector was already double wrapped, then ended back at the beginning of the front header. | ||
| Ducbsa |
Moose, Are those R tripleclamp and bars? | ||
| Badlionsfan |
I prefer ceramic coated headers, look better and more durable. Ducbsa, his bike has the crossroads bars on it. Recently put a set on mine, frickin love 'em.  | ||
| Moosestang |
I don't know what bars they are, but I'll take Badlionsfan's word for it.  | ||
| Wantxbr |
+100,000,000,000 Glitch I had 64,000+ miles on my Dynaglide before i sold it and over 40,000 were with the headers wrapped, several times but they were wrapped and never a problem. (Message edited by WantXBr on July 26, 2008) |
