Why black engines?
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,312
Likes: 12
From: Missouri
Aluminum sucks, you can polish that crap until hell freezes over and it is still ugly nasty aluminum..chrome..i like a "Little bit" of chrome to set off the bike, but chrome an entire engine and i think it looks like cheap jewelry..just to much..black motors and trannys on these bike is in my opinion the best theng they done for the over all looks of a bike.
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
From: Alabama
To me the black engine really brings out the chrome accents and make them more noticable i.e. tranny cvr, oil lines, pushrod cvr, oil filter etc. you can see the contours of the silver engine casing better but you lose the components JMO
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,784
Likes: 6
From: Boston
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,280
Likes: 2
From: SC
The black engines do not heat up as much, so I heard. Mine is black, black bike, tons of chrome, and I think it looks good, and thats all that matters. To keep the black on the engine new looking, use S100 Engine Bright, or get a can of Pig Spit.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,942
Likes: 7
From: guntersville, al
When one of the reasons people like Harley's is that they engines are beautiful industrial/mechanical designs. The engines are exposed to be seen and appreciated not as the other bikes that cover up/hide their engines behind body work.
So when you get a Blacked Out bike you then are hiding the engine. Making it's detail, thus it's beauty obscured. Harley owner's are proud of their engines.
So why hide them by camouflage the engine with flat black paint?
Now Black paint on the tins is a whole other story. To me nothing shines as a black bike after washed and waxed.
I love the look when the aluminum parts of an engine are polished. Wash it little wax and it looks new. The black paint on the engines is harder to keep looking like new.
So when you get a Blacked Out bike you then are hiding the engine. Making it's detail, thus it's beauty obscured. Harley owner's are proud of their engines.
So why hide them by camouflage the engine with flat black paint?
Now Black paint on the tins is a whole other story. To me nothing shines as a black bike after washed and waxed.
I love the look when the aluminum parts of an engine are polished. Wash it little wax and it looks new. The black paint on the engines is harder to keep looking like new.
Black radiates heat better than lighter colors. look at how many vehicle engines now are black.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,109
Likes: 89
From: Tampa, FL
My indy told me the same thing. He said the black dissipates the heat better.