Chrome vs Harley Chrome

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Aug 30, 2010 | 11:54 PM

#11

LRHD

Road Captain

Joined: Aug 2010

Posts: 529

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From: Bakersfield, CA

Look up a local chrome and plating shop. They will be able to prep the parts. Tell them you want them "dip" your parts several times to build up the chrome thickness. This will increase how long it will last.

Aug 31, 2010 | 12:27 AM

#12

OLD 96

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Jan 2009

Posts: 5,149

Likes: 2,975

From: WACO

"Taiwan Ted" chrome is not very good at all. Harley chrome, especially the older stuff, is 100% better. Chrome done at a chrome shop is good also. I have some original chrome parts on my 1964 Pan and some parts that were chromed in 1975. They looked better than Taiwan parts that are 1 year old.

Aug 31, 2010 | 12:55 AM

#13

Bart van der Meulen

Road Master

Joined: May 2010

Posts: 816

Likes: 57

From: Rijssen, the Netherlands

Every brand has his own suppliers, manufacturers of the stuff. They deliver 1th quality to that brand. However, the production capacity of that manufacturer goes beyond the quantities contracted by the brand. Many manufacturers close a deal with their brand that they are entitled to bring the rest of the production on the market as 'non-brand' stuff, but in details with a lower quality. Chroming is one of the added activities to metal pieces. The manufacturer can make the steel parts in bigger quantities but the chrome layers are only one instead of two or three as with the 'brand article'. Lower price, lower quality but who cares? Three parties satisfied: the manufacturer can make mass production, the brand has no real competitors because of the lower quality and the client is happy to buy a 'semi-original' against a lower price than the brand article.
Win-win-win...situation.
Here in Europe the same happened in paint. There was a professional paint manufacturer, applied by professionals and too expensive for you and me because it was 'industrial quality', over the top for house painting.
The manufacturer of the paint closed a contract with a superstore to sell this same paint (the overproduction of the industrial paint) as 'B' mark paint with the label of the supermarket. Superb paint, low price and everybody happy. The professional painters purchased still the industrial brand, the manufacturer could keep the prices lower because of the sale of the overproduction as 'B" mark in the superstores...
Everybody happy...I could paint my houose every 10 years instead of every 5 years against the same price as 'hobby paint' in the Do It Yourself shop...

Aug 31, 2010 | 03:55 AM

#14

TwiZted Biker

Club Member

Joined: Mar 2009

Posts: 66,131

Likes: 51,463

From: Niles Canyon Ca.

About all bike parts sold through dealers and catalogs anymore are imported HD included . The stuff all chromed in China or the PI islands difference being how much time was spent finishing the base metal & time in the tanks . Chrome is like body work and the paint job , better the metal is finished better looking the paint looks . If the part has a smooth hi gloss polish when it goes into the dip tanks you will get HD quality chrome finish . Another factor is flash time meaning how long the part is in the nickel tank = thickness or depth of the plating , longer means better looking & lasting . Most parts are in & out in 10-15 mins , why most stuff on Eblows looks cheap when you get it and and failing in a couple yrs or less .

In the states chrome cost so much anymore because of the EPA laws like a post said earlier . Triple plating meant copper -nickel - chrome . Copper processes are toxic as all hell so guess what , most US plating shops don't use it anymore and that was what made the old chrome look so damn good . Chrome is really just a fast flash coating over the yellow colored nickel coating to keep it from rusting and give it that bright look .

Last edited by TwiZted Biker; Aug 31, 2010 at 04:13 AM.

Aug 31, 2010 | 06:45 AM

#15

1957buick

Road Master

Joined: Jul 2010

Posts: 976

Likes: 212

From: northern nj

Try PAULS CHROME outside philadelphia pa. They offer oem chrome or show chrome. They do many award winning antique cars bikes etc....The difference is in the process, show chrome , the part gets cleaned and polished before the copper plating the polished after the copper then polished after the nickel , then a final polish after the chrome. If there are flaws in the item that are not removed , the triple chrome plating cannot hide them. chrome is the final coating on the part its like paint , if you have scratches in the metal and do nothing you will see them when painted. The process is like a paint job thats why a good paint shop makes the part flawless the paint is only a top coat.

Aug 31, 2010 | 08:49 AM

#16

brenn

Elite HDF Member

Joined: Aug 2008

Posts: 4,933

Likes: 11

From: Kentucky

I was going to say "hey, read the auction, he doesn't say it's an HD part" - then I noticed that he does use a harley part number, so I agree. That's kind of BS if it's not HD part.

Aug 31, 2010 | 09:19 AM

#17

rcaddell

Road Master

Joined: Aug 2009

Posts: 868

Likes: 4

From: Warwick, RI

I'd dispute the charge and ask for a refund, including shipping and return shipping. Using a HD part number and sending a non HD part is misleading and against the rules on fleabay.

Aug 31, 2010 | 09:25 AM

#18

bjewell

Seasoned HDF Member

Joined: Apr 2010

Posts: 6,095

Likes: 348

From: Ione, CA

One thing for sure, the chrome on the bikes littering H-D showrooms today does not compare to the chrome as recently as the early 2000s. It looks cheaper and less brilliant.