HD chrome and paint longevity
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,856
Likes: 127
From: Middle of Kansas
HD chrome and paint longevity
I will say one thing for Harley chrome, and paint for that matter. My 99 Softail Custom looks almost show room new. Thats pretty good for an 11 year old bike. I have seen a lot of other brands that do not look near as good at that age. By the same token, the 84 Sportster I sold last year looked almost as good. My Sportster had 50,000 miles on it, and my Softail has 25,000. And outside of washing and chamoising off every so often, I do not do much else. I use to polish the alloy parts on the Sporty about every 3 years or so.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,133
Likes: 125
From: Japan
Yep, it is pretty resilient stuff. I got a dent in my rear fender tip that didn't hurt the paint, but most body shops told me that the paint would crack, if I tried to pull it out. One place was brave enough to try, but the paint didn't crack and now it's virtually unnoticeable.
I was told after this, that HD paint does flex to a certain degree and will do so even more if you heat it with a hair dryer or the like, first.
I was told after this, that HD paint does flex to a certain degree and will do so even more if you heat it with a hair dryer or the like, first.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,033
Likes: 29
My '77 still wears it's original paint. You can part your hair in the shine....I agree the paint on new bikes is also top notch. However, I don't agree that the chrome is. Plenty of it peels from aluminum parts or rusts on steel parts. Sure, if you bike is garaged the chrome will look great for years. However, leave it outside for a while and all bets are off. Chrome ain't nothing like it used to be thanks to the EPA.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 9,332
Likes: 3,873
From: Upstate New York
My '94 still shines like a new penny after 17 years. Nobody believes it's still the original paint. My chrome is fine, though it's acquired a "frosted" patina on the leading edges, from years of travel in the wind-sort of like it's been sandblasted.
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