7 hours for internal wires?
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 198
Likes: 1
From: Lakeland, TN
7 hours for internal wires?
I finally talked to my dealer about my idea of doing beach bars with internal wires and was told it would be 7 hours of labor just for the wires (!). I told him that I'm only doing the electronics, not the cables, and he said that they leave those outside, anyway. He broke it all down saying that they had to be shrink wrapped and such, etc. While I'm no mechanic, it looks to me like they're already wrapped pretty well. Just at a casual glance, it looks like you could bring the wires up as they are through the bottom of the bars, drill a hole out under the switches, bring the wires back out, and wire them back up as they are. Why won't this work? I suspect that the lower riser I plan to use won't make up for the extra width of the beach bars, so an extension might be necessary. That'll add some time. Since I'm sure there's a reason, why does it take 7 hours?
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 2,400
Likes: 284
From: Fort Worth, TX
To answer your question, it does not take 7 hours to JUST internally wire handlebars. That being said, a handlebar job, whether it is an ape hanger job or a beach bar job in which the wiring has to be extended pays 8 hours to a mechanic on a non-fairing bike. That is for a complete job; extending wires, replacing/filling/bleeding the brake line/brakes, removing and replacing and adjusting the clutch/cable (which in most cases requires removing the exhaust system or parts of it) pinning the bars and cutting, splicing, soldering and heat shrinking the wires in a staggered pattern, pulling them through the bars from the OUTSIDE TO THE MIDDLE and reconnecting the Deutsch connectors. It is not difficult by any means, but it is time consuming and that is what you are paying for.....time. Now my mechanics and I have done a lot of handlebar jobs, some we beat the time by hours, some we lose our *** due to complications (usually on apes with lots of sharp bends on a bike with TBW that like to eat wire insulation and cause everything to hang up) but they all* pay the same. If you are the least bit mechanically inclined you can do the job yourself, but plan a long (no, longer) day to do so and spend the money on more fun parts for your bike!
I hope this helps the understanding of what it takes to do a handlebar job on a bike. If not, feel free to swing by the shop sometime and you can hang out and watch one being done...
Cheers,
Trent
I hope this helps the understanding of what it takes to do a handlebar job on a bike. If not, feel free to swing by the shop sometime and you can hang out and watch one being done...
Cheers,
Trent
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 198
Likes: 1
From: Lakeland, TN
Yep, that does help a lot, but brings up another question. It sound like having the bars changed at all will require much of that work and thus will be pretty pricy itself. Since I plan to change bars anyway, how much MORE is it to internalize the electronics? I'm assuming that just changing the clutch and brake to another bar will require the adjusting and bleeding just the same, correct?
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 673
Likes: 19
From: Folsom, CA
I just did my own bars, moving from the stock Hollywood bars to Fat mini apes; total time was about 12 hours. My first major project on my bike. It isn't hard provided you have A) service manual B) do your reasearch C) have some tools and mechanical skills and D ) patience.
Extending the wires is time consuming- measure 2-3 times, cut once. Label EVERYTHING.
Here is my post on my apes install:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softa...it-begins.html
Extending the wires is time consuming- measure 2-3 times, cut once. Label EVERYTHING.
Here is my post on my apes install:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softa...it-begins.html
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 198
Likes: 1
From: Lakeland, TN
I just did my own bars, moving from the stock Hollywood bars to Fat mini apes; total time was about 12 hours. My first major project on my bike. It isn't hard provided you have A) service manual B) do your reasearch C) have some tools and mechanical skills and D ) patience.
Extending the wires is time consuming- measure 2-3 times, cut once. Label EVERYTHING.
Here is my post on my apes install:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softa...it-begins.html
Extending the wires is time consuming- measure 2-3 times, cut once. Label EVERYTHING.
Here is my post on my apes install:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/softa...it-begins.html
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 673
Likes: 19
From: Folsom, CA
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 2,400
Likes: 284
From: Fort Worth, TX
Go for it man!!!!! I am here to help if you need it.....Don't hesitate to call!
Beach bars on a Deluxe are the next best thing to Apes!!!!!!
Beach bars on a Deluxe are the next best thing to Apes!!!!!!
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I recently put Burley bikini beach bars on my deluxe. I put 1 1/2 risers on and did not have to extend and wiring. Drill a hole in the bars inside the switch housing large enough for the connecter, I think it was 3/8". Then center of bars between the risers I drilled two 3/8" holes about 1" apart and dremmelled to provide slot large enough for both sets of wires.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 9,332
Likes: 3,873
From: Upstate New York
I did the internal wiring on my bike. I don't remember exactly how many hours I spent, but it did take me an entire Saturday to do it.
In my case I wasn't changing the bar bend, so I didn't have to extend wires/brake lines, but I still had to: drain and remove fuel tanks, unplug wire connectors and remove wires/contacts from connectors, remove old handlebars and remove all hardware. In my case, I drilled my own holes in a new set of stock handlebars-which took at least a couple of hours (stainless steel isn't easy to drill). Then I had to deburr the holes, thread the wires through and reassemble everything.
I like the results, but it was enough work that I'd think twice about the benefits before I'd do it again.
In my case I wasn't changing the bar bend, so I didn't have to extend wires/brake lines, but I still had to: drain and remove fuel tanks, unplug wire connectors and remove wires/contacts from connectors, remove old handlebars and remove all hardware. In my case, I drilled my own holes in a new set of stock handlebars-which took at least a couple of hours (stainless steel isn't easy to drill). Then I had to deburr the holes, thread the wires through and reassemble everything.
I like the results, but it was enough work that I'd think twice about the benefits before I'd do it again.