Ceramic header coatings and performance.

The Kerker "K" series pipe on my bike has been long discontinued. I love the pipe for looks and performance. two years I had it sandblasted and than I used VHT to coat it. Needless to say that stayed pristine about 1/2 hour before the paint started to bubble and come off. Yes and I did it EXACTLY the way I was instructed by the manufacturer over the phone. VHT of any brand is SHIT. I have been contemplating of getting the header ceramic coated inside and out, so i started to research it on the web. Besides just looks, corrosion protection, and durability, there are significant performance benefits. Especially if you also do it on the inside of the pipes. Because the gases stay hotter inside the pipe the exhaust velocity increases and that increases exhaust scavenging. I have found a local place here in the Chicago area that will do it for about $100, and they do all the prep work. They have it in. silver, flat black, and dark gray. I remember a few years ago WG was contemplating doing it for about $350 for the headers. (I wonder how long that would have taken him to do?) I am planning on removing my header as soon as the riding season is over after Thanks Giving, and taking it in. I have the capability of doing small items like pistons and heads but not something as big as an exhaust header. Anyone here have ceramic headers?

I don't have one yet, but have been contemplating ceramic coatings for my exhaust as well. I look forward with keen interest to see what becomes of your findings.

Considering the fact that I paid $65 just to get it blasted before I used the VHT on it, I think that the price I was quoted to get tit coated including the prep work should be worth it. The three cans of VHT and VHT primer cost me about $25 to begin with. I am looking forward to having it done. If I like it, I have a bunch of other pipes I will have done. One of the bike shop owners around here has a big block 83 GPz1500 done by these guys about 15 years ago and it still looks like new.

For $100 is sounds like a hell of a deal.

Did you coat the inside of the pipe before you painted it with VHT?

$100 is a super deal. It seems that all the shops around here want twice that, but admittedly I haven't searched that hard yet.

I will be curious to see what you find out too, i have been considering getting the pipes on my cb750 done. i have seen them and they looked great but never had any done.

The ones that I saw on the GPz1500 that were done 15 years ago look beautiful. i plan on going down there tomorrow and checking them out.

I painted the inside of the headers on my V and H before I installed them with ceramic caliper paint.Has greatly helped with the bluing problem associated with a non double wall pipe.I have no idea how ceramic does as far as looks are concerned except it looks ok on my calipers.bj

i had a vance&hines header coated at the powder coater with this black header coating a few years back,gave it to solomrus here in omaha to run on his bike.
the coating didnt seem like it worked that much better than paint to me anyway ,scratched really easy

I had ceramic coated headers on my El Camino, and they were awesome! The biggest suprise was that the usual chips and scratches in the coating on the bottom of the collector did not happen as easily, and when the coating eventualy was breached, it still doesn't rust like a painted header would. For $100 I'd jump all over it :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

Yep, ceramic coating is definately the hot ticket in the automotive crowd, always wondered why more bike guys havn't been doing it. I'd just make sure it's a pipe you wanna keep for a while.

Had jet-hot coatings do my headers on my Camaro inside and out.
Still looks great