My wife has a 06 883L, that has the factory wagon wheel style aluminum. We have spoken to the dealer and they send parts to SouthBay Chroming for plating and etc. I talked to our independent mechanic today in which he has a verrrry nice show bike, but he warned us not to have the aluminum wheels chromed becuase in a very short period 2 years, the chrome would flex and start to peel. He suggested in getting nicer wheels. Has any body had their wheels chromed and has any body had chrome peeling issues of any kind, after market or factory. We live in centrral Missouri but sending to distance is not a issue.

 

Interesting. Might wanna research what your mechanic said. Sounds like a horse-**** story to me, though.

 

Tomorrow I plan on calling South Bay Chroming and asking their opinion on Chroming Aluminum Wheels, versus alloy.

 

I've heard the same thing (won't vouch for its veracity, though), that the flexing and vibration that wheels go through is detrimental to chrome.

I do know that chrome tends to make chromed items somewhat brittle, so it may be a bad idea on its own, regardless of the above.

My suggestion would be to put a mirror polish on the wheels. Polished aluminum looks just as good as chrome to my eye, and is easy to care for. Just a thought.

 

FWIW, the factory chromed 1200C wheels are notorious for peeling.

 

You should be fine as long as the spokes are tightened properly when replaced, but I would speak with a quality chromer such as Chromemasters in Nashville, Tn. and verify everything first. The mechanic may know better about chrome than the stealership, but the chromer beats 'em both. It still might not be a bad idea to look into an aftermarket wheel though, just because the cost of stripping and rechroming may be more than a new wheel. Good luck, and post pics!