After about 300 miles with the Cannon, the headers are blue. I cannot tell how far the blueing goes down the system because it is ceramic coated but I can see from a few scratches in the coating on the header that it has turned a deep blue. Also, the ceramic has turned a bit lighter about 3 inches down the head pipes from the engine.

The bike is running cooler than it was with the stock system. I am overjoyed with performance but this bluing has me a little worried it may be too lean. Normal or not normal?

Normal. Way back when the in-line-4's (circa = CB750 Honda) came out with 4 individual pipe or 4-in-1 pipes, the factory would "double wall" a pipe within a pipe. So, you never saw a pipe turn blue up at the head area because the blue would be hidden from the outer chromed pipe.

Here you have something like Brock's 3 ounce pipe and those walls will turn color being just one thin walled pipe.

If your cannon is made of Ti, then the headers will turn bluish amost a purplish color. And fade out the as it gets away from the head. You will also see this color around the collectors and any welds.

SHwew! Glad to hear it's not necessarily abnormal to have blue headers. I am using a flies in map with my flies out bike, however. The bike is ready to log data now that I have the clean air system plugged so I guess I better git me a'loggin'.

Someone also advised that I might remove a sparkplug and check it for lean symptoms.

I really wanted to ride this weekend.

Someone also advised that I might remove a sparkplug and check it for lean symptoms.

........But I can't get the stick coil out. How hard am I supposed to pull? Can I twist and pull or will the break it? Tips? Pointers?

See, I told you I wanted to ride this weekend and you were rolling your eyes thinking, "Oh gawwd, what's the big deal about pulling a few spark plugs.

Pull the clip off the spark stick. Twist the head back and forth as you pull up, and I mean straight up, no angles = Piece of cake if you twist, like we did last summer... Twist tin time is here.... Bada Bop!

Hey, that was a quick and dirty dowel how-to, Rooksteer! Looks too easy.

Hey, that was a quick and dirty dowel how-to, Rooksteer! Looks too easy.

I found myself doing the twist on that one too.

Yes, the twist is what gets it done for stick coils. Amazing how hard that sucker was stuck until I gave it a little turn while pullng up. Still can't imagine how i will get the center coils out being that they are 5" long and there is not more than 3" clearance under the air box.

So I see our sparkplugs are inside of the motor- How convenient...if you are the motor, I guess.

Here's a stick coil for anyone who is pulling these for the first time. Looks like the only part that sticks is the 3 rings that my thumb is pointing to.

No melted plugs, no carbon between electrodes. Minor blueing seems to be a normal situation as most people told me. False alarm. I'm ready to take a 400 mile trip this weekend!