Wiring Sheath Disintegration on 1999 R1100RS

My 1999 R1100RS has a grey plastic sheath on a lot of the wiring bundles. This sheath is disintegrating exposing the wires themselves. I presume the sheath is there for protection. Now the wire insulation is exposed and subject to being worn through. Where possible I have replaced it with the spiral stuff that you can easily "screw" on to the wire bundle. However there are lots of inaccessible spots. How big a problem is this?

I use silicone self-adhering "Rescue Tape" for rehabbing wiring sheaths in hard to reach areas.

https://www.amazon.com/Rescue-Tape-RT01019-BRK-RT1000201201USCO/dp/B00AEBKYPG/ref=asc_df_B00AEBKYPG/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309802493246&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13378661005815010047&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011085&hvtargid=pla-403299950047&psc=1

Wrap any ends and bare spots. Voni has 415K or so on her 1994 and the harness still OK.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll get some of that tape and do the best I can.

I have been using woven nylon wire loom (also called braided wire sleeve) to replace the rotting rubber. Works great!

Ian

Visian said:

I have been using woven nylon wire loom (also called braided wire sleeve) to replace the rotting rubber. Works great!

Ian

Click to expand...

+1

I have made repairs and modifications to wiring harnesses. In the past I mostly used electrical tape about the wires, but over time this tends to become messy (I think the heat causes the adhesive to leak) and the ends become unraveled. I have used the aforementioned self-sealing silicone tape at the ends of the electrical tape to keep the ends from unraveling - this works pretty well. (The silicone tape needs to be stretched for one end to "self-seal" over an underlayer of silicone tape - I have to cut the tape if removal is necessary as it is not easily unwound or reusable.)

More recently I have taken to using vinyl tape that is not adhesive backed for the main winding with the ends still secured with silicone self-sealing tape. This works quite well and if I need to get back into the wiring harness, the non-adhesive tape can be easily unwound (after snipping the silicone end pieces) and re-used. Links follow for sources of non-adhesive vinyl tape -
https://www.americanautowire.com/shop/harness-tape/
http://www.wiringharness.com/harnesstape.htm
https://www.amazon.com/Factory-Elec...=B06Y2KDQRN&psc=1&refRID=SJPBEJCMT3H5DKGW7YHF

Following is a link to a video illustrating use of non-adhesive tape -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCDNB7bCnn4

Where the potential exists for abrasion damage to the wiring harness I've used the spiral wound nylon looms. This can be easily applied.
https://icorally.com/protective-sleeving.htm
https://www.amazon.com/Spiral-Cable...5825&sr=8-3&keywords=spiral+wire+harness+loom

What I see as the answer to my question about how big a problem this is? It's a problem that needs to be fixed and there are several ways. Thanks for all these options

What width for the nylon looms?

Good Question. Size matters. If I go this route I was thinking the 1/2" split woven loom, but maybe the 3/8" would be better. Anyone with experience out there?

I use more 3/8 than 1/2
Both have their place.

poosu said:

My 1999 R1100RS has a grey plastic sheath on a lot of the wiring bundles. This sheath is disintegrating exposing the wires themselves.

Click to expand...

It was designed to do this.

New Euro regulations in the mid 1980s-early 1990s required auto parts be biodegradable. The insulation on the wires inside the sheath will biodegrade too.

This is one of several reasons newer bikes and cars have CAN Bus.

The Oilhead generation will be gone before its time. Outlived by Airheads for sure.

Related ...

I rode an Airhead from new for 25+ years. Same brake hoses the whole time. Most Oilheads are getting their brake hoses replaced. No more rubber brake hoses on subsequent models.

lkchris said:

It was designed to do this.

New Euro regulations in the mid 1980s-early 1990s required auto parts be biodegradable. The insulation on the wires inside the sheath will biodegrade too.

This is one of several reasons newer bikes and cars have CAN Bus.

The Oilhead generation will be gone before its time. Outlived by Airheads for sure.

Related ...

I rode an Airhead from new for 25+ years. Same brake hoses the whole time. Most Oilheads are getting their brake hoses replaced. No more rubber brake hoses on subsequent models.

Click to expand...

CAN bus has nothing to do with the wire insulation. Hexheads use the same wire insulation as the earlier bikes.
The sheathing was upgraded and Tesa tape wraps the harnesses. It is readily available at a reasonable price.
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-TESA-TA...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

lkchris said:

It was designed to do this.

New Euro regulations in the mid 1980s-early 1990s required auto parts be biodegradable.

Click to expand...

The regulations did not require the parts to be biodegradable, they required them to be recyclable. Big difference. To be recyclable, the plastic material had to be identified on the part and they had to be manufactured such that they could dismantled for separation of components.

GSAddict said:

CAN bus has nothing to do with the wire insulation.

Click to expand...

CANBus means less wiring, therefore less landfill.

beemerphile said:

The regulations did not require the parts to be biodegradable, they required them to be recyclable. Big difference. To be recyclable, the plastic material had to be identified on the part and they had to be manufactured such that they could dismantled for separation of components.

Click to expand...

Sorry ... biodegradable.

Mercedes had failing wire harnesses, Volvo had failing wiring harnesses, BMW ...

lkchris said:

CANBus means less wiring, therefore less landfill.

Click to expand...

Actually more wiring, smaller gauge.

The twisted wires you see are the actual CAN bus protocol.
The rest are simply old style I/O

These are from an '08 that had a harness fire.
Not one +feeder (solid Red) is fused on these bikes. Any short to ground will cause a fire.
Very poor design.

lkchris said:

Sorry ... biodegradable.

Click to expand...

Biodegradability works against greater recycling of end-of-life vehicles (ELV's), which has been the goal of the European initiatives which focus on the ability to dismantle, segregate, and recycle the components of the vehicle. There are increasing goals over time for the percentage of components that must be recycled.

Journal of Cleaner Production said:

...It is also unclear whether ELV legislation will have a beneficial effect on the use of other new materials like bio-plastics. Such plastics are made from plant matter such as sugar cane, corn or soy and can be given biodegradable properties that al-low them to be broken down by micro-organisms. They may also have environmental benefits such as reduced carbon emissions [32]. For instance, Ford is developing canola and soy-based foams as an alternative to polyurethane foams which are widely used in car seats and cushions [29]. However, bio-plastics are not highly recyclable to date and as a result are not desirable from an ELV Directive standpoint [28].

Click to expand...

link to above... https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222430067_Is_European_end-of-life_vehicle_legislation_living_up_to_expectations_Assessing_the_impact_of_the_ELV_Directive_on_'green'_innovation_and_vehicle_recovery