Modern Vespa

Riding home this week, I noticed the scooter had gotten noticeably louder than usual. I like my bikes to be quiet so, for me, it was uncomfortably noisy. Earlier this month I had ordered some things, working towards having the parts for the 12,000 mile service (currently 9,033), and two of those things were the graphite collar and expander tool. My GTS has been through two salty winters now, so I was planning on looking into that repainting thing.

Checked it cold this morning and, sure enough, there was air leaking at where the silencer mounts to the header pipe. Well...guess I pulling the pipe sooner than I was planning on!

Between a video from ScooterWest and micbergsma (great videos...thanks!), removing the exhaust pipe went smoothly. Yup...the graphite collar's TOAST.

What was left of the old collar came out easily and was nice enough to not leave any mess I had to clean out. New collar installed...now to address the salt damage.

After attacking the exhaust with a wire brush and going through a full sheet of scotchbrite red sanding sponge, my arms are about to fall off. I'm calling it a day. I picked up a can of VHT black paint that stated it was suitable for header pipes and exhausts, so tomorrow I'm taping off the pipe and that shiny metal thingit at the end of the silencer, hanging it suspended, and painting it.

Wish me luck.

You will need to make sure that you remove all traces of WD40 before applying the paint. I use white spirit but I'm not sure if that's available where you are. After spraying I generally use a heat gun to cure the paint.

After it is touch dry I apply the heat gun blowing through the system alternating between pipe and silencer ends to try and get an even temperature build up. My theory is that if you cure it by running on the scooter it will be heated very unevenly, some parts too hot and some too cold. Not to mention the fact that in the UK there is never a guarantee that your smart work could be undone by a rainstorm before its had a chance to fully cure!

Having said that I have never got a finish that will last more than one winter.

There's a VHT that has ceramic in it. That lasts about 2yrs here. I clean the scooter on a regular basis and it's stored in a shed when not in use tho. Good luck

Just finished the painting. I wiped the silencer down with acetone and let that evaporate, then taped off the sections that weren't for painting.
Yup, it's VHT paint with ceramic, says it's for exhausts and rated for up to 2000F. I got it at Advance Auto.

Three coats: two light, one medium...10 minutes drying between coats per instructions. Now it's drying for 3 hours. The can says "dry to touch in an hour, can be handled in 3."
Perfect timing: I have to be leaving the house about the time it'll be dry enough to move the exhaust inside into the garage to finish drying overnight.

Tomorrow, I put it back on and do the "on vehicle" curing process.
Idle 10 minutes, cool 20; idle 20, cool 20; run as normal for 30, let cool.




HOLY CRAP, I'M ACTUALLY DOING THIS!!!