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Chroming Parts Vs. OEM H-D chrome parts

6K views 22 replies 16 participants last post by  SLICK02 
#1 ·
Anyone out there done chroming of their own stock lower legs as opposed to buying OEM Harley accessory parts at the low low price of $299.95? and if so what are the pitfalls...one would think the inside fork machining might be out of whack after adding the layers of chrome, copper & nickel. I plan to send out a box of parts (inner primary, hand controls/master cylinder & levers, footboard brackets, and maybe fork legs) to the chromers some time soon when I'm painting my bike. I guess i'm just looking for the better deal than just going to the dealer and dropping the big coin for the box of parts. Stock parts are next to nothing on E-Bay. I saw a stock inner primary go for 40 bucks. I just picked up complete hand controls & front brake master cyl. for 40 bucks. My thought is to get all the replacement "take off HD" parts and send them out to theres no down time. Any thoughts, or am I just being too cheap???
Tim
 
#4 · (Edited)
time and cost

I've had a few things chromed and I think it comes down to dollars and time. You can save a bunch of cash on getting parts chromed. It how long you can wait to get it back and not ride while the parts are in the shop.

I know several parts I had chromed were not available from HD or other places in chrome.

Then there is the issue of buying a new part and what to do with the old one. As you said lots of parts on eBay. And how much time will you spend to sell parts that sell at the dealer new for $ 300 and sell on eBay for $ 40?

A lot depends upon the chromer, their pricing, and their history. You need to make sure the shop knows what they are doing.

So I don't know that there is an answer to your question that fits 100%.
 
#5 ·
Alot of chrome exchange places that specialize in harley parts. Check out the thunder Press, any hd dealer will have one you might have to ask. Some pretty good prices and you can just send those cores you bought and the exchange parts will be back pronto! You'll save plenty over HD parts. We want pictures when you get this beauty done!!
 
#6 ·
thanks

Thanks for the replies... My last bike , my 92 FLHTC, on its' last go round, While the paint was being worked on, I removed most of the parts mentioned previously, and sent them to the chromer. My next door neighbor, a custom bike builder, insisted that I do the inner primary. And to all of you out there....MAN...WHAT A DIFFERENCE. The large flat surfaces that face up just gleam in the sun. If you want to go that extra mile for a difference that most folks don't do....chrome the inner primary. On my '92, HD didn't offer it in chrome anyway, so I chromed mine. My total bill for chrome was 400 bucks...For my inner/outer primary, all my front & rear foorboard brackets, my rear footboards, and my rear fender brackets (that support the bags) and some misc. bolts . The only screw up was the chromers polished the wrong side of my rear footboard brackets.So, they re-did them. So, i figure to chrome ALL the stuff i get off e-bay, then re-assemble it in one fellswoop while i'm doing the paint. On that, I'm stretching the Tank, the hard bags, and the rear fender (to be the same length as the bags), the front fender will be a plain softail fender, re-drilled and installed w/ spacers, to mount 1"-3/4" closer to tire, shaving the rivets too. Paint will be House of Kolor Black Pearl with the Tru-Fire flame technique in reds/oranges. While I realize the "real flame" technique is close to being "played out" ( at least here on the west coast), i'd still like to do it for shits & giggles. I might be able to even sell a few jobs $$$. I'm hoping to dive into this project in Feb. so I can get it buttoned up before Laughlin river run. Then comes accumulating parts for the engine build. It never ends.....
below is a pic of the extra chrome...while under construction, and the other is completed near Friant, CA
Tim
 
#10 ·
PLEASE, for the love of God, before you chrome anything or make a chrome purchase, please make it a point to talk to your dealers new "Chrome Consultant". How we ever did without them for so long is truly a mystery.
 
#12 ·
timbo said:
... please make it a point to talk to your dealers new "Chrome Consultant". ...
And I thought our dealer was the only one to have one of these clowns. I didn't know others had them too.
 
#14 ·
jockeyshift said:
And I thought our dealer was the only one to have one of these clowns. I didn't know others had them too.
It must be a MOCO customer service campaign filtering to all the dealers. Now....... I guess to be fair I can't say "all" the dealers of course, but our dealer now has one as well as having seen many people here mention them coming to their dealer too.

I don't know, it just sounds so fru-fru. Kind of like hiring an interior designer for your house.

The MOCO is starting to remind me of Kiss. Those guys can damnn near sell anything. Hell they've even got a Kiss casket for cryin' out loud. Hmmm.... a Gene Simmons edition Nightrain might be pretty cool though. Push a button and have a tongue pop out of the headlight to tickle that thong your behind while backed up in Daytona Main St traffic.:banana:
 
#16 ·
timbo said:
PLEASE, for the love of God, before you chrome anything or make a chrome purchase, please make it a point to talk to your dealers new "Chrome Consultant". How we ever did without them for so long is truly a mystery.
I got that flyer this week talking about making an appointment with your "chrome consultant". What a crock.
 
#17 ·
Very Nice

Kindsvater Flat said:
Like this?




Something similar...no eagle, just flames on the f. fender, tank and bags, I might do some sort of separation thru the tank & bags w/ 23k gold leaf striping perhaps 3/8" wide. Still working that out design wise. Who did the airbrush work on yours? Nice work. I intend mine to be a little on the subtle side. And as I stated, I don't wish to copy any ones work, and while this is still popular, out in my area, i've seen it on a TON of choppers, but not too many baggers. It it looks dated of played out in a year...i'll repaint it again. Hell my last bike went thru 4 complete color changes, 2 different flame jobs before i painted it pearl black. I went with the pearl just to not be so much alike the stock HD vivid black that is so prevalent. Once the pearl black was on, I had intended to do the tru-fire thing to the Electraglide, but I got a pretty good offer, so I sold it. So here i am, riding a bike I got from one of my best friends, and it's STILL his bike...to me. So , i gotta "piss" on it and make it mine.
"CHROME CONSULTANT"....we don't need no stinkin' chrome consultant....
Tim
 
#20 ·
no sweat

Kindsvater Flat said:
The paint was done by a guy out of Redding, Ca. I will find out his name and post it up. The bike belongs to a friend of mine. I'm done owning anything with dark colors.
Don't jump thru any hoops as far as finding out who did his bike, it's not a big deal. I was just wondering if it was anybody I know in the business. As I said, that is a really nice job. As for dark colors...I've had quite a few black vehicles, and I'm not done yet. There's just something about a deep black paint job that i absolutely dig... This bike certainly wont be the last. Later,
Tim
 
#22 ·
timbo said:
PLEASE, for the love of God, before you chrome anything or make a chrome purchase, please make it a point to talk to your dealers new "Chrome Consultant". How we ever did without them for so long is truly a mystery.
Would this be a brand new position for which there are brand new hires fresh out of design school, or would it be someone you've always seen there that overnight has been named the chrome god only because they have the most chrome on their bike (like what usually happens in an office with the person that knows how to format a floppy - instant IT manager)?
 
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