Topic: The best handlebar wire puller: guitar string

[zabzob]

When I first replaced my handlebars years ago, I found feeding the wires through them to be a nightmare. I had silicone spray on them, I was using a feeder taped to the end of the wires, I was pushing, I was pulling. Probably took near an hour to get each side in.

After rebuilding my controls last year I pondered this problem as I waited for the weather to warm up to put them back on. I wanted something that had the rigidity to feed through the handlebar tube, and with an end that could loop around the bundle of wires to be pulled through. I knew just such a thing: a guitar string, low E or A! Has a convenient little brass loop on the end that you can feed the string through, so the more you pull the tighter the loop becomes. Whole thing took about 3 minutes this time.

Pic attached. Sorry I didn't take another one with it wrapped around the bundle of wires, but I'm sure you get the idea.

[Ozzybud]

I use an old throttle cable with the lead bulb on the end and secure the wire to it with Teflon tape. Space out he connectors and make the tape bulb smooth and 2-3 inches long Works with ease every time. Use dish soap if needed. The Teflon tape is slippery and not messy. The guitar string looks like a smaller throttle cable. I wouldn't know where the get a guitar string. The old throttle cable is easy to source in my shed.

[pjlogue]

I have used string wound around the wire bundle and secured with electrical tape.  I use a vacuum to suck the string through the handlebars.  I use cable lube to lube the wires as they enter the handlebars.  The one thing I always do (after the first screwup I did back in 1977) is to use a dremmel to remove the sharp edges from the stamping of the holes in the handlebars.  I just replaced the control wiring in my GL1000 a month ago.  I replaced the right hand switches with an earlier ('74) switch that has the headlight on/off/high/low on the right side.  This was paired with the ('76) lower half of the switch assembly that has the start button that shuts off the headlight when starting the bike.  This was a real fat bundle of wires to pull through the bars.  It took me over an hour to pull them through.  wire lube (the type that does not ruin vinyl) was essential.  That and a lot of patience.  

The best advice I can give is to remove the sharp edges on the holes on the bars.  Those edges will rip through the wire insulation and short out the wires.

-P.

[newday777]

And heat the wire loom with a heat gun, especially putting old harness in the bars, so the sheath is flexible.