I use my bike for commuting so the exhaust looks a bit tired. Has anybody ever painted theirs? Would love some tips on doing it, and some pix with the outcome. The bike is a 749. Thanks a lot.
I used Hycote on mine to see what it was like.......looks OK, but it's not solvent or petrol resistant and it is now beginning to flake..... It would have been better if the pipes were blasted first to get a better key.......but then, it is a relatively cheap product. I have a can of Sperex for when I get around to doing it again.......it has always been good. AL.
Collector box mod, cleaned them up - painted with Halfords Hi Temp black (really good paint!), then wrapped. :biggrin: Aint got the time to gimp around cleaning/polishing them, there is riding to be had.
"Scottish bright" the pipes and can, gives a nice satin stainless steel finish that is easy to maintain.
Stops you having to clean your exhaust. :biggrin: Improved scavenging from the cylinders - gases will flow more readily into another hot area out of the pots, will also stop you burning yourself on the pipes when faffing etc...
Ive seen xx9 bikes with matt black painted pipes (the same stuff that used to be an OEM finish on mild steel pipes) and is pretty durable. There is also ceramic coating, which is said to be very good also. For me, its shiny all the way but I only use mine for fun.
I used it extensively in the 80s on Guzzi zorsts and car manifolds...........Black, White, Orange, Red etc.....all worked pretty well although on the sharp bends right next to the exhaust port it tended to go a bit white-ish......The trick with Sperex was to have the pipes lightly blasted, and to make sure it was well baked on........... .........I smoked the house out when the manifolds wouldn't fit in the oven, because I stood them on the woodburner and stoked that up. Sperex these days may not be quite the same stuff........Hycote silver/grey is in fact light grey......Sperex silver is silver.... Sperex used to be a matt finish but rubbing it with a rag would put a satin type sheen on it, Hycote won't...it rubs off. AL
Thanks all. I think mine are too far gone to be polished up, hence the painting thinking. Might try the Halfords stuff, if you think its long lasting 470four? Thanks for the replies everyone. Will post back once i've done it, for verdicts
Sure there's proper ceramic coating companies that do this. Painting them is very popular in the good ole US, especially in the warmer states.
painted mine , with this . VHT SATIN FINISH HEADER EXHAUST MANIFOLD PAINT KIT AS RECOMMENDED BY VHT | eBay . Had it blasted first then cured the paint with a blow torch down the inside. Seems to be standing up ok.
Tanks carbon but I painted the top with the corse stripe the same as the front mud guard. This is an old photo but you will get the idea.
Its really rather good paint! The satin black is not available in aerosol - but smooths out well when brushed on, good quality thick paint too!
