11-01-2018, 02:36 PM
If I recall correctly, the U.S. market has "hand-finished" brushed aluminum side covers, while some other markets get a silver painted version. Are our U.S.-spec side covers finished in a clear coat, or are they raw aluminum?
The reason I ask is I just picked up my bike today after getting new tires and front brake pads installed (during the ride home there was literally zero brake squeal, so fingers crossed that the new EBC HH sintered metal pads and CRC Brake Disc Quiet treatment have permanently eliminated this issue), and I noticed what looked like an enormous number of brand-new scratches on my left-side cover. The right-side cover is still perfect. Looking it over closely with the mechanic, we discovered that the scratches didn't feel like actual scratches. We couldn't feel any surface irregularities with our fingernails, which led him to wonder whether there is a clear coat over the aluminum, and perhaps the clear coat is cracking.
Sound plausible? If so, I assume this would be covered under warranty, right?
The reason I ask is I just picked up my bike today after getting new tires and front brake pads installed (during the ride home there was literally zero brake squeal, so fingers crossed that the new EBC HH sintered metal pads and CRC Brake Disc Quiet treatment have permanently eliminated this issue), and I noticed what looked like an enormous number of brand-new scratches on my left-side cover. The right-side cover is still perfect. Looking it over closely with the mechanic, we discovered that the scratches didn't feel like actual scratches. We couldn't feel any surface irregularities with our fingernails, which led him to wonder whether there is a clear coat over the aluminum, and perhaps the clear coat is cracking.
Sound plausible? If so, I assume this would be covered under warranty, right?