Bar swap minor issues

[haggisbasher]

Evening all

I'm not sure if this is the right place or if it should be in the electrical section but here goes. I got my superbike bars yesterday and couldnt wait so tonight I have switched them out with my bent L bars. I came across an unexpected issue regarding the electrical switchgear. There is a tab inside the controls that I presume is there to prevent them rotating. Whats the conventional wisdom, do I drill my new bars or is it ok to bend the tab out of the way?

I also noticed that the sheathing on the control wiring has broken down due to age, sun and low temps to the point that touching it causes it to break like glass. Has anyone re wrapped or otherwise covered this wiring? Any suggestions?

Many thanks

Tom

[cowboyup3371]

You'll want to drill in there as that tab prevents the controls from sliding all over the place.

Can you slide some shrinkwrap over the wiring?

[haggisbasher]

Thanks Cowboy, drilling it is then.

I dont know about heat shrink the connector block on the end is quite big I think. I Dont know how easy it is to seperate the wires from the connector block. Would heat shrink allow the wires to make all the tight turns around the headstock area. I thought the sheathing was loose for that reason.

Thanks

Tom

[sschering]

Vintage Connections has new sleeving if you just want to replace it.

http://www.vintageconnections.com/

You would probably have to extract the pins from the plugs to get it on..

They also have a pin extraction tool for $15..

Easteren Beaver also sells a set of pin tools for $40..
Nice tools but double the cost

http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Elec__Products/Tools/tools.html

Heck a small jewelers flat head screwdriver should do the trick..

[haggisbasher]

Excellant links many thanks.

I have changed my L mini apes to superbike bars so I could do with shortening the connections from the controls anyway so I will cut the connectors out and either go with single spade connectors or possibly weather pak connectors and resheath them at the same time.

Thanks again
Tom

[Agemax]

just cut the tabs off from the switches, you dont need them, replace the standard screws with allen bolts and do them up tight. they wont move