Some of our products are made from a "chrome-like" finished stainless steel material. In the metal industry this material is commonly known as "Super Mirror" stainless steel. Utilizing a very special process, the stainless steel is polished to a "glass-like" smoothness. The result is metal that reflects light just like a mirror (like a part that has been chromium plated.) However the chrome-like polished stainless steel has some great advantages over its chrome-plated equivalent (these are explained below). Our move away from actual chrome plating has become necessary due to stricter government regulation of the industry. More and more industrial platers in the U.S.A. are giving up offering this service, which has caused many manufacturers to have their products manufactured and plated in developing countries such as China. Since CruiserFX products are manufactured in the U.S.A., we have had to adapt to these changes. Using the "Super Mirror" stainless is more costly than using steel and having it chrome plated, but it is a good option for us as well as motorcycle manufacturers. Also, as discussed below, it has many advantages for the buyer.

 

If the appearance is so identical, why don't we just say that they are "chrome plated"?

We considered that option, but decided that we would be misrepresenting the product since, in our opinion, "chrome plated" implies that the part went through the process of chromium plating.

 

We are actually not the first to use mirror-finish stainless steel in place of chrome-plated steel.

 

Harley-Davidson is using mirror-finish stainless steel for the handle-bars on many of their motorcycles  (but they don't mention this fact in their literature). The photo below shows a close-up of the handle-bar area of the Sportster 1200. While the riser, speedometer and other details are chrome-plated steel, the handle-bars are not! Why don't they mention this in their product description or specifications for the Sportster? Probably because you can't really notice that the handle bars are made from mirror-finish stainless steel.

 

Yamaha is using mirror-stainless fork covers for its flagship bike the Roadliner. Harley-Davidson is using "chrome-like" fork covers on several of it's bikes as well.  Kuryakyn and Aeromach have also chosen to use mirror-polished stainless steel in place of chrome plating for some of its decorative bike accessories. Our "chrome-like" mirror stainless has the look of chrome-plated steel but is much more durable. It will never rust! (We all know that if you scratch your chrome-plated steel part, it will begin to rust.)

 

What is the difference in appearance between chrome plated parts and the mirror finish stainless steel?

In short, the difference is so subtle that it wouldn't surprise us if you can't see it. Both chrome plated steel parts and mirror finish stainless ones act like "mirrors" (reflecting whatever they are facing). In technical terms there is a small difference in reflective light transmission between chrome plated and mirrored stainless, but as you can see in the photos of our parts below and those mounted on the bike, you really won't notice the difference between parts made from chrome plated steel and mirror finish stainless steel.

 

Here is a photograph showing our mirror finish stainless steel Lower Triple Tree Cover (left)  alongside a chrome plated steel Pivot Cover (to the right).

 

Like "mirrors", both products are reflecting the blue sky, the concrete sidewalk, and some other nearby objects.

Can you tell that they are not both chrome plated? If you can, then your eyes are better than ours.

 

When you look at the mirror stainless parts mounted on the bike, you will see how their appearance looks the same as the chrome plated parts visible in the photos.

 

Why did we do this?

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It looks the same as chrome plating.

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The finish is more durable than the finish of chrome plated steel.

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If you scratch a chrome plated steel part, you are likely to have rust form in the area of the scratch.

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If you scratch the mirrored stainless part, there will be no rust because stainless steel never rusts.

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The chrome finish cannot be repaired, however if you scratch the mirrored stainless part you can actually remove the scratch through polishing the surface with the correct abrasive products. (You can do this yourself, or there are shops that will polish it for you.)

 

Why don't we make all our decorative products from mirror finish stainless steel instead of chrome plated steel?

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Well, it actually costs more to make the parts from mirror finish stainless steel.

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In addition, depending on the manufacturing processes required, it can even be impossible to maintain the mirror finish throughout the manufacturing process.

 

Our even mentioning this issue seems to have opened up a "can of worms" for us, with a few potential customers instantly deciding not to purchase these items for fear it will not look good on their bike. Such a fear is really unfounded, as those who have purchased these products have commented. (We have never received a complaint about the appearance of our "chrome-like" covers.) It seems that when many see the word "stainless steel" they think of the finish on their kitchen sink. Though the typical kitchen sink is made from stainless steel, it has a "brushed" or "grained" finish. The very special (expensive) mirror-finish stainless steel we use on some of our products goes through a special polishing process that gives them a higher degree of polish than is given to steel parts that are to be chrome plated!

 

Some other accessory makers (even very large ones) have not been so open with their potential customers, and in our opinion misrepresent their products. For example, Hondaline makes "chrome" side covers for the Sabre that are not chrome-plated, but are sold as "chrome" covers (If you look at their description, you see every indication that they are chrome-plated.) They are actually plastic covers that have been aluminum plated giving them a finish similar in appearance to chrome-plating (Since aluminum is very soft, this is why the finish on the Hondaline covers scratches so easy!).

 

Even though we say there is no real difference, what happens if you purchase these "chrome-like" parts and decide you don't like them?

    Although to this date no one has ever complained about the appearance, if you don't like them just return them. We'll give you a full refund. (read our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee policy.)