Vintage Dirt Bike Q & A

Sorry if this is a duplicate topic that has already been covered.

So I've tried 2 different ceramic paints on my muffler — Duplicolor Engine Paint (500º rating), and I also tried VHT header paint (2000º rating) with a satin top coat.

The Problem:
The end of the pipe that is nearest to the exhaust port goes flat black and gets chalky after only one ride with Duplicolor Engine Paint (semi-ceramic/500º rated). The VHT header paint seemed to break down the same, but that then again, it was only after the engine got so hot due to a bad crank seal (air leak).

The way I am prepping the pipe for paint is stripping the paint off to bare metal using a braided wire wheel on a angle grinder, then wiping down the pipe with starter fluid to remove any grease/oils, then a final spray of starter fluid once the pipe is hanging in my makeshift spray booth in a low-humidity basement (55% humidity).

I see so many enduro pipes that look gorgeous, but wondering what the owners did to achieve (and sustain) a satin look on the exhaust without it going flat black after riding. FYI, I know the hottest my pipe or exhaust port gets is 280º because I measured the temp with a good Fluke-brand temp gun.

Yes, I know I can go get the pipe Cerakoted, but I'm not paying $150... no way. If anybody has had any success with a particular rattle can ceramic paint or if you see any errors in my process please let me know. I so appreciate it!

Best,
John

I've seen the VHT header paint work with great results on bike pipes ... Is there something in the starter fluid thats causing the coating to fail ???