Topic: Any Tips on Routing Wiring Harness Inside Handlebars?

[C317414]

Hello,

I'm about to replace the handlebars that came on my 550F, with a replica of the original bars.   Both set of bars have the holes for routing the switch harnesses. 

Are there any tips to making the routing of the wiring harnesses easier?  Are the harnesses stiff enough that they can be easily pushed through, or should I use a pulling string?  What did you use to lubricate the harness, if anything?

Thanks

[Rosinante]

Electricians use "fish tape," which is a flat wire.  You may be able to use another piece of wire you have handy.  Then perhaps pull a string, but the wire itself may work best for pulling the wire.  Pull them all at once.  Once there is already wire in a conduit, it is almost impossible to pull another one.  Yes, there is a lube which can be used.

[PeWe]

Deburr the sharp edges of all three holes. I used fiberglass tape around the harness where it enter the holes.

I taped rhe harnesses, standard paint tape to form the harness to gather all wires.

Remove tape asap when mounted to avoid the glue to stick too hard on connnectors.

[newday777]

When using the old wiring that the old jacket has hardened, heat the jacket and the bars to remove from bad handlebars, this helps for the jacket to pull out a little easier.

[jgger]

If you use a nylon dry line, tie a small wad of tissue or paper towel that loosely fits in the end of the bars. Using a blower on your compressor and aim it at the end of the bar and feed the string as you blow. If you cover the center hole and the exit holes with tape then it will blow out the other side of the bars.. Once it comes out you can hook it with a piece of bent wire and pull a bunch of slack out of the appropriate holes. You now have a pull string for both sides, cut it in the middle to make it two separate pulls. Follow the cautions mentioned above. Wire lube can be purchased at most hardware stores in the electrical section. EZPZ!

[Maltboy]

If you use a nylon dry line, tie a small wad of tissue or paper towel that loosely fits in the end of the bars. Using a blower on your compressor and aim it at the end of the bar and feed the string as you blow. If you cover the center hole and the exit holes with tape then it will blow out the other side of the bars.. Once it comes out you can hook it with a piece of bent wire and pull a bunch of slack out of the appropriate holes. You now have a pull string for both sides, cut it in the middle to make it two separate pulls. Follow the cautions mentioned above. Wire lube can be purchased at most hardware stores in the electrical section. EZPZ!

That's the same trick electricians use to run a pull line through conduit. Works great.

[Kelly E]

Before we pull the wires make a pull wire sort of woven into the wires. We arrange the bullet connectors so they are staggered to make it small as possible. Then instead of tape we use a couple of layers of heat shrink to bind the wires together. We use cable lube to make the pull easier.

[PeWe]

I used a thin steel wire around the harness end. That wire easy to put in hole thru the bar and out. Then pulled it thru.

My switches with harnesses were new.

[Tracksnblades1]

Chinese finger…the industry calls them “grips”
Klein comes to mind.
Comes In several sizes…
Wire lubricant works well, but it’s messy..😁

[BenelliSEI]

Yellow wire lubricant works best (stuff used by electricians), but soaking every thing in WD40 is OK too. It reusing your original switches, you may as well take the black outer case off to start, and rewrap. It usually crumbles apart anyway.

[pjlogue]

What Peewee said about deburring and taping is very good advice.  I use a Dremel to debur the openings.  I also use a regular vacuum to suck a heavy string through the bars to use as a pull for the harness.  Electricians lube helps a lot.  Stager the bullet ends of the switch harnesses so you get a nice taper on the end.  Go slow and feed the harness in as you gently pull on the other end. 

-P.

[C317414]

Thanks for all the good ideas.

I like Tracksnblades1's suggestion of pulling grips.   Most of these have ferrule at the end, that may not allow it to fit through the hole and make the turn inside the handlebar.  I'll have to get one and see.  If that doesn't work, I'll use a wire or string to pull the harness.

[Don R]

  All of the above, and I like silicone spray lube and try to taper the end of the wire bundle. If the sheath is old and brittle I replace with shrink tube. Lately I've been tapping the old with a body hammer and a dolly. it just crumbles but hit just hard enough to get the sheath and not the wires.
  Old aftermarket bars with rust inside complicates it but they still can be pulled. Don't forget to feed-pull-feed-pull like an inch worm.

[Tracksnblades1]

Thanks for all the good ideas.

I like Tracksnblades1's suggestion of pulling grips.   Most of these have ferrule at the end, that may not allow it to fit through the hole and make the turn inside the handlebar.  I'll have to get one and see.  If that doesn't work, I'll use a wire or string to pull the harness.

Might make your own…and leave the eye off..🤔

[C317414]

Thanks again for the advice.  I managed to remove the wire harnesses from the old bars, using a bit of silicone spray.

The sheath on the left side wire bundle is in good shape, but it is larger in diameter than necessary.  This makes it harder to route.  I am planning on cutting or pulling off the sheath, and replacing it with heat shrink tubing, as some of you have suggested.  This should make it easier to route the bundle.

Incidentally, the old bars are Norman Hyde M-bars, and the wire routing holes appear to be original to the bars.  I'll post them in the FS section, in case any of you are interested in them.

[Kelly E]

Thanks again for the advice.  I managed to remove the wire harnesses from the old bars, using a bit of silicone spray.

The sheath on the left side wire bundle is in good shape, but it is larger in diameter than necessary.  This makes it harder to route.  I am planning on cutting or pulling off the sheath, and replacing it with heat shrink tubing, as some of you have suggested.  This should make it easier to route the bundle.

Incidentally, the old bars are Norman Hyde M-bars, and the wire routing holes appear to be original to the bars.  I'll post them in the FS section, in case any of you are interested in them.

I might be interested in the "M" bars. Are you going to the Vintage Bike meeting in Mt. Vernon soon?

[CycleRanger]

I use a little Boeshield T-9 as a lube.

[C317414]

Thanks again for the advice.  I managed to remove the wire harnesses from the old bars, using a bit of silicone spray.

The sheath on the left side wire bundle is in good shape, but it is larger in diameter than necessary.  This makes it harder to route.  I am planning on cutting or pulling off the sheath, and replacing it with heat shrink tubing, as some of you have suggested.  This should make it easier to route the bundle.

Incidentally, the old bars are Norman Hyde M-bars, and the wire routing holes appear to be original to the bars.  I'll post them in the FS section, in case any of you are interested in them.

I might be interested in the "M" bars. Are you going to the Vintage Bike meeting in Mt. Vernon soon?

Yes, I'll send you a PM.

[C317414]

Thanks again for all the tips. 

I ended up cutting off the wire shroud on the left switch assembly.  I took a string and wrapped it gently in a spiral around the bundle, I put 7/16 in. ID, non adhesive shrink tubing over everything, I taped the loose ends, and applied a little bit of silicone spray lube to the harness.  It was pretty easy to thread the harness it through the bars.  Since the right hand switch wire harness is much thinner, I just taped the ends, and lubed it.

I also installed new hand grips and a set of Napoleon bar-end mirrors on the bike.

Here are a some photos.  You can see the yellow pull string in a couple of them: