[Philatawgrapher]

My 2014 C5 has a noticeably gold color on the chrome of the exhaust pipe where it leaves the engine. I've read that this can indicate the engine is running too hot, which is likely caused by it running too lean.

I've only had the bike for a month, and it has 340 miles on it. Air temps haven't topped 75 outside, and it's mostly been ridden when the temperature outside has been around 60. The bike only idles for a minute or two to warm up—it's never left idling while running, other than in light traffic.

What are the implications of the gold color, and should I be concerned about the engine as we move toward summer?

[JVS]

That gold/tan tinge is the perfect colour around that point. If you look directly behind it (around oxygen sensor), you'll probably find a blue-ish colour. That is normal with these bikes. Nothing to worry.

[suitcasejefferson]

My 2013 B5 with just over 2000 miles on it has blued badly around that area, to the point where it looks like the chrome is burning off. This area is apparently a single wall pipe, to allow for the 02 sensor inside, and the chrome is very poor quality. I also have a gold ring around the stock muffler. It is obviously an area that is getting hotter than the surrounding area. I actually like it, as long as it doesn't mean damage is being done to the engine. I am concerned that the FI is set too lean, plug readings are borderline lean, at least IMO.

My '66 Triumph had beautiful blue/gold pipes. This was normal for British bikes of the era, that used single wall pipes. Mine was definitely not too lean, I purposely ran it rich to help keep it cool.

[gremlin]

.....What are the implications of the gold color, and should I be concerned about the engine as we move toward summer?

the exhaust will continue to turn blue, depending on how hard you ride it.  If you use it on the expressway  (more than 1/2 throttle) you should expect the entire first elbow of the pipe to turn dark blue.  Also, halfway back on your silencer is a catalytic converter - there will be a distinct line of color appear there, and, under the heatshield where the silencer clamps to the headpipe will have color.

These are all normal for this machine.

As for the engine, and, summer.   Keep in mind this bike is built for the tropics (India) It has plenty of mass in the cylinder head and actually runs relatively cool here in North America.  Again - no need for worry.

[Catbird]

I thought the pipe/muffler looked odd is this picture from a local craigslist ad...

[azcatfan]

I thought the pipe/muffler looked odd is this picture from a local craigslist ad...

That is normal for the UCE, is it not?  Hot around the head, and that lower portion is where the cat converter is, so it burns hotter there as well...

[Philatawgrapher]

Thanks much for the reassurances and explanations. I'll sleep better not having to worry about the bike.

[gremlin]

I thought the pipe/muffler looked odd is this picture from a local craigslist ad...

That bike has spent alot of time near full throttle !

[Arizoni]

I agree gremlin.
Although each motorcycle seems to be a little different, mine is not nearly as dark blue as the one in that photo.

The only really dark blue area is around the O2 sensor and it's a beautiful gold upstream and downstream from there.  The area around the O2 sensor developed the dark blue within the first 1000 miles.

My old (replaced) bazooka silencer also had developed a nice gold/light blue color in the area of the cat but it was not the almost blue/black color of the pictured motorcycle.

I normally ride in the city where using it at full throttle rarely happens but I have needed to ride at 50-65 mph at WOT for distances of well over a mile on my trips up north.
Even with that, no large areas of dark blue, blue/black colors have shown up.