Custom Vehicle Discussions > Screamin' Eagle® Road Glide®

Disappointed

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Sprintkid:
 2011 FLTRUSE. I was cleaning up after a trip and have chrome delaminating from both wheels. I have almost 70,000 miles and have done the camchest , lifters , oil pump, etc. and all of the other things to keep her on the road. This is just heartbreaking. But I guess why would you expect a $ 40,000 motorcycle to last 8 summers before it starts to turn to Sh&@t!. Heck, there are cars from the 50s with the chrome still on them. Come on man!!! Sorry for the rant.

Rooster:
Not sure but I think the chrome process now is different than it was some years ago due to government changes. The old process made better chrome. Someone else may know better than me.

scottt:

--- Quote from: Rooster on September 09, 2019, 09:55:03 AM ---Not sure but I think the chrome process now is different than it was some years ago due to government changes. The old process made better chrome. Someone else may know better than me.

--- End quote ---
Harley is buying chrome parts from other countries. Look at the chrome accessories at your local HD dealership. The package will show country of origin. I've yet to see USA, generally it's China. Proper chrome plating is expensive, Harley's focus is return to shareholders. It's not top quality.

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CVODON:
Part of the problem is that chroming in the USA has become almost impossible due to EPA regulations. We used to have a small chrome shop here in town, guy was confined to a wheel chair and did small to medium stuff. He finally had to close due to costs to upgrade exceeded his income. Not saying safety is a bad thing, but you can not compare chrome on a '62 Chevy front bumper with what they are allowed to do & use on a Aluminum wheels today. Also wheels have it double tough as the brake dust just eats the chrome up, constantly. Also most chrome wheels are made out of this country, not just HD.

grc:

Aluminum is a difficult substance to plate compared to steel, due to the reactivity of aluminum.  It can be done well but it takes a much better process and process controls, which you aren't going to get when you base your purchase decisions strictly on price.

Health and safety regulations have affected many industries in the USA, chrome plating is just one of many.  Would we rather go back to the days of toxic rivers with no life forms and air you can see and feel as it destroys your lungs?  I don't think so.  The only reason we don't have much of a chrome plating business left is due to the policies that allowed American companies that enjoyed all the benefits of operating in this country the unfettered ability to outsource their plating to countries with no environmental rules and pay scales reminiscent of the days of lords and serfs.  Lots of dirty jobs were shipped to Mexico, where many factories still have large open ponds of highly toxic waste leeching into the ground and water table.  Thanks to politicians, those companies in the USA were allowed to export the jobs and then import the finished products duty free.  Then the politician who signed the NAFTA bill decided to really help out those American corporations by handing favored nation trading status to China, an even cheaper source than Mexico that had even less environmental regulation.

Btw, Harley is fixing their lousy chrome problem.  They got away with blaming the customers and environment to avoid paying for the bad parts, now they've decided to do more and more blacked out models (no chrome).

JMHO - Jerry

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