this post was submitted on 14 Jun 2023
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Electrical cables - clamps vs inside handlebars (2017 FortyEight) - cross-posting from /r/ (self.motorcycles)
submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by DammN to c/motorcycles
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Just installed 14" apes on my 2017 FortyEight and I have a dilemma: handlebars are made for internal wiring however I heard people saying that running it internally could potentially lead to some issues as HD vibrates, cables can get damaged inside tubing and start acting up therefore I was told to put cables outside the handlebars. Still fighting with the idea of having electrical inside though statement earlier makes sense. So 2 questions:

  1. what's your opinion running it inside vs outside ?
  2. if I go with outside option, zip-ties are the only option in my garage unless there are some other more-aesthetic ideas how to clamp cables to the handlebars.

thanks for your inputs !

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[–] HighPriestOfALowCult 1 points 2 years ago

I wouldn't be too concerned but if I did run wiring internally, I'd cover it with wrap-around sleeving (link to McMaster-Carr but there's lots of sources) and put a self-fusing tape wrap at each end and one in the middle to keep it closed.

Outside? Small zip ties, trimmed neatly. If you're really worried about it, a wrap of self-fusing tape or sleeving around the wiring before securing it with the zip tie.

In thirty-odd years of motorcycling I've had one abraded wire and it wasn't internal or at a zip tie, it was where the cable for a heated grip rubbed against a flexible bit of body panel exposing copper and I caught that before it failed.