Baked Pipes

Although it's going to be 40c today, I have the oven on. The scratched pipes that came off my damaged Harley are going in to be baked this morning. Why, you ask?

They were beautiful pipes; big slash cut with a wonderful 'note'..... all important in a Harley.

My bike has been repaired, sitting patiently out in the shed for my attention, and it has new pipes.

My fella has a love for matt black: I love chrome. His pipes are a bit scruff, as he tends to put his boots on the hot metal occasionally, leaving burnt rubber marks on them. Then he polishes it off and scuffs the chrome, leaving a very ordinary looking mess. Not the way your Harley should look. Once you damage chrome, it never comes back.

I suggested he refurbish mine rather than buy new, so he got out in the cave and lovingly sanded them back, taking all the gravel rash off. Then he went to the local auto paint suppliers and came home with a spray can of primer and a special black top coat. We've been spraying light layers on them for two days and they look great.

But, to set the paint, they have to be baked in four stages of ascending heat; the first being 240c. Thirty minutes in there, then thirty out to cool, and raised to the next temperature. My oven can do 240c, but after that, they will have to go on the bike and taken for a run. Hopefully it will work, and he will have his lovely matt black pipes he's always wanted.

"Everything has it's beauty, but not everyone sees it"

... Confuscius