Where the
world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989


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How to color the muffler system on my sport bike?

HEY GUYS! I HAVE A SPORT BIKE IN WHICH THE MUFFLER I HAVE IS SILVER LOOKING BUT I WANTED TO SEE HOW I COULD MAKE IT MATCH MY BIKE WHICH IS RED. HOW WOULD I GO ABOUT THAT COULD I POWDERCOAT IT RED OR WHITE OR HOW ESLE CAN I GET THE MUFFLER THESE COLORS. EITHER WHITE OR RED. I DON;T MIND IT HAVING A metalliC FINISH BUT I WOULD PREFER IT GLOSSY.

SEAN HONEYCUTT
EMPLOYEE - RALEIGH, North Carolina
2007

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August , 2007

You can buy high temperature paint [affil links] in rattle cans, bright red, made for brakes, Sean. But I don't think you will find it satisfactory for an exhaust system. For that what you probably really need is a ceramic coating (this is more like melted glass rather than a solvent based paint or a plastic-based powder coating). That is something you cannot spray yourself because exceptionally high temperatures are required to melt the ceramic particles and fuse them into a coating.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

OKAY, SO SHOULD I ATTEMPT THIS PROJECT WITH THE HIGH TEMP SPRAY YOUR TALKING ABOUT OR...........WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS MYSELF BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET "RIPPED OFF" BY SOMEONE OVERCHARGING ME AT A PLACE WHEN THEY SAY, "OH WELL GEEZ, THATS A RARE PROJECT, GONNA COST YOU RARE MONEY!" YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? BUT I GUESS THAT IS THE ONLY WAY. DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHERE TO TAKE THE BIKE TO HAVE IT DONE PROFESSIONALLY (ASSUMING THERE IS A FRANCHISE CHAIN CO. SINCE I AM IN RALEIGH :)....)PERHAPS A MAACO OR "SHERWIN WILLIAMS" LOL!

SEAN HONEYCUTT
- RALEIGH, North Carolina
2007

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Don't shoot the messenger, Sean! If you want something cheap, you are welcome to try high temperature paint, as I said. But if you need something attractive that holds up to exhaust temperatures, it will probably have to be a ceramic coating not paint -- not because people want to rip you off but because extraordinary temperatures are needed (obviously significantly higher than exhaust temperatures) to melt and fuse something so temperature resistant. Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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You might come to the realization that matching the exhaust to the paint the bike and the job having any kind of quality at all is going to cost you. I bought some headers and in order to have them ceramic coated it was going to cost me another $200. I sprayed on high temp paint to keep them from rusting instead. Works good, looks like crap, but their under the hood so nobody cares. Your exhaust are out in the open so whatever you do to them is going to have to be good, does the dealer offer ceramic coated exhaust systems in body colors as an aftermarket add on? That might be the better way to go.

Sheldon Taylor
supply chain electronics
Wake Forest, North Carolina
2007