Chromed stampings have rust after 5 months; mfgr claims environmental cause

A. Hi, Marty

Rusting chrome is a difficult issue to resolve because it can be either an environmental issue or a manufacturing defect. Chrome dissolves both in acid and alkali, so there could have been exposure to muriatic acid fumes in your garage, or you could have cleaned these parts with bleach, or some other strongly acid or strongly alkaline cleaner. But even if the chrome were inadvertently stripped, the underlying nickel, which is far more chemically robust, should have good corrosion resistance unless you have deeply scraped these items. Once scraped, corrosion can start from within.

You say there is "bubbling up" though. Do you have any idea what the substrates are? A mini-volcanic look, a white "acne" is typical of a corroding diecasting. Blisters similar to blisters on your skin would be lack of adhesion, and are most common on aluminum substrates (and always a manufacturing defect). Only steel actually rusts.

Photos might help us be less vague. If there is no mechanical damage, and they can't demonstrate that you did something to environmentally expose these parts, I'd take them to small claims court. Do not be dissuaded by any agreement the dealer produces about binding arbitration; regardless of what you may have signed, any contract "contrary to public policy" is null & void (I am not a lawyer, rather I know this because here in NJ it is almost impossible to buy a car without signing one; the Consumer Protection Department doesn't have the resources to prosecute these scummy dealers on general principles; instead they say to go ahead and sign because it has no legal standing).

I think you'll win because you have a one-year guarantee which they are refusing to honor; in a court of law they probably won't get away with a vague "he might have . . ."; rather it will become their obligation to be extremely specific as to what you did that justifies them not honoring their warranty.

Regards,

A. Hi Ted,
It has been a while since I sold my plating business after 35 years. I miss being a contributor to your forum.
As for the gentleman's motorcycle. I highly doubt all the parts he is describing were plated at the same time and very possibly not at at the same facility. More likely his motorcycle was subjected to something in the environment where it is kept. Motorcycles are not made to be stored outside or in damp environments.
I think it is too coincidental that all of those various parts started rusting after such a short period of time. Still it is a shame that manufacturers are doing chrome plating that is inferior to plating in the past. He should go ahead and complain. Maybe the manufacturer will listen. But it is unlikely since so many other motorcycle owners are aware of the fragile nature of todays chrome and tend to keep it cleaned and waxed.
I have heard about how wonderful duplex nickel is and how important copper plating is. But nothing will hold up as well as a very heavy nickel (1 hr at least) followed by a good 5-minute chrome flash. But now I am talking like a custom chrome plater who has customers that expect the best.

A. Left out in the rain every night, you will not see rusty parts on any Harley-Davidson manufactured in the past 15 years. Their specifications call for very robust plating and they enforce the spec on their suppliers.

A. Hi Jeff,
I have been riding H-D's for many years (40 yrs). I am constantly bombarded on the motorcycles runs I go on from Laughlin to Srurgis, "Why is the chrome rusting on my two year old bike?" The answer is almost usually the same. They store their bike on an open car port with just a tarp over it or in a leaky old garage. The rain, snow and moisture ends up getting into every nook, cranny and low density area. Next thing you know there is rusting starting to show up on the chrome. Along with electrical components, wheel bearings, etc. causing a lot of premature mechanical and cosmetic problems.
I am sorry to disagree with you but if the owner is not out cleaning, water displacing and waxing every aspect of their chrome and mechanical parts of their bike on at least a weekly basis it will start premature aging in every aspect.
Chrome plating will not hold up on a motorcycles that is not kept in a dry concrete-floor building. A little climate (temperature control is also a nice touch).
Of course this is only my experience and maybe in other climates in the country it might be different. Somehow I do not think chrome left unattended, despite any process will hold up for 15 years on a motorcycles.

Hi, Frank.

That's a great insight, based on actual experience; and it's great advice which I appreciate. But with regard to Marty specifically, his bike is only 5 months old and only certain thin sheetmetal parts are corroding while he claims that most of the bike is fine. Based on that, my feeling remains that either he washed those items improperly with bleach, or is storing it in a garage with HCl fumes or something like that, or (more likely) the plating is defective because as far as I have ever seen the only thing that causes blistering is defective plating..

Please mail some pics to mooney@finishing.com for posting here, Marty.

Regards,