I screwed up!

I have entered the point of no return. I rode in the rain yesterday to work. Of course when I arrived at work the rain stopped and the rest of the day was clear and beautiful. It only seems to rain when I’m riding so to get my bike wet and dirty in every nook and cranny.
So, I hop off my bike thinking no problem, I have a micro fiber towel.
Mr. Clean smartass that I am I start wiping my bike down. Oh, this is great my bike is getting clean and dry again. WTF!!! I touch the micro fiber towel on my pipes and bam! the towel melts instantly on my pipe. What are micro fiber towels made of? Crap! My heart is racing because these are brand new Vance and Hines pipes and my brand new 2010 Harley. I hook up with a guy at work and he tells me don’t worry I have some bad *** solvent crap that will take that s#it off guaranteed. As we are walking outside to my bike I’m starting to feel a little better having all the confidence in the world that this stuff will wipe it clean. Heck, my bud at work has never let me down before.
So here we go…I get on one knee place some of this magic solvent on a rag, reach towards my ugly stained pipes and start to rub. ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING COMES OFF, NOT A DAMN THING! My friend at work is speechless but manages to say WTF! “This crap works on anything all the time”. I reply “not this time”.
Now I have to work 9 hours thinking about my pipes all day. The work day is done so I ride home and hop off the bike and stare at that ugly melted spot. I try everything-lacquer thinner, WD-40, scratch remover, 3 types of waxes, chrome polish, easy-off oven cleaner, a buffer. I finally manage to remove 98% of the melted crap but can’t help to noticed I have screwed up; I have very fine scratches on the chrome. I’m not happy!!!

Now I’m at the point of no return. Thanks for reading this truly sad but true story of mine. I go back in the house, crack open a beer and start drinking.
By the way, I started writing this at 4:30 in the morning because I can’t sleep, just thinking about my stupid micro towel debacle.

Ride safe.
Weekender

 

Live & Learn.

 

My rubber boot soles come off my FatBoy pipes with Goof-Off, a graffiti remover. My pipes are CHROME, stock units. I don't know about other pipes, especially black ones, so those who read this please be advised.

 

Get some very fine steel wool and WD-40. It will come off with a little elbow grease and won't leave a mark.

 

I know from experience that a nickel will do the job if you get the pipes warm(not hot). You can just take the edge of the nickel and scrape the micro fiber off. We had to do this on my dads brand new pipes also.

As far as the scratches that you have now. Your best bet is probably to order another heat shield if it is bothering you that much. I have never had any luck getting the scratches out of chrome and I have tried everything I knew to try.

 

There is a name for those that put anything on a hot pipe,(begins with a D ends with a S) especially a man made material. Aluminim foil works too if there is no steel wool

 

Sorry about your pipes but, I think your a little annal about keeping it clean..Just sayin'....

Trucky911

 

Well it's a last resort but I can tell you how I got rust spots off of chrome and the same method may work for you. If there are any remaining residue that won't come off use 300 grit sand paper. Try to sand in circular motions. Then get a drill buffer ball and some good chome polish, the best is AutoSol but usually have to order it since it don't move local cause it's a little more in price. After about 6 applications of this you will start to see all the scratches go away. Stop for breathers or the ball will get too hot. Leave the dark residue on the ball when you add more polish, the dark stuff helps the buff. When finally done wipe off a dark areas with a clean soft towel. You would not believe how much better I have gotten weathered chrome and aluminum with this method. (if you have big thick chunks of crap then cut & scrape that off first with a small sharp pocket knife)
The reason this works is that there are 3 layers to chrome. The first two are of similar color material (chromium and nickel ). But if it isn't too bad you will still be buffing chromium and not the nickel. A good buff and you can't tell the difference. I have seen aluminum (polished with bar stuff) and then buffed to look like chrome.

 

hey brother, don't sweat the small ****. We have all done things that get an aweshit.

your problem is an easy one to solve. don't know about the goof off, but hey, someone said it works so try it.

I can tel you what aslo does work as well, get some toliet paper, nail polish, and a can of zip-strip paint and finish remover.

wet the toilet paper with the nail polish remover (it has acetone in it and eats plastic) and put it on the stains on your pipes. let it sit there for a solid minute. drip some more nail polich remover on it if it starts to dry.

don't bother trying to rub it off yet becuase it wont come off yet.

take some more toliet papaer andput some zip strip on it.

take the toilt paper off with the nail polish remover, and now start to run it with the toilet paper that has the zip strip.

the **** will come right off.

it won't work with just the zip strip, you need the nail polish remover first. WARNING, THE ZIP STRIP PROBALLY SAYS DO NOT MIX WITH OTHER CLEANERS, so you are on your own. don't let anyone smoke around the stuff.

now clean the area with chrome cleaner.

 

Thank you for your advice. One of you basically called me a dumbass. I’m not arguing that I’m not a dumbass on this particular incident.
Everyone in their life will make some dumb mistake. I may have done a stupid thing but I’m not a dumbass. As a matter of fact I have a 140 IQ.
I’m also a very successful top executive with the 4th largest multimedia company in the world.
I will try the aluminum foil trick but I think those fine scratches are here to stay. Oh well s#it happens.

I guess I will do that now so I can get a long ride in today—not raining today.
Thanks again