R1200RT Chrome Exhaust?

[Steve Kolenda]

Planning on placing an order for a 2011 R1200RT and am looking for opinions on the Chrome Exhaust option. Advantages disadvantages?

[99Roadster]

Not certain about the 2010 model but in previous years the chrome option covered from exhaust header to muffler. This does seem to keep the exhaust headers from turning brown.

[Paul Mihalka]

Yep, from cylinder head to muffler. Instead of turning a ugly brown it turns to a nice blue... No functional advantage.

[dirtrider]

Hi Steve

 

I have owned both the chrome and base stainless steel exhausts.

The color difference is stated above, stainless = brown color, chrome =purple.

 

There are other slight differences. Both the base stainless and uplevel chrome are stainless pipes just one has chrome applied over the stainless.

 

If you keep your bike immaculate, wash it often and keep all the crud off the pipes the chrome will look good longer. If you allow crud to build up on the pipes, or ride a lot of gravel or dirty roads, or ride on salt covered roads the chrome will degrade and stay that way. The chrome coating is very very thin so once it looks bad it is about impossible to restore as the chrome will show every scratch, ever pit, and mirror any imperfection. On the other hand the base stainless will look just as bad but can be restored with some, “well a lot of “ buffing or polishing.

 

Bottom line here= the chrome will look a little better a little longer if you keep it spotless, the base stainless steel will be easier to make look nice again if you don’t keep the pipes clean all the time.

 

Keep in mind the stainless steel used on the BMW “front” BMW pipes is not like a frying pan or other rust free stainless. The front pipes use a 400 type stainless so it can and will corrode with neglect. Now the rear muffler is some type of 300 stainless so it is much more corrosion resistant.

 

[Albert]

Yep, from cylinder head to muffler. Instead of turning a ugly brown it turns to a nice blue... No functional advantage.

 

Hey I resent that. My ugly brown will buff to a - less ugly tan with a little buffing.

[swilson]

My bike has the chrome. The work bike does not. I'm typically not a fan of chrome, but it does look much, much better than the BROWN exhaust on my work bike.

[JayW]

I got the chrome, but was disappointed in how it looked after a few miles and ended up having the pipes coated at Performancecoatings.com shortly thereafter. It looked much better than before and is holding up well, but the coating has dulled a little bit in the 5 years since.

 

Jay

[Huzband]

Yep, from cylinder head to muffler. Instead of turning a ugly brown it turns to a nice blue... No functional advantage.

 

Hey I resent that. My ugly brown will buff to a - less ugly tan with a little buffing.

 

HEY! Keep it clean will ya. This is a family site.

 

 

[TM1918]

Chrome don't get ya home.

[hopz]

I have the Chrome, and one other thing, not really mentioned already, is that the muffler is also chrome.

 

It cleans well and looks good once cleaned. Be careful though- no rough stuff, or abrasives when removing tar spots or heavy mud etc.