A method and product we’ve found that really works

There are several inevitabilities in motorcycle riding and maintenance, and one of them is pipe discoloration. Over time, our pipes blue, yellow, darken, retain imprints and fingerprints, and just get downright unsightly. And whereas the rest of your motorcycle can be washed, cleaned, polished, and made shiny again, the same can’t always be said for your exhaust pipes. Due to extreme heat, time, exposure, and their own composition, keeping pipes clean and shiny is just a much more difficult job.

My beloved 1978 Kawasaki KZ 650.

I’ve owned my restored 1978 Kawasaki KZ 650 now for a couple of years. It’s a beautiful motorcycle, although not completely stock. With a rejetted and retuned carburetor breathing through four filter pods, the bike also sports a 4-into-1 Delcevic exhaust system. It looks great, is ridiculously loud, and sadly, horribly stained and discolored. Some of that was from the previous owner who rebuilt and restored the bike, but clearly didn’t polish the pipes, as well as my own negligence in properly cleaning the pipes since I’ve had it.

These pipes are awful looking.

I’ve been on various forums and social media pages for older motorcycles, taking suggestions from numerous friends, and yet have never really found a product and method short of voodoo that could effectively clean the pipes and get them shiny again. Until now.

A couple of YouTube searches in recent weeks showcased a product I’d never heard of: Autosol Metal Polish. This stuff is liquid gold. Developed and manufactured in Germany, Autosol looked like the product solution I was looking for. But the product alone would be insufficient without a method of application, which several guys on YT had shared.

Finally something that works.

The elements you’ll need for the job.

You’ll need a tube of the Autosol Metal Polish, some heavy duty Scotch-Brite scrubbing pads as well as their softest polishing pads, a Shammy cloth, several strips of old t-shirt, and rubber gloves.

Disclaimer: This might not give you the same results it gave me, so don’t castigate me if you’re unhappy with yours. All I know is that this worked for my pipes, and I’m pleased with the results. Your results may vary. Also, you might want to research a bit more first, if you’re running chrome pipes. The abrasive nature of this method might damage chrome. The Autosol should still work great on them, just in a gentler application.

Here’s the video I put together after trying it all out on three pipes, then used the fourth as the test pipe for the tutorial: