irate
12th February 2005, 04:57
OK, you're ready to swap out your stock bars for some chromey bling-bling thingies. First, you check the H-D service manual, (you have one of those, don't you?), and it says to cut and remove the four wiring harness retainers. You complete the swap and the wiring harness is hanging below the bars. Ooops! Forgot to get new retainers, didn't you?
Let's go back to the beginning. Don't cut the retainers. Take a small, flat bladed screwdriver, (one of those pocket types is good), and carefully insert it in the handlebar hole for the retainer. You want to free one side of the retainer so you can remove the harness. You can then take out the retainer in one piece. When you reinstall the retainers one or more may not hold properly. The barbs at the end likely flattened and won't stay in the handlebar.
Now comes the hard part! You need to boil some water in a small pot (that was the hard part). Hold the retainer in a pair of pliers and dip it in the water for about 30-40 seconds. Pull on the barbs, carefully, they do get quite hot, until they stay at about a 45 degree angle. Dip in the water again if they don't stay in place. Rinse the retainer under cold water. You're done.
Yeah, I know, this is the cheap way out. At least you won't be riding with loose wiring.
Let's go back to the beginning. Don't cut the retainers. Take a small, flat bladed screwdriver, (one of those pocket types is good), and carefully insert it in the handlebar hole for the retainer. You want to free one side of the retainer so you can remove the harness. You can then take out the retainer in one piece. When you reinstall the retainers one or more may not hold properly. The barbs at the end likely flattened and won't stay in the handlebar.
Now comes the hard part! You need to boil some water in a small pot (that was the hard part). Hold the retainer in a pair of pliers and dip it in the water for about 30-40 seconds. Pull on the barbs, carefully, they do get quite hot, until they stay at about a 45 degree angle. Dip in the water again if they don't stay in place. Rinse the retainer under cold water. You're done.
Yeah, I know, this is the cheap way out. At least you won't be riding with loose wiring.