Extended Electrical Loom Install For 14" Ape Hanger Bars on 2010 C800

I started the install for the extended cables that are required for the install of my ape hangers. First of all I cut in to the original sheath that surrounds and protects the wires, so that I could see the colour arrangement of the wires before doing the initial cut. I have read that a lot of people stagger the cut of the wires when doing this kind of cut and extend on wires so that they do not get a big bulge in the wires. However as I am not using any electrical connectors, there will be no bulbous area at either end of the install.

I cut the lengths of wire for this install at 10" lengths, in total there are 15 stock wires plus whatever else you may have installed on your bars. When both the original and extra cable has be de sheathed, twisted together and soldered, this will give me the additional 9" over stock that is required for my particular bars.

Tools & sundries used
8-amp wire (as this is what I had to hand)
Wire stripper
Soldering iron
Solder
2.5mm heat shrink (used to wrap soldered wires)
10mm heat shrink (used to re sheath the loom on the right)
13mm heat shrink (used to re sheath the loom on the left)
Heat gun or cigarette lighter, to shrink the heat shrink

On the left side the standard stock wires are as follows (10 wires)
2 x Black/Yellow (be careful to mark one of these either side of the cut, to avoid mixing them)
1 x Black/White
1 x Black/Blue
1 x Black
1 x White
1 x Blue
1 x Green
1 x Yellow
1 x Yellow/White

On the right side the standard stock wires are as follows (5 wires)
1 x Black/Red
1 x Black/Blue
1 x Black/Orange
1 x Yellow/Green
1 x Orange/White


Here you can see the pre cut stock wires from the right side.


Here is the first end of the first wire that I have soldered. If you are not someone that usually solders wires, you will be shocked at how little solder is required to get a join that is nigh on impossible to brake.


Here you can see that I have now heat shrinked the wire, to insulate it.


As you can now see, I have now joined, soldered and heat shrinked all of the wires at one end.



When doing the final soldering that completes the loom, I found that it was necessary to have something to lean on. This was due the weight of the existing wires and the fact that everything seemed to want to go in any direction apart from where I wanted it. I found by sheer luck that my wooden bike jack was exactly the height that was needed when stood on its end.
It is also really important to remember to slide some heat shrink on to one of the wires before soldering, so as to avoid having to separate them again and then resolder. I forgot twice, so I speak from experience.
Also before starting to solder this section you will need slide on the larger heat shrink that will form the outer sheath to the completed loom. If you forget to do this you will need to tape the wires.


And here we are with the finished loom.



This would at first seem like a daunting task but is a really simple and cheap way to extend your wires in preparation for ape hangers. The whole install of extending the wires for both sides took me about 4 hours from start to finish & thats with lots of interruptions as our house is like Piccadilly Circus at rush hour.

Another excellent write up Dave, you reall are a one man modification machine

Cheers Crash
To be honest, if I didn't do these things myself they wouldn't get done. No way could I ever get even a quarter of what I do myself done, if I was paying someone else to do it for me.

Dave I am full of admiration for the way you work. I found no problem with the technical side of things but deciding what needed doing and finally having the balls to go ahead....ah that's another matter. I'm sure this won't be the last apehanger install on the site as you are making it look very doable. I just watched the Moto GP on iPlayer but this write up was more compelling (did I just say that?!)

Kind words John
I hope to get the apes on over the next week or two if all goes to plan. I have done the clutch cable & now finished the electrics, so I need to pull my finger out and get the extended brake hose fitted & make up the throttle cables.
All things come to he who waits.

Oh forgot to ask - did everything work again when you switched on?

Bluesman wrote:

Oh forgot to ask - did everything work again when you switched on?

Like a dream John, I was very meticulous at ensuring the right ends got put together. It would be so easy to put the wrong ends together when all the wire used is one colour though.
It would be a real pisser if you did all that work and you pressed the horn and the indicators came on

Good write up as usual Dave,looking good m8.