Anyone ever drill your own bars for internal wiring? Was it worth it or was it a pain in the a$$? What diameter holes are required?

I'm doing a conversion to a Sporty Custom riser/drag bars and I am limited to 1" bars. The only 1" drag bars I can find that are drilled are over $100. I'm thinking about buying a set of cheapies just to try it.... can't hurt right?

 

Nope can't hurt, and checking things out before you spend larger bills is always a good thing. I wanted to put 1.25" chubby mini apes, but before I spent 200 on just the bars, I decided to get some take-offs from other forum members to try everything out first. I like! So, when I do get the 1.25 chubbys, I'll do the internal wiring then, and also do braided cables at the same time. But till I work up the cash, I can ride with my less expensive bars and cables!

So I would say, install the new bars first and make all the other necessary adjustments. If you like them enough to stay, then do the internals.

 

drill the controls and use a dremel with a cut off wheel at the bottom of the bars. I mocked them up the way I wanted and used a sharpie to mark where I needed to cut, it's easy have fun!!

 

SUPER EASY!!! set the controls on the bars and mock up how you want them to sit. mark the hole and as far as the size of the hole is concerned it depends on the set up you have, but use a very small bit to start a pilot. once it's drilled ream the hole and fish safety wire through, tape to the wires and pull it through. drilling your holes is nice cause if you want the bars set up on a slant or a little awkward they look really clean.

 

I dimpled mine with a sharp nail so the drill bit wouldn't dance around. And I started small and worked my way up to a larger bit. It's critical that the sides of the hole are smooth so they do not cut into the insulation when you drag the wiring through, or worse, vibrate through when you are doing 75 on the highway at night coming around a curve with a semi behind you and a backhoe in the oncoming lane with a light glaze of dew on the road, no shoulder, and a couple of beers in you. But sometimes I worry too much........

 

Definitely worth it ... it's subtle just looking at your own bike until you're sitting next to one that's not wired internally ... then it's golden!

Purely hypothetical ... right???

R/
Priest

 

Purely. I don't trust myself to drive a lawnmower after drinking, so I probably would be roadkill on a bike.

 

I just drilled my stock bars this past weekend. I went to 15/16" for the holes. I drilled into the corners of the dimples at the control end and slotted the bottom. Internal wiring really makes a difference on a pretty much stock bike.

 

after drilling your holes.tape up both sides of bars(where your grips are)hand feed some yard in one hole and blow it through with compressed air it will shoot out the other hole.then tape our wires and pull them through

 

Thanks all... I think I'm going to go for it. Seems like a reasonable way to save a wad that will fund some new grips.