#1: look at the online fiche for a 1985 for the exhaust part #, compare that to your set
#2: yes '85 stamped only year
#3: smooth aluminum, clear-coated
From Sean Morley:
85 - the only year I can recall that offered two colors, a maroonish red (most popular color) and a purplish blue
86 - maroon (slightly different shade then 85 as I recall)
87 - canada only model (and overseas) - red/black
88-89 - red/black
90 - shiny black (black with blue metal flake)
91 - black (black with silver metal flake)
92 - Maroon (has a lot of metalic - my favorite year for the colors)
93 - Purplish Blue
94 - Yellow (whitish metal flake)
95 - Orangish Red
96 - Black (no flake)
97 - Silver
98 - Black with silver flake
99-2002 - Carbon Fiber
2003-2004 - Flat Black with silver stripes
2005 - Red with orangish flames
2006-2007 - Black with red flames
Color chips!:
https://touchupdirect.com/touch-up-paint/yamaha/vmax/
I will add 1986 also had a dark purple/blue, I don't know if it was the same as the '85 color.
More info:
file:///home/chronos/u-0c73de80757fb992be4e80ababa5be366ad08131/MyFiles/Downloads/Yamaha-Paint-Color-Codes%20(2).pdf
90- "Shiny Black"
'91- "Black Metallic #2"
'92- "Red E-Sparkle"
'93- "Very Dark Violet Cocktail #1"
'94- "Reddish Yellow Cocktail #1"
'95- "Fire Red" and/or? "Very Dark Violet Cocktail #1"
'96- "Black #2"
'97- "New Dust Silver" and "Yamaha Black" (wheels)
'98- "Black #2"
'99- '02 - "Yamaha Black" (probably the color underneath the carbon-look overlay?)
'03- "Matte Metallic Black #2
'04- "Matte Metallic Black #2" with "Silver" for wheels
'05- "Deep Red Metallic K", "Matte Black Metallic #2" , "Yamaha Black" (wheels) and "Heat Red" (wheel stripe)
'06/07- "Yamaha Black", "Deep Red Metallic K" (flames), "Matte Black Metallic #2"(engine/frame), and "Low Gloss Black" (wheels)
[Courtesy of RaWarrior]
1985 Vmax colors - Deep Scarlet (Red/burgundy color) and Dark Amethsyt (Purple/bluish color)
