So I was at the dealer yesterday and checked out a 2018 Fatbob 114. While sitting on the bike I looked at the instrument cluster and saw that it was secured by two plain steel button head bolts. The handlebar clamp bolts were also plain steel.

For some reason, this looked very cheap to me. Harley sales are down but bike prices are still high. So why can't Harley spend a buck and put black/chrome/stainless bolts in such a visible location. It just diminishes the look of the bike. Nice paint, cheap fasteners.

You see the same thing on softail fender bolts, mild steel when they could be made much more attractive from the factory.

I get it that the Harley model is to have the buyer customize from their catalog but, in my opinion, on a bike that costs over $20K these bolts should look like they belong.

 

Cutting corners has been my beef with HD for a long time.

It's one of the primary reasons I'll never buy a brand new bike from them again.

 

Are you sure they were plain steel or were the the zinc plated bolts? They use the zinc played all over their bikes, so they can seem you chrome ones later..

I do agree they shouldn't be used in certain areas for esthetic reasons.

 

Nothing new there then. Harley-Davidson has been fitting fasteners that rot as soon as you look at them for years, that's why there's a healthy business providing stainless replacement kits.

 

Yup, thats why I replaced my handlebar bolts with apr stainless bolts, and my whole shift rod linkage due to rust only after a few rides through the rain.

 

I have H-D's from a 1958 to a 2018. Ride 12 months a year in rain and snow. No rust on any of the 24 in the garage.

OP - Would two button bolts really make a difference in purchasing or not? Or are you thinking you're just cool to bash a H-D?

 

 

Good questions that we already know the answers.

 

Interesting.

2013 FB Lo here. Rusted: key lock, detachable hardware, just about every acorn nut, heat shields, clamps for heat shields completely rusted out.

Either you don't ride in wet conditions or you're full of it.

 

I get rained on all the time and my bike has no rust anywhere. Maybe where you store your bike and your location to the ocean made a difference. Even cleats on a $350k boat rust if not cleaned well.