Running wires through the handlebars

Hey Folks,

           I don't have any pics of me putting the wires in, but, I can explain a few things.

Inside the headlight bucket is 3 wiring connectors. 1 connector for the right handlebar controls, (white/clear), and 2 for the left handlebar controls, (black and blue). Unsnapping these from each other will let you take the handlebars off the bike with the wires attached to the outside of the bars.

(You've got to take off the clutch cable and the throttle cables).

The 3 wire connectors have corresponding color wires in the same set you unsnapped in the headlight bucket. (There's only 1 wire that the colors don't match, and that's in the wire connector for the right wiring harness, (the throttle side/white connector). I'm telling you this, because; You can take a small jeweler's flat blade screwdriver or 'bobbie pin' and take out the wires from the connector. That way you don't have to cut any wires, and they'll pull through the holes really easy.

Have a beer.

Now, you've got 2 choices; Either take the wires and controls off the old set of handlebars or run your 20 lb fishing line through the Radius Bars.

If your taking the controls off the old bars, then, loosen the controls off the old bars and strip that ugly grey sheathing off the wires. Now, all wires are exposed. Here's a good time to wrap them in electrical tape. Set aside.

Do NOT mount your new bars yet. Hafta to go fishing! There's several ways to run a line thru the bars, (to grab the electrical  wires to be able to pull), but I like to use 20 lb fishing line and a lead weight. I can take a small lead weight and the fishing line and drop it in the hole by either control and twist the bars till it comes out of the hole at the bottom of each riser. Tie it off or tie the line to each other prior to mounting on the bike.

Mount bars, and have another beer.

Once bars are mounted, then, you can work one side at a time. Use the line to tie to your electrical tape wired bundle and pull while pushing wires. Helps to use a silicon base grease on the electrically taped bundle.

On the left handlebar side, be sure to put the mirror mount on first, before you start running your electrical taped wires. It does not split in 2 pieces, so getting it on after you've run your wires will cause you to drink more beer out of sequence! Timing IS EVERYTHING, LOL ! !

OK, now the bars are on, the electrically taped wire bundles are pulled through so that they are coming out of the bottom of the risers; It's now time to decide what to cover up that ugly electrically taped wire bundle with. Of course prior planning would have been appropriate, BUT, you and I are both conisieur's of 'fine' refreshments, so, another beer is in order to visualize; stainless steel wrapping / chrome wrapping / or how about one of those anodized colors we see so many V-6 and V-8 engines prettied-up with. NAH, we'll do the traditional stainless steel ! ! !

***Ok, you can buy a stainless steel wire wrapping kit from auto-zone for about $45.00 OR you can go to Lowe's / Home Depot and buy stainless steel wrapped water tubing for the bathroom. I bought a 30" length of 3/8". Cost about $6.00 AND the stainless steel wrapping is a finer mesh, which makes it look better. Now, the drawback is; It's not as shinny as the Auto-Zone kit, but it does keep it's satin finish more consistently.  If you want to take the PVC tubing out of the middle of it, then, cut it to length, (from the bottom of the risers to the inside of the headlight bucket), and BOIL it. Yea, that's right, boil it. It softens up the PVC to where you can pull it out of the stainless steel wrap a lot easier. ***

OK, you've got your piece of stainless steel wrapping and your running the wires through it. Once the wrap starts getting to the hole in the riser, have a tube of clear silicon ready and squirt it in the hole as your sliding the wrap in there. Do this on both set of wires. Let it dry, or at least get a little tacky. WA-LAH !  Time for another beer!

All you have left to do is reconnect those wires back into the wire connectors inside the headlight bucket. Seal with silicon and have some small wire-ties available to tie around the SS wrapping and wires.

Wasn't that simple?

Don't attach headlight ring yet. Have to turn key and make sure everything works. With headlight plugged in and dangling, turn key and 'try' every button; Headlight, high / low, turn signals, horn, then; start it and make sure kill switch works, etc. If we've put all the wires back in their appropriate slots in the wiring connectors, we now can sit and have a few more beers while bragging to our friends that we have done this all our lives!

SHEEESH !   And you thought this was hard. You are now master of the 4 beer, wiring through the handlebar; PROJECT !

Joel (Odo) Parker