Topic: How do you get the wiring back in the handlebars??

[csendker]

I'm in the middle of a handlebar swap.  I got the wiring out of the old ones without much difficulty, but threading it back in the new ones is a killer.  Two nights blown on this with barley an inch to show for it.  I've tried threading a wire through backwards and pulling it through, adding some lube, pushing it and nothing works.  And I really don't want to run the wires on the outside.  Any suggestions?

[mcpuffett]

patience grasshopper     mick.

[mcpuffett]

have you tried a wire coat hanger and gently pull them through?    mick.

[ohiocaferacer]

I've re-threaded the wires thru the handlebars before......and it was a nightmare. Usually, the one side will go in fairly easy using a bunch of WD-40 and pushing the wire. Its when you get to the point where you need to wire the otherside.....and you dont have as much room to work with in the center hole.

You just need to go slow and use a bunch of WD-40....then when you see the wires come to the point near the grips....pull each individual wire thru, by itself.

Also....If I remember correctly....I had to cut all that old hard black covering off, because with it on...it wouldnt bend thru the bars. I used some of that black heat shirnk wiring cover....worked perfect. Also gives you a smaller/tighter wire to work with..thats bendable.

Later,
Greg

[supersport_CB400F]

I put a piece of string through the hole let it fall out the  other hole  tie on to the wire’s then just pull and feed through gently.

[hymodyne]

a steel fishing leader that is attached to the wires and threaded through the handlebars worked for me. I pressed the wires into as small a diameter as possible, wrapped them in electrical tape and greased them with axle grease before threading the leader through.

hym

[GroovieGhoulie]

I just pushed, but I was feeding it through 400F bars with very low rise, so they didn't have to turn much of a corner.  I'll bet it would be hard on a bar with lots of rise.

[TwoTired]

You don't have to take off any sheathing.  I use a combination of push AND pull. Use the electrician's trick of pull strings and wires.

With the bars off the bike you need to get the pull device into the bars first.  If there are many bends in your bars, a string with a nut on the end works well. Let gravity pull the end towards the destination hole.   Then thread two pull wires through the bars, each two or three times longer than what traverses the bar path.  I used some .032 safety wire the last time.  Hardware stores sell mending wire. 

Okay, now you have pull lines in the bars.  Wire the lines to all of the bundled wires near where the sheathing starts the base.  Tape all the leads into a cone with the pull wire exiting the tip of the cone.  Don't make the cone bigger than the cable sheath.  Honda staggered the ends so the threading lump wouldn't be too large.

The other end of the pull wire gets clamped into the bench vise or attached firmly to some stationary object with the bars and wire bundle dangle from that.  Now, when you pull on the bars the wire harness will try to feed into the bar's entrance hole.  With a combination of pull on the bars, push and press of the sheathing, the pull wire will draw the taped cone through the bars and out the exit hole.  If you need lube, use silicone spray.  Once the taped cone reaches the exit hole use alternate pull and push to "worry" the cone out the exit hole. Once the main sheath has cleared the exit hole, put the bar in the bench vise so you can have a hand near each hole to push and pull until the bar control is seated into position.

The stock Honda bars have an elongated hole at center to ease the exit of both left and right harnesses.  If your bars don't have an elongated hole, lay both your cable sheaths over the exit hole before pulling and mark the total width needed.  Then use a round or rat tail file on the hole so that both harnesses will fit and exit properly.

Happy pulling!

[csendker]

Thanks all, keep 'em coming.  Yes, I did search (handlebars, handlebar wiring, etc. - what did I miss?) and really didn't find anything.  I guess we now have 3 threads on this.  I believe I have stock bars as the center hole is elongated, but man what a pain.  I was on the right track with a 'pull-wire', but now I have some tricks to try out in addition.  Regardless, it looks like it's going to take some time.  I guess long Buffalo winters may not be all that bad.

[mcpuffett]

it will keep you out of mischief for a while    mick.

[ofreen]

The last time I did this, I used a fish tape.

[CharlieVT]

More suggestions:
feed a flexible wire or strong nylon string through the bars.
Warm the wiring with a heat gun on low, or a hair dryer to soften the umbilical.
When warm, pull the wrinkles out of the umbilical as much as possible.
Using electical tape secure the pull cord to the umbilical along its length, increasing the diamater as little as possible.
Another poster suggested grease, I use WD-40 to spray the inside of the bars and the umbilical.
Then push and pull.
Push the umbilical into the cutout in the bar. Watch for wrinkles that can be coaxed along with a blunt instrument like a dull screwdriver. Pull with the draw string to take up the slack and the push at the cutout again.
It will inch along this way.
In short:
Warm it.
Lube it.
Push in,
Pull out.
Eventually it will come through.

[grumburg]

Have done both of my 550s in the last month, can learn from my mistakes. 1) wd40 disolves electrical tape into black, sticky goo. 2) Seems to go easier if you do the right one first 3) I  used heat shrink tubing tight up against the switch end ( about 6 inches worth ) and left about 3-4 inches at the connector end 4) used a coat hanger with a tight 1/2 inch hook at one e and  wrapped the other end as tight as possible around the wire end. Helps if you kind of spread out the connections when you wrap the tape. 5) Lube the inside of the handlebar with silicone or Armorall. Feed slowly and twist back and forth. When you get the hook to the center hole, pull the wire out with needle nose pliers and pull real easy. First pair took an hour and made a wd40 mess, Second pair took 20 minutes.

[Bill Vaughan]

Everything everyone else said - especially the push/pull and electrical tape.  Larger harness in first.  It sometimes helps to run a small bottle brush or something similar through the bars in advance to knock down the rust and smooth out the inner surface.

[csendker]

Damn, I can be such an idiot that I scare myself sometimes.  The lightbulb lit and I went downstairs and grabbed my ELECTRICIAN'S PULL-TAPE!!!  Duh.  About 20 minutes later the clutch side is done.  And that includes cleaning off all of the greasy stuff I tried to use as lube, because the electrical tape wouldn't hold.  It took the most time when the pull-tape end reached the inlet hole.  Quite a task coaxing it back in with a wad of wire and tape to go with it.  I expect the throttle side will take longer because of the interference with the first cable.  Then on to the wiring re-connect project.

[ofreen]

The lightbulb lit and I went downstairs and grabbed my ELECTRICIAN'S PULL-TAPE!!! 

Commonly known as a fish tape.