OK, I am trying to join the 21st century. This is just a test picture try - please ignor. It has no particular significance. oil fill plug - f800gs shifter bolt Yippee! It works. Sorry for the distractions.
Touratech - also like their roll chart holder since it allows a larger chart to be used which is much more readable.
Just practice Nate. The tools and the wire are cheap so you can afford to do it over and over until you are satisifed with it. I hate having stuff fall off my bikes, and they take a pounding in the dirt. There are some links you can Google to get you started. It helps to be a bit anal.
Just be aware you will poke holes in your fingers, Nate. :eek1 Repeatedly. The cut wire is very very sharp.
You'll poke a finger eventually, and it is surprisingly painful. Here are a few tips: Buy a lot of 1/16" drill bits, you will break them, and they also dull fast. Have a light hammer and a 1/16" drift punch on hand to help extricate snapped off drill bits. use a center-punch to mark the starting point for your drill. Use a drill press if possible. Little tiny drill bits like high RPM. Mark the fasteners when they are in place and torqued. Plan your wiring so you can get a nice straight pull with the pliers when you are twisting the wire. Pretty twists require a pair of saftey wire pliers. Don't spin the wire too many times, it'll weaken it. Arrange your wire so it pulls in a direction that would tighten the bolt you are securing. That way there is no slack if the bolt wants to loosen. To finish the job properly, twist the ends of the wire a few times to leave a short tail, cut the extra, and use needle-nose pliers to curl the cut end inward so it's neatly tucked in against the fastener you just secured or some other surface so it will not snag you or anything else. Don't forget to add a pair of wire cutters to your on-bike tool kit.
All good points single-track. I find drilling the bolts the hardest part. Cobalt bits seem to work the best, and a drill press is essential IMO. Take your time and use common sense, and you won't break too many bits. I actually prefer a 3/32" inch bit to the 1/16" since the bit seems much more robust. Also do not drill too close to the top of the bolt since that can weaken the bolt. Parts that are removed often and used with a clip, such as the oil fill plug, should have fewer twists since, as single-track points out, the wire is weakened and stiffened by twisting.
There's a spec for twists per inch for wire size... .032 is 8 twists per inch .040 is 6 twists per inch
