Engine painting
 

I noticed the finish on my engine has started to flake in one place. It doesn't look too bad, but give the bike another winter's use and it could well look shabby. I've always fancied a black engine like in the curveys, so repainting the engine black could be an option. I'd only do the visible bits, paint it in situ, DIY job, etc. rather than drop it out of the frame and do the whole thing.

I know some people paint their exhausts (usually only the pipes, not the end can itself) in special heat resistant paint, to help fight corrosion but those usually look a bit matt and dirty. Can you get shinier gloss heat resistant paint and is it suitable for use on the engine casing (or does the engine exterior get much hotter than exhaust pipes?). Similarly, would such a paint also be useable on the front sprocket cover (plastic)?

Would this consitiute a 'custom paint job' that insurers would want to know about/take the mick with quotes for?

You can get a glossy heat resistant paint my dads got some ill find out what its called for you :o

Hammerite ??

INSL-X Hi-Temp what the can sez

Ta mate.

Ian: I didn't realise Hammerite was heat proof to high temperatures. Ah wonderful stuff, the WD40 of the paint world. :D

I think it'd be ok, I bought some a while back but hadn't got round to doing it

lol thought you would let him try 1st

plan was to just do a small unnoticable area first to see what the result was.... :)

sounds like a plan

Only other concern I can think of when painting over the existing paint, rather than stripping that first, then repainting, is would it increase engine temperature at all? Highly unlikely, but I was wondering if the heat resistant properties of it would make it an 'insulator'.