General Harley Davidson Chat Forum to discuss general Harley Davidson issues, topics, and experiences.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Why black engines?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jul 31, 2010 | 09:28 PM
  #51  
Bluehighways's Avatar
Bluehighways
Stellar HDF Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,396
Likes: 266
From: Southern California
Default

A thin, and the operative word here is thin, coat of flat black paint will help dissipate heat better. But a thick coat of wrinkle black paint makes it look much better in my opinion.
 
Old Jul 31, 2010 | 09:38 PM
  #52  
The_Drifter's Avatar
The_Drifter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
Default

black engine paint will make the engine run cooler since its emissivity is higher than plain aluminum.
 
Old Jul 31, 2010 | 09:43 PM
  #53  
ppablog's Avatar
ppablog
Intermediate
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Miami
Thumbs up Black engines

They look great....but I like the rocker boxes polished.
 
Old Jul 31, 2010 | 10:12 PM
  #54  
BackinBlackfxdb's Avatar
BackinBlackfxdb
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Default

Less engine polishing = more time to RIDE.

I didn't buy a bike to sit around & look at it
 
Old Jul 31, 2010 | 10:34 PM
  #55  
07FLHT's Avatar
07FLHT
Stellar HDF Member
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,588
Likes: 9
From: Sunny Southern California
Default

I prefer the natural/silver engines. The main reason I bought a Standard.
 
Old Jul 31, 2010 | 11:45 PM
  #56  
dope_man_21's Avatar
dope_man_21
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,799
Likes: 8
From: Carrollton, Georgia
Talking

Originally Posted by 32vld
So why hide them by camouflage the engine with flat black paint?
The MOCO did not think anyone would want a pink engine would be my guess.
 
Old Aug 1, 2010 | 12:27 AM
  #57  
mp's Avatar
mp
Stellar HDF Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,137
Likes: 17
From:
Default

The reason Harley started painting their engines black was that bare aluminum starts to look like crap after a while. And why can't you see a black engine as well as a gray one anyway?
 
Old Aug 1, 2010 | 12:38 AM
  #58  
pjmoraldo's Avatar
pjmoraldo
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 841
Likes: 2
From: Gilbert, Arizona
Default

i think the whole flat black thing is crazy but like someone else said to each their own
 
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Aug 1, 2010 | 12:38 AM
  #59  
XXRugerXX's Avatar
XXRugerXX
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
From: Canyon Lake Texas
Default

Enough is enough! We must choose an engine color and the rest must assimilate...we just can't have this individuality.

Seriously...I like black with the polished fins and chrome heads, etc.
 
Old Aug 1, 2010 | 12:46 AM
  #60  
DannyZ71's Avatar
DannyZ71
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 12,653
Likes: 18
From: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Default

Either black it out with polished and chromed accents, or chrome the whole thing! Silver is fugly.

 



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:07 PM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE