I spoke with my very good Dealer (I've bought 13 motorcycles from them) and Honda Customer Support (via Carlos a good phone rep BTW) today.

The Dealer had spoken earlier with their Tech Rep regarding the F6B paint. He only recommended I wash the bike periodically with a clean cloth, use Honda Spray Polish to protect, and remove any paint damage with 3M Finesse-It (TM). Non abrasive wax is also approved. Using Finesse-It will remove paint, as there's no clear coating over the color. Periodically buffing out paint imperfections with a non-Honda product isn't mentioned in the Owner's Manual, but Honda apparently feels it's the secret to maintaining the bike's value.

My saddlebag covers were scratched from the sock covering they use inside the crate to cover the bike during shipment. My Dealer is considering what to do about that separate problem.

Carlos reaffirmed that there is no clear coating. It's only used by Honda to enhance a metallic paint. They have pulled product and the F6B paint (black and red) meets Honda's standards. They recommend the same as the Tech Rep as far as cleaning and maintenance of the surface. He noted that Goldwing owners are very particular about their motorcycles.

Honda offers a 45 day warranty on the paint, but in some cases will extend that within the 3-year general warranty. I'm not sure what warranty coverage would entail, and what the recovery process would involve.

My courteous reply to both the Dealer and Honda was that I was not happy with the paint, was concerned about eventual abnormal loss of value due to the excessive paint maintenance requirements beyond that which the Owner's Manual addresses, and would have not purchased the motorcycle had I known about what I feel is a serious problem or defect in construction.

Honda started a case# for me by VIN, and my Dealer (somewhat caught in the middle) has said they'd discuss both their and my options to be made whole again and get back to me. The SM agreed that going forward the potential paint maintenance was excessive compared with other lines they sell (HD and BMW).

We'll see what happens next.