Has anyone had any problems with their factory paint,specifically the clear coat on their 2008 CVO? I just got my 2008 from the dealer on 11/29. I sent it back in to have the turn signals moved and passing lamps installed. When I got it back, I was detailing it and noticed lots of scratches in the clear coat.......I have the Black Onyx/Crystal Copper and the scratches were noticeable only in the black and only with a shop light held up to the paint..........nevertheless they were pretty bad. I took in back to the dealship and they pretty much told me that I was too picky .....they asked what I was cleaning the bike with (I hadn't had I long enough to scratch it)........they also said that when the paint comes in from the CVO shop it is sometimes really soft and you have to be extremely careful during the first few months. Anyway, I was prompted to write this message because I was able to visit the Harley Factory in York last week and saw the exact same type of scratches on the FLHRSE4 on display there. When I mentioned it to the folks giving the tour they just brushed it off and told me to contact customer service, who directed me back to the dealer 
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FreeStyle,
One of the last parts of the production painting process (auto, bike, etc.) is a sand-and-polish operation to remove dirt and small surface defects. If this operation is done poorly, visible sand marks and swirls will remain. It sounds like this is what you're seeing, especially since you saw the same thing at York.
I know that H-D used to use the same Finess-It system from 3M that I used in production at an auto assembly plant (same 3M rep called on me and the folks in Milwaukee). That system uses a small 1" diameter orbital sander with a very fine grit paper to wet sand defects, and a foam pad orbital buffer and special 3M polish to remove the sand marks. When done properly, no scratch marks remain visible, even under bright lights. What I don't know is if H-D requires their CVO paint supplier to utilize the same system, or if they even pay any attention to the defects at all. Based on previous paint issues on the various model years, I tend to believe that they don't pay much attention.
If these marks are in the top clearcoat layer, they can be polished out fairly easily. If your dealer doesn't have a qualified paint repairman, look for another place that does. If the marks are below the clearcoat (some of us had those issues in '05/'06), the only fix is replacement.
Jerry
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Topic: FLHRSE4 Paint (Read 1145 times)