Heat wrapping solution to smoking trousers
 

Hello Chaps!

I have just recently finished heat wrapping my exhaust so i thought id post up about it with some pretty pictures! (and a boring narrative) :thumbsup[1]:

So, I bought the metal mule 2-1 exhaust for my 09 R, as im about to embark on a long trip, need to save weight and most importantly have to remove the cat from the standard cans.
Anyway... after much swearing and eventually fitting the exhaust i took it for a test ride. All seemed well until I was sitting in traffic and smelt smoke... then felt my leg getting unusually hot. The rear screw holding on the exhaust cover plate had literally burnt all the way through my priceless (�40) Akito motorcycle trousers and had made several other little holes along the way... by the time i noticed the smoke was reaching head level.

I asked a few people with the MM exhaust on this forum for suggestions. The dudes i asked had all experienced the same problem and the solutions were
1. tie the trousers up
2. remove the screw and bank on the front two
3. buy higher boots

So i decided to get some Heat wrap!!! :rockwoot:
My main reasons were:
The MM exhaust gets boiling hot, and its so close to the 'Y' part of the frame which in turn got very hot which im guessing isnt cool
There is a ton of heat pouring out in all directions from the exhaust
That naughty little screw hates my trousers... i have no idea what its problem is...:retard:

Right so on with the heat wrapping! I got the wrap from http://www.thermalvelocity.co.uk/ And i spoke with a guy called Eddy... Great bloke ... was very interested in my trip (which is what makes him a great bloke not to mention was very helpful :signthankspin: The heat wrap i got was the G-Force one due to its abrasion resistance, durability, up to 600 celcius temp and mainly because its black which looks cool

So, on the exhaust shield, it was the far rear screw which kept burning holes in my trousers, the screw fits into a threaded stud which is just spot welded onto the exhaust

http://www.xt660.com/attachment.php?...1&d=1301685838

So first i grinded off all three studs and polished the pipe (sounds naughty)

http://www.xt660.com/attachment.php?...1&d=1301685838

Then, to fit the heat wrap, I first wet the heat wrap so that it would be easier to tighten around the pipe and plus when it dries it would all tighten up. Then bought some stainless stell jubilee clips and screwed on end on and tightly wrapped the pipe. On the Metal Mule 2-1 system, the link pipe is detachable as it wont all go on in one piece, so i wrapped it individually so that i am able in future to remove and reattach the exhaust without messing around with the heat wrap.
(The bit that hasnt been wrapped on the link pipe has been left free for the lambda sensor)

http://www.xt660.com/attachment.php?...1&d=1301685838

Once it was all wrapped and jubileed up, i left it overnight to dry. The next day i reattached the exhaust and started the bike so that it would burn off all the volatiles (starch in the yarn). Also it was to make sure that the wrap was completely bone dry. It all smoked up, so i left it for 15 minutes and the smoke ceased.

http://www.xt660.com/attachment.php?...1&d=1301686649

http://www.xt660.com/attachment.php?...1&d=1301685962

Off came the exhaust again (i know it sounds like a long process but once the MM system is fitted [first time is a b*tch] it comes on and off as easy as your shoe)

The exhaust got strung up in the garage and then was sprayed with Hi-temp, black exhaust paint. 3 coats and she was done. While she was drying I applied heat protective tape on the inside of my frame as an anal precaution (the heat tape i also got from thermal velocity). Left it overnight and I put the exhaust back on for final in the morning.

Here are the finished pictures with the heat wrap completely applied, dried and painted, and no holes in my trousers!!!

http://www.xt660.com/attachment.php?...1&d=1301687140

http://www.xt660.com/attachment.php?...1&d=1301687173

http://www.xt660.com/attachment.php?...1&d=1301688075

The heat level on my frame has drastically decreased, the cover has been removed which was further out causing the attaching screw to burn through my trousers, personally i like the look!

Soooo Xt'er's What do y'all think?

(wow i cant believe anyone read to the end of this! :eusa_dance: )

Thanks

Andy

LOL guessing no one actually read to the end then :dontknow:

I did mate. Nice work.

Has it made any difference to the popping on overrun? I heat wrapped the entire exhaust system (including the huge silencer) in my mid engined golf and from then on I had flames popping out the back on overrun.

heat wrap
 

Hi,

no, hasnt made any difference to popping on the overun. The MM exhaust pops anyway but it hasnt made it any worse or better. You wrapped the can???


p.s thanks kev :thumbsup:

Block off your AIS that will stop the popping back.

yes, but this was inside the back of a vw golf...I wouldn't do it on a bike

Looks good IMHO, nicely done, and a better solution than that flash but flawed bit of carbon.

Amazing! Do you feel like coming to Melbourne, Australia and doing the whole process again?

Also, is your rear indicator melting due to almost touching the exhaust can?

not had time to read this but its of great interest to me because ive been thinking of going this route with a guzzi . http://www.xt660.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://www.xt660.com/images/icons/icon14.gif

thanks 4 information ,good post was that http://www.xt660.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://www.xt660.com/images/icons/icon14.gif

looks good, can�t wait to get my MM on. and maybe will wrap it too

Hi
 

Hi guys, sorry for the extremely late reply!

Yep, I�ve found it is better than the carbon plate as it has eliminated the screw head so it doesn�t burn through anymore. Also it reduces the heat pouring from the exhaust onto the engine.

Yes! i would love to come to Melbourne! and it only takes an hour at the max to wrap! so yeah sure why not :D

no, the indicator doesn�t melt lol, its been on for quite a while now and there have been absolutely no problems with it.

If you do decide to wrap it, i would highly recommend the thermalvelocity.co.uk company that i used as they supply the graphite black abrasion resistant heat wrap, and they also sell heat resistance sticky tape - which i used on the Y part of my frame as an anal precautionary.


A couple of other bits: - make sure you spray it all up with the silicone heat resistant paint - use the whole can in thin even coats (letting it dry between).

And the heat wrap is made from fibreglass so when you apply it make sure you wet it first to stop the fibreglass dust from flying and wear long sleeves as it itches like a *****.

If it has been raining and the wrap is wet, when you start the bike it does smoke up - but as you start riding etc it goes and doesn�t cause any problems whatsoever. Ever remember the stories of blackbeard the pirate? how he used to set alight the lower part of his beard so it bellowed out smoke and made him look more threatening when boarding an enemy ship....? yeah that�s how i like to think of it :D lol

Finally, before wrapping it for final etc do a practise one first so you figure out how to overlap on the bends etc and i wouldn't cut it to size before wrapping as when its wet and you wrap it, it wraps around the exhaust even tighter and you will use more heat wrap than you did on your practise run!

hope all that makes sense! again sorry for the late reply

have fun :D

Andy

Perfect!
 

I have been having heat problems with my OTR 2-1 as well, I think I will do this. Great explanation of the whole process!
One question, the heat resistant paint, is this functional or for looks only? And is this the kind of stuff I can get at a standard car parts store?

I too can't wait to receive my MM 2-1 so I may have to go down this line, great info! Thanks for sharing the details!

Hey
 

Hey Artvark!

Hope all is well with you, thank you again for all the Syria info btw!

As for the paint, according to the can and the guys that supply it, it is functional.
As far as i am concerned it is functional as far as it does prevent freying of the material and it has not faded yet and has been under constant use.
The can was �12 so is worth it anyway. The guys that sold me the heat wrap recommended that specific can which is from a different company.

I can post the link if you like. - im not sure where you can get it from other than the site im afraid.

i think it was worth the �12 and 30 minutes of spraying it up as a precautionary

Hope this helps

Andy

Ha, it's you! Forgot your XT660 handle is not Andy :-)
How are your plans going? I guess you're delaying your trip for a while? I was hoping to pay a visit this summer, but I am going to wait till things calm down a bit. Spoke to a guy I know who was there last month, got arrested by the secret police and questioned etc... Not my kind of scene.

I'll get the paint as well then, I figured it was probably good against fraying. Yup, a link to the can that can would be great.
Other question: the heat has to go somewhere instead of your trouser leg I guess. Did you notice any heat increase further up the exhaust, like the muffler?

Ton

Hi
 

Hey Ton, Yeh i guessed you didnt know my xt 'name' :P

yeah i am delaying it a little bit, i was hoping to leave at the end of June, but it just isnt calming down there at all... I am still planning on going though, as long as they are still issuing visa's. I was thinking of going to Iran and doing a clockwards loop instead... il see how it goes.


This is a link for the spray:
http://www.rallynuts.com/exhaust-wra...t-coating.html

Its not the same website i bought mine from as i cant remember it but its exactly the same can, you can google: DEI High Temp silicone spray to find more competitive prices on shipping.

I havent noticed a 'concentrated' heat on the exhuast in any one particular place, instead it is pretty much spread.

The wrap does not completely cure the heat from the exhaust. When riding in above 20 celcius heat and in traffic i do feel the heat on my leg and it is strong.

Instead it is more of a remedy to the piercing hot screw head's protruding from that flimsy attachable plate. (which are what burnt holes in my trousers). Technically you could just grind off the welded on threads and leave it at that. But the wrap stops any accidental burns from your exhaust on your leg when you get on and off and simply when riding because that plate isnt there anymore.


On a similar topic! Literally just an hour ago i just noticed that my MM pipe comes very close to the swingarm just before it rises upwards to the can. I have just been doing some heavy riding and realised that the pipe had rubbed against the swingarm.... so ive put a jubilee clip right on the spot where the pipe and arm would contact to stop any rubbing of the heat wrap!

does make me think though, if my suspension compresses at the back quite hard it could smash straight into the MM exhaust, have you noticed anything similar with yours?

Andy

Yup, not cooling down for now. Watch it with Iran as well, you can be turned back at the border at the drop of a hat, visa or no visa. But if you get in, some great sights to see :glasses1:

Did not have a problem with my exhaust, but I don't have a MM exhaust, but an OTR 2in1. No strange screws there that burn into my leg, its more the whole pipe :laughing7:
I did have a problem with the swingarm (or chain, not 100% sure) hitting my round extra gas jerrycan that I have fitted in place of my left exhaust, it was simply too low down. Some nice guys in a village in the desert pointed out to me that there was something dripping from the bike, gasoline... Oops. Got it fixed in Aleppo though, some good old fashioned hammer and flame work:
http://www.ev11.net/weld.jpg

If you keep having this problem the swingarm, the jubilee clip may protect your heat wrapping but at some point something will get damaged. Perhaps stiffen up the suspension a bit, or get a replacement? I love the hell out of my Hyperpro compared to stock, and am quite sure it saved me some broken bones...

For anyone wanting to buy the G Force Exhaust Wrap, visit the eBay store of Textile Technologies Europe:
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/textiletechnologies

Same company more or less (looks like Thermal Velocity is part of the company), but cheaper than the Thermal Velocity website.
The eBay store says they will ship outside the UK, but you do have to contact the seller for details.

Ton
 

Il remember that about Iran!

Stiffening up my suspension had crossed my mind and i have been considering a replacement instead. I remember you saying about your hyperpro suspension before... Did the company fit it for you in the Netherlands? expensive?

btw, thats a really good photo... what camera did you have?

Andy

hey Andy,
That was taken with a Nikon D300 and Nikon 85mm f/1.4 D AF, aka the Cream Machine. Not the latest incarnation of the 85 1.4, the AF-S G. That's supposed to be even better.

Ton

Hey
 

Ooooohhh, i just looked it up, very nice! Quite a bit out of my price range though! I have 2 disposable ones :D