We've gone round and round about this before...It's nothing that can't be tuned to... The EGT is only at best, and per the coating manu, to raise 100 to 150 degrees at wide open throttle Less at idle and mid range, again easily tuned too.

The statement by Lasher "So when I installed the ceramic pipe, the exhaust gases where moving a lot faster than before. This caused unburned fuel/air to enter the pipe and exploding inside the pipe itself." is incorrect. Fuel air mixture is always drawn into the head pipe and most effieciently and vigourously at WOT, where the EGT's are at thier highest. If I remember correctly Lasher had his pipe blow off at idle, which makes me suspect of some other problem other than the pipe coating. So if you were to have problems with the scavenged fuel air mixture "exploding" in the head pipe, we all would have that problem at WOT, or any RPM/throttle position for that matter, coated, uncoated, chromed, or bare....

Most production pipes are woefully mild in comparasion to the current porting alteration trends in that a pipe that heats to operating temps sooner, maintains those temps, and provides a better matched(marginally we're only talking a 150* at best again) expansion chamber you'll be ahead. Not to mention corrosion resistance as well.

I think I've made it pretty clear in the past that the argument "well Billy-bob over here isn't using it" is weak and bogus.

I've set up about 10 bikes(Banshees and R's) now with coated pipes, chiefly because of the corrosive salt environment of the coast dune riding we do. They had painted pipes or old flaked out chrome pipes, so coating was chiefly done as a corrosion preventative, with secondary performance considerations. Never have I had a problem in the slightest factor that could be linked the pipe coating from just piped bikes to all out drag bikes...A case study would be my old 295 big bore re-sleeve bike. I had intially chosen to run a FMF Fatty, they were out of stock in most locations and a ride was coming up quick. I contacted a friend of mine who's bike I had done and who had a FMF Fatty that we had coated, FMF's nickel coating doesn't hold up for long on the Oregon Coast. I asked if I could borrow it for the weekend until my Fatty arrived, I installed the pipe, tuned to it and rode the weekend. My pipe arrived, again a ride was coming and I wasn't able to coat it prior to the ride, so I installed it and rode. I halfway expected to have to re-tune my bike due to the absence of the coating. The conditions at the dunes were nearly similar, similar enough to rule out any weather induced tuning changes. I did not have to re-tune my bike between a coated and uncoated FMF Fatty. Same type pipe, same bike, same weather, same tune...

You make your own decision about what is best for your Banshee, David, I say you will not have any problems with a coated pipe. Coat your pipes, check your tune, and ride-on in corrosion resistant heaven...

 

Backcountry – My ceramic coated pipe did blow off at WOT. Not idle. I know that I have FAR less knowledge than yourself, when it comes to tuning quads. That I will not dispute.

I recently purchased the same pipe (PT mid range) that I had ceramic coated but this time in chrome. Same motor, same jetting and same temps as before (when the problem occurred) and now have a great running motor. Maybe it could have worked with more tuning knowledge, but for me I am just starting to get into the hard core tuning world of 2 strokes.

All I know is that my experience with ceramic coating cost me $280 and a lot of headaches. Your right that “no one else is doing it” is a weak excuse for not trying something new. But I did try it and came away with worse results. I still believe that if the coating was an “all gain - no loss” mod that the endless dollar – factory backed - works bike of the motocross world would be running it as well. Then again, I nor the motocross bikes do not ride in corrosive areas of the country.

David, by all means try the coating if you wish, I am simply relaying my experiences with ceramic exhaust. Just as people will state that have good experiences and bad ones with every mod to a quad. It just did not work for me.
FAR

 

The point that I wanted to show was that....you're a zebra here Lasher...I try to always make it a point to have an open and wide ranging discussion of all experiences. I think that it is equally important that your experiences with coating is heard as well. My experience has been beneficial with coatings. I'm truley stumped as to why you had problems, we had discussed potential detonation but I think that there would have been internal components problems and indicated more such there than what happened to your pipe. My bad on when your pipe blew off, I thought is was idleing when it did, it's been a long time since the last discussion about coatings.

There are some far ranging issues about governing the factory team bikes everything from AMA regs to marketing from the head-shed folks that may preclude some uses of items/products in their world.

I'm glad that you didn't get all pissy and think I was "going after" you in this discussion, you were able to maintain focus and understand the intent, overall it's a credit to you and I tip my hat to ya....