To Chrome or not to Chrome...that is the question...soooo...what's the answer?

For the past couple of winters I have thought about chrome plating the front end of my bike. I haven't got around to it yet & maybe it's just as well.

Polishing is another alternative that could very well be more pleasing. However, I have found out that if it's done properly, it won't be much less expensive!

I recently spoke with Steve, the owner of Killer Krome in Calgary. His customers include award winning custom car & bike builders and he makes no apologies when he says that his services are more expensive than anyone else's in the area.

According to Steve, the actual chrome plating is a small percentage of the total cost. Polishing aluminum & stainless makes up most of his business, not chrome plating. Preparation is the big ticket item. It is time consuming & labor intensive, thus expensive. Preparation is polishing out all of the flaws.

Steve said that aluminum that has been polished properly will be easy to maintain & stainless won't be a problem. He also mentioned that when plating the lower fork tubes there is the possibility of having oil seal problems.

You can check out his work at http://www.killerkrome.com

Professional motorcycle customizer, Denny Berg, prefers mixing different metal tones rather than dip a bike in chrome. According to Denny, polished stainless & aluminum has it's own characteristic hue that is more pleasing than a monotone chrome reflection.

The front end's comin' off this winter. I'll surprise ya next spring as to which route I took.

Any thoughts on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

Gary