Does this mean its running too hot? Installed a motard exhaust and am just worried it might be running hot. Anyway to tell?

Thanks in advance

I will try and put pics up later

Quite the opposite, actually. Black discoloration is a sign of running rich.

EDIT: Since apparently I have to state the obvious, I mean black discoloration at the exhaust tip.

SS discolor noticeably,what's excessive.
Let's see those pics man.

OK all you geniuses ... back up a bit and read up what stainless is and what temperature does to it ...

Stainless is low carbon steel that has been dipped in nitric acid.
For some reason too complex to explain, it repairs itself if its nicked ... aka stainless ...

So what happens if its heated to say 600F (easy temperature for exhaust to hit) ... yea bye bye protective coating.

Sand and paint the bugger ...

I am a stainless nut ... I still wont run a stainless exhaust ... or atleast wont pay the $$$$ for one ....

Chrome lasts a bit longer ... but I've also had that not stand up for too long on cruisers ... but its likely to hold up better especially past that first 12" or so very very hot part.

Cool.
Buddha.

all i know is with stainless exhausts .. on cars at least .. they 'usually' have a slightly 'tinny' edge to the sound? ... maybe the resonance effect from lower carbon? .. no idea really .. ive noticed the sound many times though?!

They are tinny sounding due to the guage of the metal ... stianless being more $$$$ they make em thinner guage.
Cool.
Buddha.

  cool ... that ends years of wondering!! ...

spose i could have asked an exhaust shop ... but that would involve remembering to do so! 

Quote from: The Buddha on September 08, 2013, 06:10:59 PM
OK all you geniuses ... back up a bit and read up what stainless is and what temperature does to it ...

Stainless is low carbon steel that has been dipped in nitric acid.
For some reason too complex to explain, it repairs itself if its nicked ... aka stainless ...

What have you been smoking?

Quote from: fetor56 on September 08, 2013, 04:10:24 PM
SS discolor noticeably,what's excessive.
Let's see those pics man.

+1 

Quote from: The Buddha on September 08, 2013, 06:10:59 PM
OK all you geniuses ... back up a bit and read up what stainless is and what temperature does to it ...

Stainless is low carbon steel that has been dipped in nitric acid.

The nitric acid isn't a protective coating, it's used to etch the surface in order to form a film of chromium oxide. If a high-temp SS alloy (higher chromium content) is used, that outer layer may turn some exciting colors, but the protection is still very much present.

I always thought it was normal for SS pipes to "blue" a bit at the headers. Mine did a bit. As long as it's not black, you should be fine. If it's black, run your finger on the pipes (when they're COLD) and see if you get soot on your finger. If you do, you probably have a loose exhaust bolt. Pics would be helpful, though. We like pics here.

I have the moted. Even saw it glow dark red in the dark while running too long idling.

SS turns a beautiful dark blue and other colors.

Lets see pictures. It will not stay silver at the headers. The coloration can be really cool looking as it fades from dark bluish to silver half way down.

Quote from: The Buddha on September 08, 2013, 06:10:59 PM

Stainless is low carbon steel that has been dipped in nitric acid.

Stainless and mild steel (low carbon) alloys differ greatly, stainless contains high amounts of chromium, about 10-20%........mild steels don't contain anywhere near this amount.

Stainless can be passivized (pickled) by treating it with nitric or hydrochloric acid solutions which adds an oxide film to the surface this increases tarnish and corrosion resistance but the process does not `miraculously` turn mild steel alloys into stainless steel alloys   

OK all this cross talk aside ... I am yet to run across 1 bloody SS pipe that after say a month of running on a bike still looks like "stainless"
I also have a whole slew of nascrap headers ... the brackets and bolts that hold the sections of pipe togther look like stainless, the rest of the header looks rather like a bunch of spots where it is rusting or about to.

Cool.
Buddha.

I have always seen stainless discolor at the headers and it's normal. Now if it is discoloring far back in the pipes, they are usually running alcohol or something else