I picked up a akropovic header for my zx14r about 3 years ago. I had a shop called extreme heat coatings do the ceramic coating. Ever since i installed the headers when i ride afterword my pants smell like somekind of burnt solvent or burnt oil and solvent and sorta toxic smell. last night i pulled the fairings and retightned the flange nuts. no sighns of leaks.nuts were all good and tight. Anybody ever had this issue? thanks in advance for any input or help

Mine smoked when first installed but no problem after. It was a cheap coating that was not kiln fired. It fired itself on the engine heat. Has held up poorly (basically looked like shit after 1 year).

I regret having the headers coated. thinking of just yanking them from the bike and replacing them with identical headers or the stock ones. Rook do you think its mandatory to replace the cooper crush gaskets any time you remove the headers? im thinking always, just askin tho.

I would. I have heard of people reusing them though. Seems like it would be asking for a leak. Too much work to take them off a second time to replace gaskets.

Maybe you should try sanding the coating off without removing them. If that doesn't work, maybe take them off and sandblast them.

Are you sure your head cover is not leaking? That is where the oil runs when the bike is upright, right on your headers at the manifold. It might never drip down low if it is getting burned off regularly.

Streetsweeper, you should have no smells coming from a ceramic coated header. The coating is built to withstand extreme temps. I ran a ceramic coated header and can and never had an issue. I wonder if they powder coated it instead of ceramic coating it. Powder coating would burn off a header.

I told Cblast about what was happening a while back and he told me he had the same problem, then said he got back in their and tightened the hell out of the header nut/bolt flanges, and no more stink.

I finally got around to it, and did the same last night and low and behold it worked. I rode about 150 miles for test ride today and no more burnt solvent smelling pants, i was totally doubting the whole thought last night after i did the tightening.

Rook the owner of extreme heat coatings told me he would remove the coating for free using some kind of dip in something method, i just wasnt digging the bike being down and having to wait. when i pulled the fairing and pushed the radiator away i took a real close look and no sighns of anything.

zx14rider it was ceramic coated. your right there should be no smells, it would only leave my riding pants smelling like burnt solvent/oil toxic stench.

thanks guys for your input fellas
p.s. zx14rider, how are you digging the bmw bike?

Do they help with the heat?

yes, the ceramic coating is intended to keep the headers from gloing red hot reducing power from excess heat. that was my reason. oh and the fact i wanted to dial down the bling here in california, my set up is totaly illegal. some riders do it to control heat from pipe under the seat.

Glad you got the smell issue worked out. I love the BMW. I have had it for just over a year and I am almost at 6400 miles. Super quick and a completely different animal then the ZX14. Dirt bike comfort. I don't think I could live without nav, cruise control and heated grips anymore. Of course the ABS and shift assistant is awesome as well.

Auron the ceramic coated headers definetly help with the heat. It keeps more of the heat in the pipe if that makes sense. Its also cools to the touch much faster. Don't hesitate if your thinking about getting it done.

zx14rider, glad you like it. its a really nice bike with all the features

streetsweeper, is it possible to remove the exhaust pipes without totally removing the radiator? What does it take to do so?

I'd just take it off to make sure I could see in there but I've heard of people doing that. Just remove the top radiator bolts and loosen the bottom so you can tilt it forward enough to reach the header bolts. Or remove all bolts and let the radiator be supported by the water pipes. Put a piece of cardboard over the radiator to protect it from getting bent by the wrench. If it doesn't seem possible, take the whole radiator off.

DIESEL, fairing has to come off. It is possible to remove, replace the headers without removing the radiator. if i remember i loosened the top fastenenrs removed the bottom fastener use some cardboard like a beer or soda box and ball up a towell and wedge it in place to hold radiator out of thr way. just be carefull and take your time and youll be good and what the rookster said.

Oh thank you, that was helpful. Still worry about over stretching the water pipes/lines. Do you think there's enough spare length not to kink or damage the radiator pipes?

yes there is enough spare length to operate with out damaging anything. or rook said if you dont think its possible then plan b and pull it, you got this.

p.s. take a few pics for us, we like pics

* Last updated by: streetsweeper on 8/23/2017 @ 5:40 PM *

I just got to try my Yosh coated with Swaintech's stuff mounted up and I'd say it definitely made a difference, seems like it lets the radiator do it's job more than anything. I painted them black, the white just wan't going to work.

Well worth the $285 I think. The R77 BTW is also awesome, especially with Ivan's flash.

* Last updated by: Auron on 8/24/2017 @ 3:44 PM *

Still hesitated :( I'm pretty much newbie. Today I installed EvoTech radiator guard, and for that got to remove the fairings. Damn took me 4 hours to set everything back in place. These tabs/notches/projections/you name it, seems to be very fragile and the whole thing is bit sophisticated. Miraculously didn't break anything.
Considering for next time to apply some silicone grease/spray over all the plastic-to-plastic contact points. hopefully to make it smoother.