How to Install Motorcycle Exhausts Wraps

Motorcycles exhausts are hot and can easily burn your leg or clothing if you are not careful. Wrapping your exhaust pipe with a protective film will not only make riding your bike safer, it will make those old muffler pipes look new again. Installing an exhaust wrap on your bike is not difficult at all and can be done in a couple of hours. Here is a simple step by step guide to get you started.

Step 1 - Remove Exhaust Pipe

Use the correct sized wrench to remove the exhaust pipe on your motorcycle from the engine. You may need to use a large nut driver to remove the nuts on the muffler seal from the manifold area.

Step 2 - Clean the Muffler Pipe

Take a soft towel and some warm soapy water and thoroughly clean the surface area of the muffler pipe. Once you have cleaned the pipe, allow it to dry for about 30 minutes before continuing.

Step 3 - Clamp Muffler in Place

Take the muffler pipe and clamp it into place using clamps or a vise. Ensure that the pipe is positioned so that you can reach around the diameter of the pipe without having to move the pipe too much. You may want to clamp the pipe to a table, onto a piece of pipe, or other straight pole to make it easier to work with.

Step 4 - Primer the Pipe

Take a can of heat resistant paint primer and spray the entire surface area of the muffler pipe that you will be installing the exhaust wrap on. Refer to the directions on the can of primer and allow the primer to dry before continuing.

Step 5 - Soak the Exhaust Wrap

Before you install the exhaust wrap, you should soak the wrap in water for about 15 to 20 minutes. This will make it much more pliable and easier to work with. Also, it will allow the wrap to adhere better to the metal surface of your muffler pipe.

Step 6 - Install Exhaust Wrap

Begin slowly wrapping the exhaust wrap around the exterior surface of the exhaust pipe. When wrapping the pipe, overlap the previous wrapped section by a three or four inches. When wrapping the muffler pipe with the exhaust wrap, try to make the wraps as tight as possible to reduce movement and air bubbles. Use the hose clamps to hold the exhaust wrap in place. You might want to choose stainless steel or polished hose clamps so that they will look better. Allow the exhaust wrap to air dry on the muffler pipe about 15 minutes or so before reinstalling the exhaust on the motorcycle.

Step 7 - Re-Attach Muffler Pipe

Reattach the muffler pipe to the engine and frame of your motorcycle. Then, start the engine and rev it up for a few minutes. The heat that travels through the exhaust pipe will quickly dry the exhaust wrap and cause it to bond and adhere to the muffler pipe.