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[RayG]

I have been without my 08 CVO Road King since June, have done very little riding on my back up 2001 Valkyrie due to a nagging neck injury.  Well I'm having another cervical fusion on Tuesday and was planning to wait to see if I will be able to ride or be forced to hang it up.  I was very interested in Jesse's 2012 SESG but figured I would wait plus I always wanted the 09 SERG in the orange. Today I looked at my second CVO Road Glide and while it was not as bad as the first one there was pitted chrome, peeling chrome, cylinders & heads had heavy white oxidation, damaged wheels etc etc..  To much of a coincidence for two of them to look like they were sprayed down with a corrosive material.  The bike I saw today only had 10,000 miles on it the one that was worse only had 7,000 miles. When I say these bikes look awful I'm not exaggerating in the least.  Neither live by the ocean & both claim to have them garaged year round.

What gives 

[NH Bulldog]

From my experience, just because a bike is in a garage doesn't mean it is free of moisture or sources of corrosion.  Our water and soil here in NH is particularly acidic.  When I bought my current house, the copper pipes in my basement had a lot of surface corrosion just from the moisture present in the air.  Installed a dehumidifier and hasn't been an issue since.  Many times I have gone out to my garage and bike is covered with moisture.  Water vapor just comes right up through the concrete and settles on everything (tape a piece of plastic wrap to your garage floor along all 4 sides and look at it a day later and see the water condensing under the plastic).  What you are seeing in the bikes you are looking at, tells me that the bikes sit in the closed up garage most of the time without proper ventilation and/or moisture protection.  Although I have had some moisture on all of my bikes, they get out and get ridden, so corrosion has never been an issue.  The area of the garage where my bike is kept is heated from late fall through spring, so it stays very dry and cozy.     

[RayG]

I fully understand the effect of environmental conditions pertaining to RH and it's affects on various materials.  Father & son own identical bikes, stored in the same garage. One looks like it was sprayed with a chemical to destroy the finish on metal while the other only had a small flake on the front rim. Something else is at work here, I've seen bikes like my 08 that were pristine with 91,000 miles on it and I've seen horror stories about peeling chrome & pitted metal. But you are right on corrosive conditions, a properly prepared storage unit is the best way.   

[moscooter]

 

You might inquire as to how those bike owners cleaned their bikes.  Sloppy use and/or insufficient rinsing of S-100 Bike Cleaner could cause those conditions.  That stuff has some kind of acid in it.   Buddy of mine sprayed his bike down with it and then got into an extended conversation with a neighbor before finally finishing his bike and rinsing it off.  He noticed corrossion showing up soon after and felt like it was due to the extended time the stuff sat on the bike surfaces.

[Dan_Lockwood]

I fully understand the effect of environmental conditions pertaining to RH and it's affects on various materials.  Father & son own identical bikes, stored in the same garage. One looks like it was sprayed with a chemical to destroy the finish on metal while the other only had a small flake on the front rim. Something else is at work here, I've seen bikes like my 08 that were pristine with 91,000 miles on it and I've seen horror stories about peeling chrome & pitted metal. But you are right on corrosive conditions, a properly prepared storage unit is the best way.

I have an '09 SERG O/B with around 18k miles now.  I had a couple years where I didn't ride much.  I also have a '76 FLH that I tend to like to ride if the wife is not riding with me as my BSR.  So I do split the riding duties between the two.

I don't think any of the guys here that have seen my bike, like down at ES, if they didn't know that it was an '09, would guess that it's only a year or two old.

I've been caught in rain, like on the way down to ES in June.  I tend to clean the bike regularly.  Some might say I'm a little anal that way...

I've never "hosed" down the bike or pressure washed it.  The most I use is a little 409 to get the crud off of the rear wheel, motor etc and then water down with a spray bottle to wipe that off.  It takes me a good three hours to clean my bike.

When I have it clean, I then use a quick detailer on all surfaces.  I've also waxed the tins a few times.

I've been looking for a "B" Softail motor in a '00 to '02 vintage.  In all the eBay ads I see some motors with the head bolts that look like they've been soaked in saltwater and others look very clean. 

Is my bike better kept that someone else's, probably not, but I may just be lucky.

The only chrome issue I have is with the back wheel.  The center hub area has flakes of chrome coming off.  After I wipe down the rear wheel I have metal flake dust in my cloth.  It's not like the chrome is peeling up, just flaking off in tiny bits.  When clean, you cannot see where it's missing.

My '76 frame and most black parts were powder coated in late '04.  My tins were painted in late '04.  And the chrome nacelle and other parts are probably China or Taiwan, but they look like new as well.  The bike looks like it had been painted last year.

Sorry for rambling...

I know that I'm probably not any better than most here on bike upkeep, but probably tons better than the average Harley owner.  I know guys that clean their bikes once a year.

It may be a bit of the old luck of the draw, but I'm leaning toward proper cleaning as to keeping a bike looking good.  I'll admit that my rear wheel does bug the hell out of me for the chrome flakes, but I don't see how I could have been any better at keeping crap off of it.

Good luck on your surgery tomorrow.  I hope you get on the mend quickly and back in the saddle soon.

What's the going asking price now for a clean '09 SERG O/B?

[grc]

Harley will tell you it is strictly environmental, but I think we all know that is BS.  It's a combination of cheap and poor quality plating along with environmental issues and neglect.  Truly good chrome plating doesn't pit, pop, and peel even when exposed to the corrosive crap they spread on roads in the snow belt these days, at least not in the short term.  One example, the wife has a 2010 Ford Edge with chrome clad aluminum wheels (the chrome is applied to a thin steel part which is then permanently bonded to the aluminum wheel), and those wheels still look as good as the day it was purchased new.  I don't do anything special maintenance wise except to wash the vehicle regularly and wax it once a year in late fall.

A vehicle that is designed to be used out in the real world and environment shouldn't have early pitting and flaking of the plating.  I've seen thirty year old cars and trucks with chrome bumpers that look 100% better than some of the stuff on one or two year old Harley's.  Draw whatever conclusions you want.

JMHO - Jerry

[bad00serg]

At least in Ohio, where they use salt and other chemicals on the road, the difference lies in when the bike was ridden.  Do a 20 mile ride before a few good rains to clean the roads and let your bike sit, it will definitely look much worse than the guy that waits until the roads are clean. As much as I love to ride, I wait until the roads are clean, regardless of weather conditions on any given day.  Many head out on that first 60 degree day, cover the bike in salt and chemical dust, leave it sit for months, then wonder why it looks like chit.

[CJB2011]

I have a 2011 CVO Screaming Eagle Ultra Road Glide and the whole engine looks like someone had sprained it with acid. The engine has so much corrosion on it you can't tell it was gray with polished edges. You are right Jerry, Harley told me it was the environment. I told BS. I kept it a covered area an Harley Davidson cover on it also to keep any moisture off of it. I just deal with the way it looks. Don't have the money to replace the parts.

[moscooter]

 

" It's a combination of cheap and poor quality plating along with environmental issues and neglect.  Truly good chrome plating doesn't pit, pop, and peel even when exposed to the corrosive crap they spread on roads in the snow belt these days, at least not in the short term. "

Jerry is spot on with this comment.  A few years back,  Harley "bragged" that they brought their chrome plating work (in house).....trying to make the case that the chrome would now be better than ever.  B.S.   The chrome on my old '93 Dyna Wide Glide was good stuff.........the last few years of chrome work by Harley doesn't even come close to what it was back then.  

[CHH_Badkarma]

Harder and harder to get good chrome these days with all the EPA regs

[20 gauge]

Customer of ours owns the chrome shop that did all of the Victory chroming. Did the chrome on the Indians used for the first introduction show. Then all of a sudden Polaris stopped ordering. You guessed it, China. Need we say more?

[bigchuck]

My '15 has started to get some rough spots on wheels. Almost like pitting but chrome is still there. Hard to describe. I will take a photo after next cleaning . I'm not too worried about right now you really have to look to see it. I'm waiting for it o get worse the I will see what Harley's paint & chrome warranty is worth. It's an optional warranty I bought from dealer that is only for paint and chrome. I don't remember if it has a deductible. I know it was for seven years.

[MGB]

Hey guys. Back in the day when my '04 SEEG was new, HD had a bad problem with their chrome holding up when applied to the aluminum wheels and some other materials as well. I know I got my front wheel replaced due to the chrome peeling. Later years, other parts like the floorboards and mirrors started peeling as well and of course, most started after the warranty was over. Just recently, I broke down and replaced the floorboards. Anyway. just thought I'd share. Bottom line, watch ALL your chrome plated parts and get them replaced before the warranties die.

[CHH_Badkarma]

I don't care what anyone says....
Chrome don't get ya home but it sure looks good pushin

[Rooster]

" It's a combination of cheap and poor quality plating along with environmental issues and neglect.  Truly good chrome plating doesn't pit, pop, and peel even when exposed to the corrosive crap they spread on roads in the snow belt these days, at least not in the short term. "

Jerry is spot on with this comment.  A few years back,  Harley "bragged" that they brought their chrome plating work (in house).....trying to make the case that the chrome would now be better than ever.  B.S.   The chrome on my old '93 Dyna Wide Glide was good stuff.........the last few years of chrome work by Harley doesn't even come close to what it was back then.

Same with my 96 DWG. And the Corbin seat on it is way better than the last two seats I bought from Corbin.