Is it possible to powder coat expansion chambers ? , or do the header pipes get too hot ?
People say you can do it with high temp powder, but the ones I have seen have had bits and pieces of road grunge stuck in the powder after the heat softens the coating enough for anything thrown up by the front wheel to stick.
Yeah, they look like shit after a bit.
Chrome is probably best, or if you are cheap like me, wire wheel them each spring and then mop and glow them.
Ceramic, BBQ paint or nickle/chrome.
Or if you're a baller on a budget:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71DdMqBh6sL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)
... and I'm nowhere as attentive as Chris. I did my mild steel M77 pipes once with M&G back in 2016, and they haven't rusted yet.
I'm in Oregon, where it rains. A lot.
(https://i.ibb.co/KwkD54R/e-Pys3-Om-L1-Fsa-CDSTRRLHx-JNwf-Ss-QSK-Uxb8-Pp-ESQiy-Z3qi8hdy-JUWVNJ1-DB6-Ue-GMI5vy-AFlce-Dp-JIt-CEf.jpg)
It definitely depends on the steel your pipes are made of. A lot of my MX bike pipes hardly ever needed cleaning. My DG's don't hold up. The blow by at the flanges doesn't help, even with modified flanges it takes work.
It's true.
This is after a few years of use.
(https://i.ibb.co/QYRnJ4t/TDR-2-T-2019.jpg)
The high heat areas at the downpipes and stingers burn in to dark brown, and the blowby oil turns black and crusty after a while.
They could def use a clean and recoat, but I just don't care that much.
I've done the Mop-N-Glow on raw steel, it's a good look and fairly low maintenance. I also tried "chrome-ish" ceramic coating. I didn't particularly like it after three years, it stained etc and couldn't be cleaned up. I ended up hitting those with barbecue paint....
Mop and Glow (freshly done)
(https://i.ibb.co/DL0rQXc/8-F1-CC6-AC-50-C3-4704-890-A-3694085-A787-E.jpg)
Mop and Glow (cooked in)
(https://i.ibb.co/09RT5tT/2-CE19-D61-7-AC3-41-AF-9-F8-D-5-A159-CE22357.jpg)
Fresh Ceramic Coat:
(https://i.ibb.co/v1y6Y10/1-F6865-C0-3-BDE-4099-89-AA-6-A75877-C8801.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/r7gsshc/2-F51-C2-E0-BDAB-4176-BB4-A-4989-A4-EDEB9-B.jpg)
Same pipes painted over:
(https://i.ibb.co/4gXX64L/2-D498-D47-B67-A-4-C06-A73-F-8-FDBBE5-EDFE2.jpg)
+1 on Mop and Glo. That's what I do on my racing RD400. Adds no weight over bare metal, lasts all season.
Chrome is probably best, or if you are cheap like me, wire wheel them each spring and then mop and glow them.
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Rob