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I noticed what looks like corrosion on the top lip of the left front lower on my 2018 Lowrider. I looked at several used Harleys at my local dealership and I have noticed several bikes with the same kind of corrosion in the same location as mine. Beings my Lowrider was purchased new in June of last year I believe this sort of corrosion is somewhat premature as the bike has never been ridden in the rain or on roads with salt. Has anybody noticed this on their 18 or 19 softails?
Last edited by P51Driver; Apr 25, 2019 at 10:06 PM.
It does seem a little early for that. Maybe the dealer will cover it under warranty ? All that said, we live in Ohio and even when the roads look clear of salt, it really isn't. There will still be salt on the roads around here until mid June (despite all the rain). It gets caught in the cracks/crevices and stirred up by traffic; definitely during periods of rain/wet roads. The further north you go in Ohio, the worse it is.
Last edited by Campy Roadie; Apr 26, 2019 at 11:03 AM.
That isn't corrosion. It is a pitting of the clear coat on the lower. Every Harley that has lowers like this does it. Not sure if they will cover it. Some people spend a lot of time polishing the lowers to make them look like chrome...these need to be maintained or others like myself replace the lowers with chrome ones. These really are the only 2 choices
The Harley fork sliders are made of some sort of aluminum/zinc alloy that is very prone to galvanic corrosion once the very THIN clear coat has been breached by anything. This is nothing new. My '94 Evo Softail did the same thing after only a few years. I ended up sanding all the clear coat off and polishing the forks.
Those posting about how they all do that are right. Once the clear coat has been compromised, which happens sooner than one would think, that road weatheredlook or patina sets in. Up to 2019 model year H-D has not charged extra for this feature.
I made the mistake of leaving my Road King at my buddy's garage in Daytona for six months. The bike was/is a 2010 and most of the forward facing clear coat has succumbed to bugs, grit and adventures of the open road. Well, the side of the front wheel that was nearest his washer and dryer where the chlorine gasses are took a major beating, including the lower fork legs - especially the one on the side turned towards and closest to the washer/dryer.
As stated, chrome seems to be an answer. That being said, the knife industry has been using a DLC (Diamond Like Carbon Coating) that is a nanocomposite which is highly resistant to corrosion. It does not look as fancy as chrome but it would be fantastic for fork lowers (and other things) on a motorcycle.
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Corrosion on front lower
