How to internally wire 8" West Coast T-Bars with pics!

1.Locate the plugs for the handlebar wiring under the tank behind the plastic shield and

remove them both. I found no need to remove the tank on the Sportster although I did take out the front tank bolt so I could lift the tank for easier access. Be careful not to

stretch and break your fuel line.

2. Undo switch housings and remove grips. Pull the throttle cables out of the switch housings. Cover the tank and front fender, etc. with blankets, towels, whatever to keep this stuff from scratching the bike. Hang the housings off the bike in a safe place. No need to unattach the other ends unless you are putting new cables which I did not.

3.Loosen the riser clamp, and then the riser bolts. ¾” socket for the riser bolts. Once the riser bolts are loose remove the riser clamp. You’ll figure out the reasoning for the order of this if you avhe ever done it the wrong way.

4.Disassemble the connectors for the handlebar wiring. I have Deustch connectoers on

my 2005 Sportster. To take these apart, pull out the hard orange plastic piece in the end first. Then use a jewelers screwdriver to pop each wire out of it’s locked position. Pull the rubber piece on the other end out along with the wiring.

Make sure you draw a diagram of each side with what color wires go where so you can reassemble easily. I forgot to take a pic of my diagram.

5.Tie a small nut to the end of a long piece of fishing line and use that to fish the fishing line through the bars. You should be able to get it out of the bars on the other side fairly easily. Tie the end of fishing line around the metal pin connectors as close to the end as possible. Be careful not to pull it out of the bars or else you will have to fish it through the bars again. Don’t ask how I know this. Wrap with electrical tape up to where the sheathing on the wiring starts so that there are no exposed wires. The goal is to keep the wiring as well protected as possible without making the wiring too thick to pull through the bars.

Fishing line tied around the pins prior to wrapping with tape and pulling through.

Here is the nut on the end of the fishing line pulled through, and the fishing line tied
around the pins and I am wrapping the wiring to keep from chafing. Wrap all the way up
to cover the exposed wires!

Gently feed the wring through the top hole in the bars and pull on the fishing line. Once again GENTLY! The hardest part is getting the wiring around the “T” bend in the bars. I had to go back and forth with the wiring an fishing line a few times to get it through this portion of the bars. This is all about finesse. Leave your heavy hands at home for this part of the operation.

Once the wiring is pulled through the bars you are done with the “difficult” part.

Mount the bars on the triple tree and loosely attach the riser bolts. Reattach the throttle cables taking care to not lose the brass ferrules. Run through the switch housings and reattach the clutch perch and brake perch. Tighten everything down including the riser bolts. Put your grips back on, right side grip must go on prior to closing the switch housings etc…

I know I forgot a thing or tow. If you know what it is let me know so I can add it this.

The old noggin is not all it used to be.

I attached my speedo with 1.25” clamps on either side of the riser portion of the bars. It worked great.

The throttle and brake cables were rerouted through the center of the triple trees for a clean look.