Help identify stain on chrome and cleaning tips

[robo555]

I've read numerous threads regarding chrome cleaning, and the consensus seems to be autosol.

However, I understand it's an abrasive, and since my bike is quite new, I don't want to use it yet. Also, I just want to remove the stains on my pipe rather than polish the chrome.

In the attached image, I've got this black patch of stain, it has kind of a diagonal stripe pattern, feels kinda plastic/rubber. I have no idea what it is, I've tried kerosene, CRC, regular turtle car wash and they all don't seem to do anything to the stain.

The other stain is the brown burnt looking water drip marks. I washed my bike yesterday with turtle car wash, dried it, polished tank with turtle carnauba wax, then sprayed Inox Lanox on the pipes and engine. Today I rode to work, and smell a slight burning smell, came back home and found the brown stain there. I'm not sure what else could have caused this other than the Inox Lanox, but I haven't come across thing that says heat plus Lanox is bad, there're also threads that mentions people spraying Lanox all over the bike to stop corrosion.


It'll be helpful if someone can help identify the two stains, and how I can remove them.

[JimO]

peice of plastic (shopping bag) has brushed against your pipe mine has the same except some funny bastard put a peice of plastic on the bike and my wife didnt notice it as she rode off

[no-coast-punk]

Unfortunately the pipes will need to go to a metal polisher.

jimjim is correct. A plastic bag hit the pipe at some point.

Unfortunately the carbon breaks down and bonds chemically to the chrome at those temperatures. No cleaner on earth will really take that stuff off. Depending how bad it is the pipes may need to be re-plated.

[robo555]

From what you guys have said, the black mark's probably from my nylon pants when I first started riding.

Still don't know what the brown liquid stain is though. It's definitely not from the nylon/plastic 'cos the black mark's been there for months, while the brown stain only appeared the next day after I washed and sprayed the bike, and is not near the black mark. Could it have been something I used while washing, or something leaked from the bike?

[vifferman]

...the brown stain only appeared the next day after I washed and sprayed the bike, and is not near the black mark. Could it have been something I used while washing, or something leaked from the bike?

Yes.
I'd say (it looks like) when you washed and sprayed the bike, some engine spooge (technical term) sneakily dribbled down onto the header when you weren't looking. The headers helpfully cooked it for you, and it's glazed onto/into the surface of the metal.

[martybabe]

There is a good chance the plastic will rub off with a soft cloth, when the exhaust is really hot. Get the bike up to temperature and try rubbing aggressively with a soft cotton cloth whilst the plastic is molten. I've removed a few plastic melt marks this way. Obviously, Hot+skin=bad, be careful and good luck. As for the brown stuff, looks like whatever it is has leeched into the chrome, I'm afraid your only hope is Autosol

[robo555]

Yay, success!

After I got home, while the pipe is hot/warm, I got #0000 (very fine) steel wool and some elbow grease, and the black stain was gone. It was pretty stubborn, took about 20-30mins for that little patch.

The steel wool worked for the brown stains as well, which was way easier to remove, only took couple of minutes.

During that time, I tried spraying on CRC and WD-40 to the stains, didn't seem to do much. The pipe being warm probably didn't make too much of a difference, the credit goes to the steel wool.

Result, stains are gone, steel wool left no scratches on the pipe, it maybe slighly less shiny then before which I'm sure autosol and other chrome polish can take care of, but it's not a Harley so don't care too much.

Here's a pic so you can easy before and after.

[slofox]

Still don't know what the brown liquid stain is though.

Did you scare yourself on the ride before the stain appeared.....hmmmmm???