I have a 2012 RK CLASSIC. I keep it garaged and park on a rubber mat for a moisture barrier. I cover my bike with 2 old sheets as they are breathable. I was really disappointed yesterday when I gave my bike a good spring cleaning. I had lots of pitting on the chrome. Especially the engine guards and horn. I have had several brand new bikes and never experiences pitting like this after 1 season. ( I just got the bike last August). The pitting was actually rough to the touch. I am mad at myself for not putting on a coat of wax last fall and polishing the chrome. Has anyone else experienced this? I guess they really don't make them like they used to.

 

Warranty should cover it
Do you live next to the ocean?
That can cause early pitting like that

 

Do you store any chemicals like chlorine in the garage? They definitely don't make metal like they used to. I bought a Trek 7200 about 5 years ago. Rode it for about a month and stored it for the Winter. In the Spring the chain was heavily rusted, chrome quick releases too. I stored it right next to 6-7 older bikes that had no rust. One bike is a 1976 Schwinn Suburban with no rust. The store said I must have caustic chemicals. Trek sent me a new chain, same kind. When I upgraded balky Derailleur, I upgraded chain too.


Shame that a premium priced HD has the same problem.

 

My bike started showing rust after 3 weeks. The dealer had replaced the engine guards twice, the saddlebag guards, wheels, driving light bar and various other chrome parts.
It should be warranty and all it should cost you is riding time and anguish.

 

I'm gonna check with the dealer. I do have a pail of ice melt in the garage but its covered.

 

DO NOT TELL HIM ABOUT THAT STUFF!!!!! Anything from a bulb failure to a jammed wheel bearing will be attributed to the ice melt stored there.

 

Really? I live 2.2 air miles from the ocean. No pitting whatsoever on any of my bikes. Maybe you have a different ocean in Illinois.

 

I have seen Florida Bikes that are rusty. I grew up in NYC, and it was an accepted fact that sea air is corrosive. This article shows that that effect dissipates after about 600 meters (1/3 mile).
http://corrosion-doctors.org/Corrosi...tmospheric.htm

So agedwards is right.

 

i live about a mile from the texas coast and it is a lot more work to keep a bike looking good. at least that is what people tell me...the only time my bike is washed is when the dealer does it.

 

It's all in how you care for your bike, regardless of where you live. If you live up north, it's my opinion that a bike is exposed to much more road salt and corrosive chemicals during winter and early spring rides than will ever be the case in the south, or here near the coast where it never snows.

Then you have guys that store bikes outside under a cover, or somewhere where outside moisture can get to the bike. Not good for the bike at all. I was wondering why the OP had to use rubber mats under the bike in his garage to form a "moisture barrier". Where is the moisture coming from? Most garages have a concrete floor...??

Covering a bike when its hot is not a good idea. In addition to melting the cover on the pipes, there is a lot of moisture-laden hot gases that get trapped inside that cover and settle on the surfaces of the bike. If left unattended, that can spell trouble for certain finishes.

Lots of bike corrosion gets blamed on conditions other than proper care, when it's usually the lack of the timing of that proper care that leads to the corrosion in the first place.

Now all that said, from time to time we get hold of a poorly chromed HD part and there is not much that can be done about that, but it has to be caught early as the owner is performing that "proper" care. Otherwise, he said she said and it becomes the owners problem to deal with or replace.

It's easy to make a bike rusty, regardless of where you live. It all depends upon how judicious the owner is at applying the effort to keep the metal surfaces clean and conditioned.