exhaust pipe color

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well....the NCDMV informed me it might be a month before an agent could come to the house and run the 72/73 completed project commando's serial numbers and start title process...I gave in to temptation this morning and made a 5 mile shakedown ..just a few odds and ends need attending....bike runs smooth as silk and very strong.. starts in just a kick or two..but..i noticed the right hand (new) exhaust is already taking a very light yellowish look while other has not turned any color at all..single mikuni 32MM Sudco kit...plugs look a tad rich but not bad...pazon ignition...KN air cleaner...suggestions? ideas? thanks in advance
 
Could simply be a difference in the plating/whatever between the two pipes. That happens fairly often.

Do both plugs look the same? An air leak at the intake manifold at one of the cylinders or at the exhaust pipe will affect cylinder/combustion chamber temp and the subsequent header pipe but I would expect that to show up on the plug as well. Still, regardless of plug appearance, worth checking.

With the OEM point ignition, the cylinders can be individual timed and, therefore one could be retarded (run hotter) but with electronic systems there is usually no capability to individually adjust the timing per cylinder though I am not familiar with Pazon.

Are the valves set to the same clearance (and per specs)?
 
5 miles is early days yet I think. But with single carb then as mentioned an air leak downstream or an ignition problem like a bad coil
 
single carb manifold ...exhaust pipes to mufflers and exhaust nuts tight and sealed...plugs look about the same...not tan but slightly brownish..have not had a chance to make long run yet but might give in to temptation after I get some insurance on it this week...
 
I am sort of experiencing the same problem. Switching plug leads seems to have helped a bit but that also says something. Using a Boyer ignition at present. Switching to latest Tri-Spark asap. Have heard lots of negative about Boyer, although some swear by them. But, I guess it is like Norton's and Jeeps, when performing well, one swears by them but when not...……………..I think we all know that one !
 
Left or right,I find the plating on pipes today fair at best. I have found a way to stop discoloration on pipes. I get high heat paint,black good for 1400 deg. plug pipe one end and spray in about one quarter of paint and plug. Roll around in pipe every once in a while and drain after twelve hours . let them sit for a few days then do the same with motor oil,let hang for a day.I have done this to all nortons and some are over twenty five years old and look like the day I put them on.
 
2500 miles approx on my 2018 961, would you be concerned at the sooting. Runs well enough​



exhaust pipe color
 
No need to mention it, I know how hard it is to keep a bike clean. Those owners who have clean bikes in the middle of winter either never ride anywhere except on sunny days or just spend their entire time cleaning, unlike me.
 
Ride on sunny days, clean & detail on crappy days.
But it's tough though. Job. Long commute. House to be fixed, restored etc. etc. Each kid needs something -- always. Medical. And in the details, that list goes on and on. I walk over to the workroom and look at the bike. Just a couple of odds and ends and it's ready to go. But it's winter and I have to get the other bathroom fixed up. I don't think I'll ever get to "retire", whatever that means. Still, Norton is ready to go. Sitting there and waiting for the first warm day.
 
Major problem for me is getting any time to work on my bikes let alone clean them
Plus an endless amount of work to do on mates bikes plus working for a living,
I manage (just) to keep 5 classic bikes on the road
All of them always need a little something doing to them but on the whole are extremely reliable but dirty
 
Yup, job. Long commute. Understood. Fortunately, my winter projects are limited so the Norton can get some attention. But that means my woodworking hobby has to take a back seat.
My house needs attention, the garage needs to be painted, trailer needs to be rebuilt and both cars need work. I put those things aside last summer and spent every spare hour on the Norton. Once every ten years or so I do that. It's clean now, and will get a few hrs of detailing next spring.
 
Granted that I am getting older, but I feel confused. This thread started with a question about exhaust pipe color, specifically the bluing phenomenon. Then Welshrugby jumped aboard with a pic of soot on the end of his 961 exhaust muffler, and then the topic seemed to turn to
motorcycle cleaning in general. Reminded me of that game where someone in a circle would whisper something to the person next to him
and so on until at the end of the full circle the whispered comment turned into an entirely different topic.
 
Dirt, general grim & discoloration are proof of a sound machine which is ridden often and not just having the 'good looked out of it'. I'm proud to be in that category as should be all of you.
 
If we could buy twin skinned front pipes we wouldn't have a problem with bluing, you never see it on Rice burners.
 
I think maybe if you looked hard , any newer bikes come set lean to pass euro 3,4 whatever and most single wall pipes are going to colour if you dn’t fool with fueling, at least that my experience , have seen lots of blue pipe Bonny’s ....
 
That's right, the old AC 865s went blue on the ride home from the dealer. New T120s have double walled exhaust and no blue, but weigh a ton.
Single walled SS exhaust on the Thruxton R is now straw/gold colour after 20,000 kms. Looks good to me, but I don't mind a bit of blue on the Commando headers either .

Glen
 
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