My exhaust is a black 2-1 pipe, looks kinda crummy but dont got the money for a new one till next year...

Saw some cafe racer and bobbers used exhaust wrap for a badass look on the headpipes, but I heard different views on the wrap itself...

positives/advantages:

Some claim it moves heat faster away from the engine, which is good to keep engine cooler?...

or having wrap keeps less heat around your legs area+leather chaps someone mentioned haha?, so protects against yer feet gettin burned (my feet never touch headpipes hehe, but i guess some do, prob one CL 350 pipes with crappy gaurds hehe).

negatives/disadvantages:

Others claim it makes the exhaust hotter, bluing the pipes which you wont see until take off the wrap.

Or even cause further problems with the bike (I'm not sure how but I read "tape and wrap will burn and cause ignition problems that are hard to fix.")

Those people seem to recommend to just use high temp paint on the headpipe to cover up any ugliness.

Any opinion?

If its within your budget and you like the look then go for it, would think its a pain to clean though, you could probably touch it up with black high temp paint now and then, as for the other advice you got- well like most things bike related its down to personal choice and experience, part of the fun is trying things out

go with your gut !

is your 2-1 made from mac? If so do not buy another one. Either get a 2 to one fabbed up or get some stock 2-2's. Anyways about the exhaust wrap. I am gonna do my exhaust in tan wrapping, I have heard nothing bad from it. Supposedly the wrap keeps the gas hotter so it will decrease in density and make it get out of the system faster and it keeps the heat away from you. People who wrap it wrong or loose do have problems later on since they created small pocket holes for moisture and crap to get into it, but if you do it right you should not have a problem.

Here is a link if you need to find out how do properly do it

http://www.bikernet.com/garage/PageViewer.asp?PageID=750

edit: also here is a calculator for how much wrap you need.

http://www.heatshieldproducts.com/exhaust_wrap_calculator.php

I will be doing my headers next week.

i say go for it . i did mine last june? i have not had any problem's with it . plus it look's bad ass . here's a pic of mine

Do it. Good way to hide crap pipes. Just don't be surprised when they look even more crap when you take the wrap off!

is your 2-1 made from mac? If so do not buy another one....

Here is a link if you need to find out how do properly do it

http://www.bikernet.com/garage/PageViewer.asp?PageID=750

edit: also here is a calculator for how much wrap you need.

http://www.heatshieldproducts.com/exhaust_wrap_calculator.php

I will be doing my headers next week.

I am not sure. The pipes look old and the guy i bought bike from didnt do anything on it.

Unless Mac made these exhausts 10 years ago. .... Yeh i was thinking about getting cool mufflers like reverse cones, or peashooter or maybe british silencer style, and putting them on.

Wasnt sure if i want a 2-1 with a 1 muffler still or get 2 new headers with 2 mufflers (where can you buy just chrome headers for xs400?, Ive only seen them sold in kits like the Mac exhaust kit).

Cool, i saw that link before and also the link you mentioned for the wrap...

Would you use the 1" or 2" thick wrap?

Also what color would you do for a all-black cafe bike? black or tan?

Thanks,

Arian

I am not sure. The pipes look old and the guy i bought bike from didnt do anything on it.

Unless Mac made these exhausts 10 years ago. .... Yeh i was thinking about getting cool mufflers like reverse cones, or peashooter or maybe british silencer style, and putting them on.

Wasnt sure if i want a 2-1 with a 1 muffler still or get 2 new headers with 2 mufflers (where can you buy just chrome headers for xs400?, Ive only seen them sold in kits like the Mac exhaust kit).

Cool, i saw that link before and also the link you mentioned for the wrap...

Would you use the 1" or 2" thick wrap?

Also what color would you do for a all-black cafe bike? black or tan?

Thanks,

Arian

I would go buy some cheapo ebay OEM ones since mac are not the greatest quality. I went for the 2" wrap. I think I have 100 feet of it and I sure as hell won't use all of it. You have my number if you wanna grab some wrap. But I am not sure of the quality of it since I bought it form ebay. It goes from white and it slowly turns to tan...