Stainless exhaust discolored

mean gene said:

I just got my stainless exhaust polished and don't want to cause discoloring from oil on my hands. I know I could wear gloves but am looking for a solution to wipe off possible hand prints before I run the engine. I heard to use acid but don't want to take a chance of frosting my polish job. Any proven technique would be appreciated.

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Lighter fluid.
That owner of the shiny trailer queen Rob posted probably owns stock in Ronson.

Lighter fluid was used in my profession to clean some very very expensive lens's/glass along with HMI bulbs and lighting fixtures without the slightest residue or filming over of any type. It evaporates quickly and completely...I still use it to clean all the lens's for my cameras as well. It is completely safe for the coating used on camera lens's and works great on chrome and SS.

I also use it to prepare most all metal surfaces for appearance or to accept paint or sealant.
Inexpensive and really effective, works where the others leave film.

Bare metal or glass only...not on painted surfaces.
I found out about lighter fluid early in my career via John Fauers excellent book on maintaining Arriflex Cameras and the wide offering of custom made lens's used in the motion picture industry.

With all that being said I threw in the towel on trying to keep my exhaust headers from turning blue, be it car or bike, a long time ago.
I did not pay out for the greatest chrome/polish job (for my E. pipes) when I restored my bike, but I did require a good final finish and clean appearance.
And just a couple of long runs at highway + speeds had them turning blue again.
I have yet to avoid bluing from happening on engine headers, other than a ceramic coating. Tuning and getting on it for longer durations brings out the blue.
Heat finds a way.

baz said:

The oil tank is in the tailpiece looking at the photo
No idea where the battery is or if one is needed

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I think you are correct, but since I agree that this is a display bike (does it even have any internals?), it's probably irrelevant anyway. I would hate to have to listen to 2 open pipes whilest riding....

I once was at a track day at Imola, in the same class as a couple of Benelli 350 (I think) 4 cylinder bikes. Riding behind them was painful, even with a good full face lid and earplugs :-( I don't think that had megaphones, I think they were amplifiers!!!