chrome exhaust downpipes

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Don't know this company but I think there is no such thing as "double chromed". The chrome is a single final layer I've been told. Shine on.
 
Torontonian said:
Don't know this company but I think there is no such thing as "double chromed". The chrome is a single final layer I've been told. Shine on.
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there is "triple plate" with; copper ,nickel, chrome
 
Feked is a very reputable vendor in GB. There are only two (I believe) manufacturers of exhaust pipes in GB who supply all of the vendors there and do a triple plating process (copper/nickel/chrome). I've purchased exhaust pipes from these folks. Chrome was very nice. Figment, while I made it work, wasn't. This was for a late slimline featherbed.
 
I ordered up a set of headers from Old Britts that didn't even come close to fitting. Fred ordered up a different set which also didn't fit. The chrome was very nice but I needed to put them on my 850 not my wall. Both sets were from Andover. Both OB and Andover were very gracious on taking them back. Fred ordered me a third set from a different manufacturer. When they arrived at OB the chrome was so bad that Fred wouldn't even send them to me. Even though it was going to cost me more and OB would lose a sale, I was referred to Viking Exhaust of New Zealand. It was a great experience. I was kept informed as my headers moved through the build process. Each set is hand fitted to a bike before being sent off to the chrome shop. Perfect fit with a stunning finish. Spendy but I'm worth it. I did notice that Old Britts is now carrying Viking again. With the NZ currency weak against the US dollar some of the financial pin was eased.
 
Torontonian is correct, chrome cannot be double plated.
Chrome can't be made reliably to be plated onto chrome, it mostly just peels off like a sheet.
Maybe straight away, maybe later.
If the power even glitches during the plating, the top layer of chrome just floats away as you lift it out of the bath.
Or when you handle it roughly later on.

Some american exhausts are mentioning double plated - this seems to be in the nickel plating.
Nickel can be plated onto fresh nickel, or copper, as many times as you like - almost.
Although if the job is done properly, why would it need it....
 
As you've said chrome on chrome double-coats very easily. Normally you cannot plate chrome on steel unless you first reverse-etch. On steel a brown film of oxide forms and when you reverse the polarity to start plating, there is an over=potential, The chrome strikes through the oxide film. Hard to get that situation when you plate chrome on chrome.
 
i bought a new pair of pipes for my 850 just so I had reliability for my ride round NZ. They were a perfect fit and looked good until I did the 3200 miles or so. The chrome has gone dull. What is the answer. I am not complaining about this because the pipes were not expensive and so easy to fit. Just curious. This bike gets used on a lot of long trip when I get the time so reliability is first preference to beauty.
Dereck
 
acotrel said:
Normally you cannot plate chrome on steel unless you first reverse-etch. On steel a brown film of oxide forms and when you reverse the polarity to start plating, there is an over=potential, The chrome strikes through the oxide film.
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???

Double chroming is generally a disaster, the top coat peels off the bottom coat, they won't stick.
But chrome sticks to fresh nickel (or copper), it should be a solid metal-metal bond

I've directly plated chrome onto steel, in electroplating class.
Dead easy.
The chrome tank is chromic acid, keeps the shiny new steel perfectly clean.

And thats how most of the brit motorcycle factories did it, just a heavy coat of chrome straight onto fresh new steel. They could do it because it was fresh new clean steel. Got many examples...
 
As I understand it, copper is a conductor of heat, a very GOOD conductor!!! Hence it is not good on a header exhaust pipe as it WILL discolour PDQ.
The thickness of the plating is determined by the length of time in the electroplating process. Ref;

http://www.wikihow.com/Chrome-Plate

So, as to double chrome plating its simple, you just leave the component in the plating vat for longer :!:
 
I've never dealt with Feked, but their stuff looks a lot like EMGO, who have recently started doing Commando downpipes.
I've used EMGO silencers and they've been just fine, but I'm a very fair weather rider.

The usual UK source of exhausts was Toga, and I had a set of their balanced downpipes on my last MkIIA which fitted OK, but not perfect - the LHS pipe flared out too much at the silencer end, but could just about be accommodated. Their unbalanced pipes fitted great.
Armours is another big UK supplier, but I have no experience of their stuff on Nortons.
 
B+Bogus said:
Armours is another big UK supplier, but I have no experience of their stuff on Nortons.
Click to expand...

I do on both my Trident and Commando, and I've nothing but praise for their products.
Personally, I prefer mirror polished stainless steel to chromium plated mild steel.
IMO, comparing chromium and stainless is similar to comparing veneer and solid wood.
On my Commando I have both down pipes and silencers from Armours in polished stainless steel:

chrome exhaust downpipes

The silencers are a work of art with no seams at either end.
In addition, you don't need an ugly clip to secure the silencer as there are two loops of metal welded to the silencer, through which a nut and bolt are placed.
Being stainless steel, it won't rot out from the inside like mild steel.
 
Thanks for your replies, I refer to the original question ;

I have been searching for a set of chrome exhaust downpipes and I came across;

Exhaust down pipes is what I require ……………………………………………..
 
Sorry for the thread drift :oops: .
My experience of Armours is positive, and they stock chromium plated pipes.
I've visited Armours, and it's a bit Dickensian, but their products IMO are of good quality - better price than Feked too.
Are you UK based?
It may help to update your profile with location, so that respondents can provide more focused assistance.
 
Noted; I had submitted my country when I first registered, but encountered technical problems down the line and now do not know how to find the shortcut to my registration….

As for Armours yes they were good at one time, I would kindly ask you how long ago since you last used them, as the owner , I think retired and now they are not as good for some reason as has been all over the internet;
p11-exhaust-pipes-mufflers-clamps-spacers-t21640.html
exhaust-down-pipes-correct-angle-out-head-t19849-15.html?hilit=armours#p331912
parts-you-regret-buying-t20038.html?hilit=armours#p258196
 
I purchased a B44 high level system off Armours some 6 years ago, the downpipe was short by 3" and would barely meet the silencer, they refused to discuss the issue despite photos being supplied and said it was my bike that was an issue. I believe they have outsourced the pipe bending and do not have the same control, but worse was their complete lack of support.
 
Both my purchases from Armours have been recent: 2015 and early 2017.
I was a bit wary about buying from them, as I had heard bad reports.
However, people always complain about poor products, but rarely praise good products.
Therefore, I went along to the company to see what I was buying both times.
As is the often case, YMMV.
 
You should be concerned not only about the plating, but the fit. Over the last 20 plus years, I have not found any pipes that can be used with the original pre MkIII kick start arm. It always fouls the exhaust. In the worst case some are so poorly bent that one side muffler sticks out more than the other side. I have Toga pipes and mufflers on my '72 750 and have to use a MkIII kick start. At least the mufflers are even side to side.
 
Somewhere on this site I believe I read that the problem is the head and specifically the angle of
the ports.
A lot of what goes on with Norton is the fact that back then nothing was CNC and variations and
specs were rarely spot on.
 
re; "A lot of what goes on with Norton is the fact that back then nothing was CNC and variations and
specs were rarely spot on. "


they still are rarely spot on how do you think they bend pipes?
 
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