So I finally finished the project. I was mistakenly calling this stuff asbestos pipe wrap, when in reality it's made out of fiberglass. I got it at a local hot rod shop (Chevy type shop). 50' of this stuff was $40, plus almost another $20 for stainless steel zip ties. I used roughly half so far on the headers.

I made a small mistake and didn't cover one of the headers right near the engine 100%. I didn't see it until after I put the tie on. In the grand scheme of things, this shouldn't matter.

After starting the bike and running it, the engine area is much cooler. My fan shroud on the lower fan was melting already, and I'm guessing this should stop it.

Here's the link: http://acruhl.freeshell.org/superbike/andys_mv/thermal_wrap.html

(The radio shack catalog is what I put the sidestand on but I also use it for other things. Kind of a strange thing to have under a bike, I know...)

-- Andy Ruhl (quadreverb@yahoo.com), October 27, 2002

Answers

Why you did not go down lower, to protect your fearing too?

-- o (okthomas@tir.com), October 27, 2002.

That's part 2 of the project. The reason I've kind of stopped here is because I wanted to get the thing running again. To get the wrap on the headers requires that the radiators get removed. I needed to change the coolant to something track legal anyway, so that worked out pretty good. The rest of the job can be done most likely by only removing the fairing lower. The other problem is there are a few brackets to deal with that I'll have to figure out a strategy to deal with. Also, the pipes split under the engine, so I'll have to not cross that with the wrap. Putting the wrap on from the headers down to where the pipe goes 4 into 2 is fairly easy and quick (2 hours total time spent, and I'm a total rookie). The rest will take a lot more time and effort.

I need to make a removeable piece to put on under the oil filter too. Getting oil on this wrap is a really bad idea because it can start on fire. So that's why I ended the left side so early.

Rode the bike in earnest for the first time today and it made some funny smells, but there weren't any problems. The bike actually seemed to run a little smoother too, which could be possible because this wrap tends to make the exhaust flow a little better.

-- Andy Ruhl (quadreverb@yahoo.com), October 27, 2002.