Gotta tell ya... Just my personal opinion, but if I had any brand new bike that I liked, I probably wouldn't do much modification to it for a couple of years and quite a few thousand miles... For several reasons, mostly to do with devaluing the bike in case I later decided to trade it in. But that's just a personal opinion and preference...

But if you are really determined to paint (color) your exhaust, you really should look at the option of ceramic coating; because it looks good; lasts much longer, and supposedly has performance benefits.

Otherwise, yes... I'd scratch the nice shiny new chrome with some #100 grit so the paint would have something to grab, and paint it with a purpose made high-temp paint with no primer. It will probably look like crap within a year. So I'd expect to use paint stripper and a fresh coat of paint about every year. That kind of added maintenance I don't need! But it's your bike... I know for a fact that there are folks right here who don't understand or like things I've done with mine, so to each their own huh?

Or... You might consider doing what I've done: Buying an old crusty header pipe and used Harley muffler to do your painting to, and keep your nice shiny and expensive chrome stock exhaust in a box in the garage/shed etc...

luxup wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:07:


That would be the prudent thing to do in my opinion. Something I learned from messing with old guitars and amps: Sometimes it is best to make any modifications easily reversible, and keep the old parts just in case you or a future owner wants to return to stock/original.

Of course that isn't a hard rule, sometimes it is necessary to burn bridges behind to forge ahead. But it is always a consideration when modifying anything if you want to move beyond the point of no return! Like I said: on a nearly new bike, I wouldn't be so quick to do that. Which is one reason I have two old Savages, as opposed to one newer one. I want to feel like I can do whatever I want to them without regret.

Dude, that thing is beautiful. I sure hope you rethink that idea. A dyna muffler would sure look good. I spent the Big$$ & did the Supertrapp. I never really played with anything before & I had a great time messing with "Performance Mods" on this bike. Now, I am detuning a bit, trying to regain some decent MPG, since the daughter is riding it. Ditching the stock exhaust will lighten the bike a lot. No idea what a dyna muff weighs, but the stock one is very heavy comnpared to the Supertrapp. If $$$ is no issue, the Trapp is tuneable. Others have gotten satisfying results with different mufflers & saved tons. I would hesitate to mess up the stock muffler. There is a chance that one day we will face laws that make our aftermarket exhausts illegal. If you arent happy with the paint work, the replacement stock muffler is very spendy. A take off HD is about $20.00. You win several ways changing exhausts. Lighter, better sound, better performance, better looks. You may decide to not paint it when ya hear it!~

You all speak sence and I shall listen.

Thanks for the compliments on the bike.  I think I will investigate some aftermarket solutions like you guys mentioned.  I don't hate the stock exhust but I know I would like the look a lot more with a different one.

So in conclusion, thanks for setting me straight and expect some more questions in the future.

Now on to a lively post on helmets.