Modern Vespa

hello, I'm getting ready to clean and repaint my exhaust, I have two questions:
1- Some put a primer, others don't: which is better?
2- Regarding the gasket, mine is new less than a year old, will I have to change it following the painting operation?

thank you

I didn't use a primer, just good quality high temp spray paint.
Clean/wire brush the exhaust well prior to spraying it.
I'm actually not sure how a primer would survive the heat....

And if you are careful you don't need to replace the exhaust gasket.

I'd add, if you don't have one already, you may want to have a spare gasket on hand in case it gets damaged in the process. Otherwise your bike may be down for a few days while you wait for an order to come in.

Prepping is everything here. I used a rotating wire brush attached to a drill until I could see no more paint whatsoever. It will take you a couple of days to cover the whole exhaust properly. I just kept respraying until I had no more paint left in the can. Of course I waited in between the curing times. As to the gasket I would put some duct tape around the end to protect the gasket from being sprayed.

Excellent point.

Thank you for your comments.

- I have 3 Vespa dealers near me, I am going to shop for a gasket in reserve.
- I found a painting that is sold in a store near my home https://www.vhtpaint.com/high-heat/vht-flameproof-coating
-I will also buy this: rotating wire brush attached AND a T40 Tork bit socket ...

thanks again

Yes, that paint is just what's needed. To make the job easier you can do as I did and hang the exhaust on a couple of wires or strong string underneath a step ladder as in the pictures. My bike is near 5 years old and the exhaust just required a light rub over with some fine wire wool. Some paint had flaked off but I had no rust. As per the paint instructions I just gave the system a light coat of paint first, followed by a heavier coat an hour after that. I left it a couple of hours then bolted it back on the bike and took it for a 25 mile run to 'cure' the paint. It now has a spotless finish to the exhaust.

Do not use any primer. That is not required. Do not overtighten the exhaust to front pipe clamp. That will damage the gasket. That joint must be free to move slightly during operation/riding the bike to avoid snapping the front pipe to cylinder head mounting studs.

Good luck.

VHT makes a hi temp motor primer. I like it. It is very thick and sticky.

I just washed mine and sprayed it with some black engine enamel. Worked fine. I could still smell it weeks later when parking the scooter after a ride.

I had difficulty with the sprayer ... it started to squirt droplets, half of the paint was dripping on the floor. I managed to paint anyway. The result in my opinion is 7/10, it would have been perfect if he had sprayed normally.

Great job! Thanks for the ladder thing ... I'll do the same next time.