Dear HD,

I have just returned from a ride (Fortunately I am on holiday or vacation as you would know it and I have been lucky enough to get to ride all week) I parked the bike in the driveway and I was just getting ready to wash it when I noticed the red mist...

Both wheels (Chrome laced) had the first signs of rust around the rims. My first reaction was "What the !!!!!!" My second reaction was one of sadness. I love and cherish my bike, and were it not for my family and a few very good friends it would be the one and only love of my life. So that being the case I was obviously upset to see my loved one deteriorating in this way.

Okay I accept that a Harley is a cheap bike and that it is built to a price. I accept the fact that due to this I cannot expect the same build quality as a Honda. I accept the fact that you spend so much on R & D that there is no way that the quality at this low price can be good. I accept the fact that you are always striving to break new barriers in motorcycle technology and due to that I have to expect lower standards...

Well actually I don't expect or accept any of that. A Harley Davidson is one of THE most expensive bikes you can buy, no matter which model you choose. In all reality the technology is State of the Ark as opposed to State of the Art.

We have to put up with crap brakes, cheap chrome, poor handling, horrendously expensive parts and accessories, we have to deal with Franchised dealers that obviously don't care about your problems (Not all, there are some good guys out there) We have to accept that to actually make the bikes start, stop and handle the way they should in the 21st century, that it will cost bucks, and I mean serious bucks.

Of course you can spend lots of cash on Honda's, BMW's, Ducati's etc, but the difference is with most bikes by other manufacturers is that they come from the factory, ready to start, stop, handle and go. So the money you spend is actually making what is really good, even better.

I love my Harley, I honestly don't think I would ever buy another make (Unless I won the lottery or had lots of money that is) But I am getting to the point of feeling slightly sick of the fact that I am just another buck to the corp. You say owning a HD is like becoming part of a family, well as the saying goes "You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family"

Well I want to be part of a family that actually gives a damn, and at the moment I am not convinced you feel the same. Considering the price we pay, we should at least expect a reasonable level of quality, but when I have had a bike for less than 1 year and have done less than 6,000 miles I should expect it to be "still like new" I wash and clean it after every ride, no matter the weather or how tired I am. After every wash it is dried before being put away.

It is garaged every night, it is dry, cared for and loved. So considering how I treat my bike, do you really feel it is right that I should be seeing the Red mist this early on?




kb

My Harley is the least rust prone of any of the various makes of bikes I've owned. Are any nasty treatments used up in the Highlands to keep the roads clear during winter ?
I know the feeling though my Ducati has spots popping up here and there - it's freaking tragic.
Oh well nothing to do but clean it up and relax with a dram or two of Lagavulin.

you sure you didn't hit some small animal???

Harley Davidson: Love the bike, hate the company

My Harley is the least rust prone of any of the various makes of bikes I've owned. Are any nasty treatments used up in the Highlands to keep the roads clear during winter ?
I know the feeling though my Ducati has spots popping up here and there - it's freaking tragic.
Oh well nothing to do but clean it up and relax with a dram or two of Lagavulin.

Lots of nasty treatments here in the winter months, whiich is why I Always clean and care for the bike after every ride. If I neglected it, then I would accept that it may deteriorate...

you sure you didn't hit some small animal???

I demand a lawyer before I answer that! :rolleyes::D;)

Harley Davidson: Love the bike, hate the company

Indeed...

I have the right to remain silent...

There are many points I like about your "letter to Harley". Do you polish your wheels and other chrome?
-Aaron

well said
oh so true on all points.

There are many points I like about your "letter to Harley". Do you polish your wheels and other chrome?
-Aaron

No, they are just washed nd then chamioed off. So they are completely dry when the bike is stored...

I have an 07 XL1200C which is in the process of going through it's second winter, after each ride I use Scottoil FS 365 http://www.scottoiler.com/sitemap.asp
and have no rust whatsoever, apparently it has something that neutralises the salt, have you thought about trying something like this?

I have an 07 XL1200C which is in the process of going through it's second winter, after each ride I use Scottoil FS 365 http://www.scottoiler.com/sitemap.asp
and have no rust whatsoever, apparently it has something that neutralises the salt, have you thought about trying something like this?

No haven't thought of it, but def sounds like a good idea. Thanks for the link.

Edit: Just checked it out and lots of good reviews, will pick some up tomorrow as there is a local supplier.

Thanks again...

I have the right to remain silent...

You have the right to remain silent! But it would be nice if Harley Davidson would make some comment as I am sure the are not blind to this Forum. :rolleyes:

But it would be nice if Harley Davidson would make some comment as I am sure the are not blind to this Forum. :rolleyes:
Just like Bill mentioned in his first post I don't think they really give a damn.
As long as people keep buying HD's and the MoCo continues to make profits then I reckon thats all that really matters to them.

By bike showed signs of rust within six months of ownership.
Rotors
Gas opening
Center of headlight

This was before the bike even saw it's first bath and it was kept in a dry garage.
I got pissed at first but after painting the rotors and headlight center no new ones have returned.
The gas opening hasn't gotten worse.

Short answer....

Polish your rims more often, and Bill, my friend, as one old Married guy to another.......








Surely they have call girls in Scottland, please. call one.

















Soon.





















No really, you need a good pipe cleaning.

I park my bike inside the house much to my GF's dismay and I still have rust, my rotors look like crap and bolts are bad too. I live near the beach but wash it regulary.

The answer is not "clean it more", and it's not about any owner added products. New bikes shouldn't rust. Period. Salt has nothing to do with it. You should never have to feel compelled to clean your bike after every ride - or at all.

Dirt and moisture do not cause rust on properly sealed metal. Lack of sealant and finish (or poor quality of finish) cases rust.

Not a single new car rusts until the finish is worn away. Years, if ever.

Harleys are rusting early because either the finish is improperly applied, or the formula is faulty and fails prematurely. Short of over-polishing or scratching, there is nothing an owner can do properly sealed metal to make it rust so soon.

Ya know, my vehicles stay outside and are not cleaned very often and the chrome on the Ford and GM products still look damn good and are 2-3 years older than my 07 HD...........The HD rust progression is equal to my gf's daughters $59 Walmart bicycle..............................

The MOCO could give a chit less, especially cause you bought a "cheap" sportster. We are just a pimple on a nats butt, to them. HD will continue to get crappier and crappier, until they shut the factory down for good. They will blame it on the economy, but we will know the truth. And Jeff, you can send one of those call Girls my way please.

Dear HD,

I have just returned from a ride (Fortunately I am on holiday or vacation as you would know it and I have been lucky enough to get to ride all week) I parked the bike in the driveway and I was just getting ready to wash it when I noticed the red mist...

Both wheels (Chrome laced) had the first signs of rust around the rims. My first reaction was "What the !!!!!!" My second reaction was one of sadness. I love and cherish my bike, and were it not for my family and a few very good friends it would be the one and only love of my life. So that being the case I was obviously upset to see my loved one deteriorating in this way.

Okay I accept that a Harley is a cheap bike and that it is built to a price. I accept the fact that due to this I cannot expect the same build quality as a Honda. I accept the fact that you spend so much on R & D that there is no way that the quality at this low price can be good. I accept the fact that you are always striving to break new barriers in motorcycle technology and due to that I have to expect lower standards...

Well actually I don't expect or accept any of that. A Harley Davidson is one of THE most expensive bikes you can buy, no matter which model you choose. In all reality the technology is State of the Ark as opposed to State of the Art.

We have to put up with crap brakes, cheap chrome, poor handling, horrendously expensive parts and accessories, we have to deal with Franchised dealers that obviously don't care about your problems (Not all, there are some good guys out there) We have to accept that to actually make the bikes start, stop and handle the way they should in the 21st century, that it will cost bucks, and I mean serious bucks.

Of course you can spend lots of cash on Honda's, BMW's, Ducati's etc, but the difference is with most bikes by other manufacturers is that they come from the factory, ready to start, stop, handle and go. So the money you spend is actually making what is really good, even better.

I love my Harley, I honestly don't think I would ever buy another make (Unless I won the lottery or had lots of money that is) But I am getting to the point of feeling slightly sick of the fact that I am just another buck to the corp. You say owning a HD is like becoming part of a family, well as the saying goes "You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family"

Well I want to be part of a family that actually gives a damn, and at the moment I am not convinced you feel the same. Considering the price we pay, we should at least expect a reasonable level of quality, but when I have had a bike for less than 1 year and have done less than 6,000 miles I should expect it to be "still like new" I wash and clean it after every ride, no matter the weather or how tired I am. After every wash it is dried before being put away.

It is garaged every night, it is dry, cared for and loved. So considering how I treat my bike, do you really feel it is right that I should be seeing the Red mist this early on?




kb

Sorry to hear about this with your bike Bill, glad you wrote what you really thought about it all. It's about as aggravating as getting new tires mounted on a vehicle, they re-balance, move the weights, and then you got this nice ugly ruined spot in your aluminum wheels where the weights use to be. Kinda like when the kids were still at home, hard to have anything nice sometimes.

Rust:
All of my past bikes from the early 80's all had stainless rotors, even the cheapest models, so I naturally assumed all bike rotors were stainless.
When I first saw the rust starting in the cutouts to my Sporty rotors I thought I was seeing things. I promply took them off, rust treated them, then shot them with high temp black. Problem solved and you live and learn. As for the gas tank, I'm used to tanks getting rust so I'm not surprised. Am I happy about the Sporty being prone to rust? NO, but I've accepted it and now I know It's something to look out for.
Some of my favorite old muscle cars had the same problem. Some were prone to rusting out the quarters, some were prone in the lower fenders, some by the corner of the back window or front cowl, ect. Was it annoying? YES. Did I love those cars any less? NO. It's a fact of life that all machines have flaws but knowing about those flaws can help you fix or prevent them from becoming a bigger problem. Harley is no exception but Harley is not going to fix the problem. They are not too dumb to know that steel rotors will rust, that the stock shocks suck for 2-up, that you will not expect a back seat and pegs to cost so much when you buy a bike without them. They expect you to later buy the chrome rotors to replace your rusting ones or to buy the chrome primary cover for your XL-883C because they gave you a grey matte one instead of even giving you a polished one. It's the blank canvas and they've got lots of paint to sell.
That's what is great about this forum and working on your own bike. It allows you to enjoy what truly is a great bike while avoiding pitfalls and expenses.