ATTENTION: Harley Davidson refuses to correct defective rims they sell to unsuspecting customers. These chromed spoke rims rust after only 17 months of being kept in a heated garage. Buyers beware of defective Harley Davidson chrome plated rims. these are on a 2007 Road King Custom that is garaged kept. Customer service not very receptive and refuse to hear details.

 

Just because a garage is heated doesn't mean that there is no moisture in the air inside it. Did you take any precautions to take care of them? Or just ride it and put it away?

 

What does he need to do? I have a friend that brought a Fat Boy about 5 years ago and HD dealer talked him into getting this air bubble with a fan blowing into it. Don't tell me that is something we need.

 

Wax helps. Even just the spray on kind if you're not inclined to wipe down each spoke. Just because it's chrome plated doesn't mean it won't rust.

 

Huh, mine are 4 years old, were on the bike riding through rain and road salt, and have never seen the inside of a heated garage, and they look like new.

 

Do you keep any pool or hot tub chemicals in your garage?

 

Troll? Secret Agent?

 

I could have told you they wouldnt cover it. A buddy had the same issue 6 months after he bought his dyna and they said fallout was the cause. Another buddy bought a Heritage took it home and the next day it wouldnt shift, they said they couldnt get him in for two weeks, talk about BS!!! He isolated the shifter from the trans and found the shifter linkage bushing was rusted so bad it wouldnt move, he cleaned it up and never seezed it problem solved. Week later flat tire...same thing the spoke nib was rusted and wore a hole in the tube.

Now I have been to vehicle manufacturing factories before, and have seen every component of the vehicle stacked on pallets in their yard waiting for assembly. I would be willing to bet that moco has the same chit at their plants, sitting thru winters collecting moisture (especially where its sub freezing, snows, and where they salt the roads like in PA) and the end user gets the crap with the vehicles

 

First of all, understand, chrome does not necessarily mean chrome.
Huh?
The 'chrome' you are NOW dealing with, is a direct result of all of US wanting to buy parts, for the RIGHT price.
The RIGHT price translates to CHEAP.
The Chinese fingered out how to do it CHEAP, by eliminating steps in the process. The chrome looks good on the surface, but it is what is underneath chrome, that makes it LAST.
In order to remotely compete, with the CHEAP crowd, US, the GOOD platers, either had to do it the CHEAP way, or go outta biz.
In other words, if it is available in the open parts market, it is CHEAP chrome.
There are still GOOD platers out there, who do triple plating, But, it is gonna cost, what GOOD triple plating costs.

And that CHEAP chit is everywhere, on everything. It's is just a fact of economics, dictated by US, the consumer. In this case, the consumers of CHEAP chrome, that we TOLD the suppliers, WE wanted.

If you saw the chroming process in action, and then look at some of these rims, for example, that are for sale in almost every catalog that comes, you'd know there is no way in H*LL, they could take a raw steel rim, triple plate it to last, polish it to look good, for the $125 or $150 they sell them for. Don't believe that would even cover the mat'ls required for a triple plate job, let alone ALL the labor. Just ain't gonna happen, even with the cheap illegal help, a lot of the plating companies hire.
I know, it SUX. Sux for me, for you, for the customers, but we vote with our pocketbooks. And this be who we elected, CHEAP chrome.

NOW, as posted, there are things you can certainly do, to delay the process. But you are NOW spending your time and $$$, to cover the shortfall on the investment in the first place. (Short sighted savings, I call that)

IF you have to store it over winter, WD 40 the whole shebang, rims, spokes, hubs. It'll wash off relatively easy in spring.
Don't let the water sit on 'em. Blow dry, wipe, whatever.
Believe it or not, one of the things required for rust/oxidation, is temperature. The warmer it is, the faster it's gonna rust. Heated grudge, temperature????

WHICH is NOT to say, store it outside in the cold, but to make sure it is clean and dry, before exposing it to the warm.

As posted, chemicals in the air. Salt air (ocean), road salt, pool chems, etc.

No, Harley is NOT gonna stand behind 'em. NO, you are not the only customer wrestling with this issue. WE, have dictated, we want this machine, for this price. Would you have paid $300, or $500 more, for triple plated, last 20 yrs or so, rims, then more $$ for GOOD handlebars, then bezels, then luggage racks, on and on???? One only need read, 1/2 the posts on here, to get that answer, NO. Like I said in the first sentence, WE have dictated the chrome we are NOW getting, with our pocketboks, THEY responded.

The girder on the Cap'n?? 37 yrs old, still wearing it's original triple plated chrome. One chip, MY DOINGS when fixing the headlight mount tab. NOW, that's chrome plating, Sir. Jus' NOT CHEAP chrome plating.
For now, and the foreseeable future, we have, what we are gonna have, unless you go away from the market, into the GOOD stuff. Jus' get your checkbook out. It is becoming a "specialty" market. (Supply,demand)
Unfortunately, I find myself buying some of that CHEAP crap. The good stuff, has surpassed my pocketbook, at this time, also.

 

EPA also stuck it to the Chromers about 17yrs ago.....