Blew out my header.

socal_dan · 11-18-2009, 8:29 PM

Thats right... Jumping on the highway last night and I heard a pop and the bike just got really loud.. Kinda sounded like a dirt bike lol... I got off the highway looked down and this is what saw. I have never heard of this happening before. I thought it might be because of the wrap that i put on it. But I didnt find any other issues like this.. What do you guy's think?

jrivas · 11-18-2009, 8:34 PM

HOOVY · 11-18-2009, 9:07 PM

Looks like the combination of vibration and a bad weld to me.
Just my 2 cents!

Hoovy

zero937 · 11-18-2009, 9:17 PM

wow that sucks hope you get it fixed

HRC RC51 · 11-18-2009, 11:31 PM

I thought maybe the wrap weakend the metal by trapping the moisture and rotting it out, but it doesnt really look bad. I just tossed a 04 header pipe too

jrivas · 11-19-2009, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HRC RC51

I thought maybe the wrap weakend the metal by trapping the moisture and rotting it out, but it doesnt really look bad. I just tossed a 04 header pipe too

socal_dan · 11-19-2009, 7:22 PM

well I pulled it and came to the conclusion that it was due to vibration. Def not moisture and heat wrap. I cant tell you when the last time it was wet.

Twincam · 11-19-2009, 7:30 PM

Does the bike get taken out in a lot of salty conditions?

zerogara · 11-20-2009, 10:44 PM

There was an other thread here with headers cracking and again it had to do with wrapping them up. It seems as the temperatures they reach are too jigh for the gauge of the metal and its welds and they must expand beyond the point of where welds can hold the pieces together. The numbers in F' from Head to about 6" away on the header are almost 2:1 without wrap. With wrap the temps stay high much further down.
Weld this up and then don't wrap the whole thing just the part around the shock to keep IT low.

HOOVY · 11-21-2009, 11:10 AM

Well seems like I got one right for a change!

Anyway I think zerogara has a point but is missing a little bit of the big picture. If you wrap the header close to the head and motor itself you are putting extra heat into the head and motor itself. That is why the back header cracks first, it gets less air and gets hotter.

The RC seems to have heating problems anyway in some situations so why wrap the headers anyway? The wrap is great for places where you need to protect something. Like a place where it is too close to the fairing or an electrical part, then it is useful. Again just my 2 cents

RIDE ON !! HOOVY

RICK-ITFC · 11-21-2009, 1:50 PM

Agree no need for wrap, stops heat escaping, you use it if you need to protect very close plastic, or if you are trying to keep the heat down around the induct for the air( ie more heat in airbox less b.h.p.)
There is a good chance the extra heat created has weakend the welds, as they were not designed to have wrap around them....

PBMW · 11-26-2009, 11:44 AM

Header tape is not used to protect plastics or anything remotely like that.
Header tape is used to increase gas velocity for better scavenging.
End of story.
Will it retain heat in the head pipe? Yup. Sure will.

zerogara · 11-26-2009, 4:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PBMW

Will it retain heat in the head pipe? Yup. Sure will.

Therefore it will protect plastic and lower the heat buildup at the shock, even as a side effect. But yes, that is not why this ugly stuff is used, it is a side effect of performance. Heat will eventually will come out but at different places and at different rates. Your mufflers will run hotter for sure.
I still think it is wise o use it around the shock, even though it is too late to affect scavenging, it will keep the shock working past its half hour of hard use life.