To quote Charlie Brown: "AAAARRGGGHHH!"

Stopped by the dealer yesterday to pick up some goodies for the Ultra. One of the things I purchased was the chrome trim inserts for the saddlebag rails - it's the kit with the rectangular chrome pieces that fit between the saddlebag rails.

I take the kit apart, and it's easy enough to install. You get long screws, and short screws. The short screws are designed for the bracket at the front of the saddlebag. They screw in from the inside, so you don't see them. If you used the long ones, they'd dimple or punch out through the trim. The long screws are for the rear trim, and mount to a supplied bracket using nuts that are supplied also.

I put it together and get ready to tighten everything up. The short screws are a different thread than the front trim piece. So are the long ones. Funnier still, the long screws don't match the nuts. Different there, also. However, the nuts will work on the short screws.

Both sides, dammit.

Fitment isn't even that great. At the rear of the saddlebag, the bracket that goes over the upper & lower rails doesn't fit as flush as it used to.

Fortunately, I had enough spare nuts & bolts and stuff here at home (my workshop is a veritable hardware store) to complete the installation. This is the first bad experience I've had, and I can't fault my dealer - all the packaging was new & sealed on everything. It was a 45-minute drive from my house in bad traffic, so I didn't bother returning it.

Argh. Just needed to vent. On the positive side, the willie G. skull theme goodies I purchased fit great, and look really nice.

Cannon

 

put them on my bros. ultra. same thing so you arent alone fitment was a challenge with some strategic bending needed to make it fit flush.

 

Welcome to the world of "made in China"

 

Alot of HD chrome parts are made in China or Taiwan,real crap,about
as cheap as you can get.

 

Have found many blemishes on chrome I have bought that was made in China. Although the dealer always takes the blemished pieces back, it's still a shame that H-D would allow such poor quality control. It got so bad a while back, the clerks at the dealership opened the packages and checked the chrome very close before I left the store. They saved me several miles by doing this as I didn't have to return the bad pieces. Made in China sucks!

 

I hear all of Harleys chrome parts have been chromed by china ever since 2003 maybe even before and the front forks are made in china as well so maybe we should all pay 10k less and ride a rice burner cruiser - lol. What a high dollar rip off, american made in china. Ride Safe

 

It's a changing world. And I for one, don't like it!

 

*** chrome powdercoat it

 

Chrome won't get you home.

 

i remember buying a new harley in ninety six, when the term harley used was hexavalent chrome. a process which it seems they're still using. very thin, will wear off the surface, gotta return a point cover for my sg that's the hd accessory one, smooth, but now is showing through the chrome after two weeks. same experience with the round nostalgic air cleaner cover. they're good about replacing it, but it's a pain to do stuff twice. showa has been making the forks for many years now, as did keihn with the carbs, a honda company. better than the old linkert and tillotsons though.