Topic: drilling Handlebars for wire connections

[Toddbrown]

I bought a new bar for my bike and it looks like the old one had the wires for the turn and start going through them.  This set does not.  Could I drill them without weakening them too much that they would fail?

[Paul]

Most people cut a little slot out from the side of the switch housing and run the wires parallel to the bars.
Drilling the bars "should" pose no risk to the bars as the originals are done.(Provided you don't use a 3/4" drill.) but it's a dose to get one set through from one side ...not to mention trying to get the opposite side through the middle hole after.
A matter of choice but I'd drill as small as possible, spend the time coaxing the wires through and hope you don't snag any on the way.

[SteveD CB500F]

Did this when fitting cafe bars on my 500 (see avatar) - it was a b*****d of a job.

Even the manufacturers don't bother nowadays.

[Raul CB750K1]

Just make sure you bolt between the handlebar clamps. That way the reduction in strength is almost negligible. With a chunk of wood and a bench wice the task is simpler. You need to recess the chunk of wood so as to cover the handlebar, and then drill a hole that will act as a guide.

Raul

[bike54]

I bought a new bar for my bike and it looks like the old one had the wires for the turn and start going through them.  This set does not.  Could I drill them without weakening them too much that they would fail?

my way would be to mask where the hole is going to be with tape centre pop and then drill with plenty of oil fit the hole with a gromet as for putting the wires through push a peice of stiff wire through first i would use a 1/16 welding rod or some thing simmallar  with a hook on the end once its through attach the wires to it and just slowly pull it all the way through make the hole as small as you can for the wires  and lubricate the wires to make them slide easier

merv 

[Geeto67]

you have to chamfer the edges of the hole (usually with a file) otherwise you'll get what happened to me when I dropped my bike. The bar bent at the hole and cut all the handlebar switch wires.  For a really finished professional job take the bar to a machinist and have him mill a slot rather than a hole and this will make it easier to threat the wires in. Or you could do it with a drill and a file.

For threating the wires through I usually run a coat hanger through first with a piece of fishing line attached to the end. When I have pulle the coat hanger through and the line is in the bar I will tie one end to the wires and pull the ries through the bend of the bar with the fishing line (make sure to e-tape the end or the fishing line will cut the wires. Anyway just pull the fishing line through and the wires should follow easily.

[Toddbrown]

So most people just don't even worry about going through the bar?

[Geeto67]

nope, just grind enough material away on your switch to run the wires outside and go to town. If you are paranoid about water I would run a little dab of silicone sealer where the wires exit the swtich after it is installed on the bar, and go through the sleve and make sure there are no breaks for water to get in. If there are just wrap some electrical tape around it. If you wanna get fancy you can get convoluted wire wrap and enshroud the wires in that. Also don't forget to zip tie the wires to the bars so they don't hang down and look ugly. Two or three per side should do ya.