Cobra Tri-Flo = RUST BUCKET

[Old Bear]

Pictures of Cobra USA Tri-Flo slip-ons with the hard bags removed. These are LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD. This time while cleaning, I actually had small chrome curls on the rag. Yep, the chrome is actually peeling right off the muffler. And the "new" tips that Cobra replaced last year? One has two rust holes that have ruptured through the chrome, and the other tip has the chrome bubbled where it has separated from the metal.
According to Cobra USA, if you don't want this to happen, then you must clean and dry the entire muffler and ensure there are no water spots after a rain or bike wash. And with hard saddlebags, that is just so reasonable of them! The saddest part is that the 2011 Vaquero right beside it with 10+ year-old Tri-Ovals and 68k miles in the same conditions have no rust. Tell me again how Cobra USA quality hasn't gone into the toilet. THESE ARE JUNK!

[redjay]

I think those parts are defective and have not been chromed properly.
I would be sending those photos to Cobra if you have not done so already.

[JD Hog]

Originally Posted by redjay

I think those parts are defective and have not been chromed properly.
I would be sending those photos to Cobra if you have not done so already.

Same here

I have the same slip ons and they are 27 months old with over 12,000 miles on them and still no rust or blemishes.

[Old Bear]

I contacted them last year, when they were about 8 months in, with rust spots all over. Looked like they had measles. Cobra was adamant that rust is totally excluded from warranty. I finally convinced them to allow me to return them under an RMA, that this was a defect. All they did was polish the rust off and replaced the tips. That's when they told me about water spots. I spent over a $100 sending them back, for nothing. One thing for sure, there isn't any polishing the chrome out now, seeing how the chrome is peeling off.

[Old Bear]

Well, I tried again. I sent the pictures to Cobra. Points for responsiveness, they called a few hours later. Lose those points however, as it was the same line I got last year. The warranty specifically EXCLUDES ANY RUST CLAIMS. Plus, it is obviously all my fault. I was told that I left water standing on the muffler, and that is what did it. Maybe California water is different, but I'll be damned to understand how to get water to stand on a chromed round tube. Tennessee water just runs down and off. As we always say, YMMV, but I will NEVER OWN ANOTHER COBRA PRODUCT. I will be debaffling the stock mufflers and put them back on. Hope I like the sound, as I really can't afford the Freedom Performance that I would love to have. And to think how much I spent on the crap Cobra rust buckets, I would have been well on the way to a quality exhaust. But hey, anyone want to buy some "slightly used" Cobra slip-ons?

[redjay]

If the Cobra mufflers are not defective then the stock mufflers should be rusty in no time.

What Cobra is telling you is BS in my opinion.

[JD Hog]

Originally Posted by redjay

If the Cobra mufflers are not defective then the stock mufflers should be rusty in no time.

What Cobra is telling you is BS in my opinion.

[alwhite00]

My V&H are probably 15 years old and they still look great. I don’t dry them off either.

[smokier]

Originally Posted by redjay

If the Cobra mufflers are not defective then the stock mufflers should be rusty in no time.

What Cobra is telling you is BS in my opinion.

Agreed +1 on the

Had the SAME argument with Cobra regarding rust on a 1500 Classic ProPipe. Last Cobra product I owned...

[Burky]

I allmost ordered the cobras(I like the look), but after reading about the lack of quality control issues, I ordered vance and hines today.

[The Black Knight]

Originally Posted by alwhite00

My V&H are probably 15 years old and they still look great. I don’t dry them off either.

No rust also on my V&H (8 years old).

[ldhthept]

Can you paint them?

[smokier]

Originally Posted by ldhthept

Can you paint them?

Or maybe have them porcelain/ceramic coated? If you like the sound, maybe a BLACK set instead of chrome?

[yoda]

Wow, my Cobra True Duals are over 10 years old and have no rust, other than the bottom rash spots that I ground off going out of the parking lot at work. I would be a bit PO'd if mine looked like that and got a crappy response.

[Old Bear]

Originally Posted by smokier

Or maybe have them porcelain/ceramic coated? If you like the sound, maybe a BLACK set instead of chrome?

This did cross my mind. I haven't been back to my hydro guy yet, but now I'm curious if there is a hydro film that can support temps of a muffler. That would certainly be different, a hydro red flame job with the remaining chrome showing through! And that would protect the rest of the crappy chrome job. Ceramic, maybe Cerakote, is certainly an option as well.