Almost every set of Vance and Hines pipes I have seen are blueing at the connection of the collectors (baffle section) and the header pipes. A set I used to have did the same thing.
The pipes underneath will blue, and that is absolutely normal. Hence the need for decorative heat shields.
Pay attention to the way your bike runs. Jetting richer can cause other problems and is not always the right answer. Rich jetting can cause the pipes to yellow
btw. And unless you are running too lean, jetting to be richer can actually slow the bike down by providing too much fuel and not enough air for ideal combustion.
Also, check your mileage. You should be getting somewhere around 40 to 45 mpg. Although lots of folks often get better, if you are in this range you are close to ideal (this would be an average of jetting across the
rpm range you drive in).
The stock
carb has three circuits, any one of which can be lean while the others can be too rich. The Road Stars air cooled motor has to operate across a very wide range of temps compared to water cooled bikes, and this can contribute to the problem. The net of all this is that getting the carb balanced out for best operation is typically a balancing act of compromise between the three circuits of the carb. For whatever its worth, getting your bike to run well without carbon residue in the tailpipe is nearly impossible. In fact I have never been able to do it. The temerature range is too wide, and if at its richest it is not carboning up the pipe, it will be too lean at its leanest.
You might want to start with a
WOT test to see how your
main is doing, then proceed to balance out the
pms per instructions found in several articles here on the clinic. Alternatively, Bulldog's article on carb tuning recommends starting with the PMS first, then working to balance out the needle circuit.
The bluing of the pipe can be handled (its a bit of work) with a product called BlueJob. You can find it at most good cruiser accessory shops. Its a chrome polish designed to address this specifically. You will need to use it from time to time to keep it the way you like it.
If you would like some input on jetting recommendations from some of the folks around here, let us know these things:
Your elevation where you ride the most (range is ok too)
What air kit
Manifold stock or ported
baffles in or out
AIS (on - but put it in the same post so folks don't have to hunt)
Any carb settings that you know of
Average Mileage (if you know it)
It helps to get it all in one post. Folks with similiar accessories will tend to chime in and let you know how thier bikes are setup, as well as issues or problems they might have had.
Welcom to the clinic MW!
-GRAM
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