exhaust clean

[EYAL400]

How do you clean the exhaust pipe that comes out of the engine head on a 650?

[Rixington43]

For surface crust then a specific exhaust cleaner like DrDownpipe will do a decent job. For really bad marking, blueing, or corrosion, Autosol or some kind of metal polish on a rag, wrap the rag once around the pipe and then polish with a sawing motion. It'll improve the look but, beyond a certain point of corrosion, there's not much you can do.

[Pete O Tube]

Harpic X10 - pretty good at descaling corrosion from exhaust downpipes.
Just don't get it on anything other than the exhaust and thoroughly wash off. Polish with any metal polish, I have used in combination with a rotary wire brush in an electric drill for good results.

[Upt North]

This.

[nigel s]

When polishing stainless anything with a drill and mop/ brush, never use a mop/ brush that is mild steel or has been USED on mild steel. Particles of the steel will be forced into the stainless accelerating corrosion.
At work we keep two polishing kits, one for cleaning mild , one JUST for polishing stainless for this reason.
There are different grades of stainless, the more chromium in the alloy the more "stainless" it is. The stainless on V Stom 650 exhausts is not high in chromium and while it will not rust it doesn't polish to a high shine and stay that way.
NB , the stainless on my Fazer would polish to a chrome like shine and stay like that past the first heating. Just saying Mr Suzuki
I gave up trying to mechanically polish the 650 exhaust to a shine and now use 3m pads and Autosol Gold as in Rixington43s post.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155104140204?_skw=3m+scotch+brite+pads+white&itmmeta=01JM93N1ESF637B615CJ62YRQ6&hash=item241ced5bac:g:NBUAAOSwp2ti6569&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA4FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1eoOTFfVJ5N11wdZC%2BZRhVa%2BJ1DF3rl%2FS%2Bf9z6KdvzXiqvIc451gCZSBopDGYGkwD6LTzDGlbSDmV1Mlzwt%2BZqFuCljrPda6koaffHXYH%2BvoEtPdTqY8ZFjkxLzE4ixfClBcfkZcXRgKySix0qKWcGtijLhu%2B4oXZKfa1j5aaOqSJ9VJEbGGyL%2F797rCTCgnCgN3Fht1ZmiqSuuTuZywrEb9%2BbI%2F%2BQ3grYkN1%2FPG%2BS2uladILbiDd0O0lOanvhQDaAc7J7CbTXmd3LZl7mVtZkC%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8yX1KOiZQ

[Joe Rocket]

It is possible to remove the exhaust complete from header to silencer. I have done it a few times. You will need a long socket extention to undo the rear cylinder header clamp. that's on my 2015 650, I don't know if later 'models' are more troublesome. It also allows a better clean to those inaccessible areas on the frame and engine; that is if you're confident enough to give it a go, but obviously better if the exhaust splits into pieces (by design).

I too swear by Autosol, it's a must buy item when I'm back in the UK. Thoroughly wash off dirty pipes and silencer and dry before using it though as it's a waste to dirty Autosol and will avoid scratching the exhaust with grit and gunge.

[The Doctor 46]

I was in the Brigade Of Guards for 13 years and we went through a lot of  Autosol. I paid £6.59 for my last tube about 6 months ago, 75ml. It goes a long way after the first polish so not expensive. 

These threads are great,  Rixington43 and nigel s know what they are talking about. I learned something about stainless and mops there. 

[Ianmc]

   “ Harpic X10 - pretty good at descaling corrosion from exhaust downpipes”

Just a quick note of caution about using Harpic X10,NEVER use it on anything that you like a high polish on,this includes anything in the house.I used it in the sink just the once,to wash it off a stainless tube,never noticed I hadn’t completely washed it away and it stained the stainless sink,and no amount of normal cleaning products will remove the stain.

[Pete O Tube]

@Ianmc - hence why I said wash thoroughly - I've used it on a couple of bike exhausts to good effect