The bare stainless pipes are beautiful!  That may be something I will consider in the future, but in the present I am inclined to leave them in their original color.

Another question that I have is how to improve the appearance of the weathered engine. 

The picture below shows a side view of the current exterior condition of the engine, which sat in a carport for many years and suffered serious weathering, as you can see.  The only surviving original gloss black paint on the engine is on the valve cover, which was protected by the tank.  The cooling fins are now bare metal.

What are the options for improving the appearance of the engine while it is on the bike beyond doing a thorough cleaning? 

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Steve

Riding in February in central Missouri is a rarity, God Bless weather change!

My buddy Kenny has done the Harley/Indian routine, with the latest greatest machines of their making, and he has now landed on a Honda GL1800 with a automatic transmission.

He loves it, he really does.

I enjoy blasting past him effortlessly.

Quote from: Millietant on November 03, 2025, 02:30:03 PM

Quote from: FJ1200W on November 03, 2025, 07:30:33 AMI must be the exception as I have never had an issue with the stock slave cylinder.

I never really had an "issue" with mine, just since the bike clicked over 100,000 miles and slave cylinder maintenance periods were getting a bit closer together, I thought "why not give it a try" - plus, the big reason behind it all was................ MODITIS.

I've changed or upgraded the forks, brakes, 17" wheels, yokes, rear shock, FZ1 bars, FZ1 mirrors, Remus exhaust, modified fenders/mudguard, all the lights are LED, FJR clutch master cylinder, FZ1 brake master cylinder, span adjustable levers, all braided hydraulic lines, K & N air filter, iridium plugs (for longer life), the list goes on and on........

And I was getting the itch to change/improve something else (I'm not a fan of the spin on oil filter swap, just happy with the stock affair).

Probably the next thing I'll upgrade/change is the oil cooler, but maybe I'll wait for that until I decide to give the engine a big bore kit and some tuning - the only thing is, I'm loathe to take the engine apart while she's still running so well and reliably.

I'm really struggling to find any other worthwhile bits I can add/change on the bike to improve it, or make it more "my bike" (I've also already also got crash bars and a full Krauser luggage system, and a usb socket for charging "things" on the move).

Despite all the changes, 99% of other bikers think my bike is stock when they see it 

We have A LOT in common.

Perseverance pays off!
Well done not over done

nice pipe and fairly priced GLWS!

Here's pics of the exhaust system,all hardware included to install, Will look at offers, 6056658683 gregg

Quote from: STLanduyt on February 11, 2026, 07:44:30 PMI had initially thought of painting the pipes, but am now thinking of leaving them in their current state.  Any thoughts or experiences out there on just leaving the pipes alone?

Steve

Some of the guys have polished their pipes.  They are stainless underneath. 
This is Noel's picture:

The carbs are with RPM, as already mentioned, and are currently soaking to dissolve "the ethanol gunk in the bowls and carb bodies" per RPM ... meanwhile I removed the exhaust pipes and de-rusted them using Rustoleum Rust Dissolver, which took off the rust and revealed a very shiny dark grey surface on the pipes, albeit with very tiny "pinpoints" of silver all over.

I had initially thought of painting the pipes, but am now thinking of leaving them in their current state.  Any thoughts or experiences out there on just leaving the pipes alone?

Steve

Good job 

The thorn is out, the pain is gone. What a chore for such a small item. Well done.