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The black thing I'm holding in my hand

I am making a custom wiring harness for automotive purposes and I have a KTM 390 Wiring Harness over here. Any car/bike wiring I have seen has this kind of black insulation. I need to know what it is and why it is used everywhere. Also, manufacturers/specific names for this product would be appreciated.

Also, I have seen the following type of insulation only in pictures of supercars and really professional wirings. Same question for this also.

All of that black covering

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  • @RogerRowland Many of the types in those pictures are not qualified for motorcycle use. They are usually rubber or rubber hybrid sheathing. But, @ OP, if you're not aware of the specifics of these types of materials, PLEASE read up on wire grades and requirements to your location. Using the wrong material means risks, but also, not road legal. – Asmyldof Oct 30 '16 at 8:52
  • @RogerRowland Fair enough, but I find it risky to just throw pictures in without qualifications. – Asmyldof Oct 30 '16 at 8:55
  • @Asmyldof Trying to help, not introduce risks. I have removed the previous comments and will leave the OP to his own research. – Roger Rowland Oct 30 '16 at 9:05
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The black material sheathing the blue and yellow wires is commonly called wire loom. It serves to organize the wires and protect them from damage.

There are three main types that I am familiar with:

  1. The "soft" variety that you are showing. It is a long tube. You feed the wires in from one of the ends. You can get both solid loom and woven loom (kind of like the finger trap toys that kids like).

Braided wire loom

  1. A "hard" corrogated variety that is more rigid and is often split down the length to allow it to open and slide over the wires. It is often called "split loom." With the rigid loom you can get a whole collection of fittings for joints and wire exits, much like electrical conduit.

Corrugated split wire loom showing wires exiting the split Wire loom fittings

  1. Then there is a "spiral cut" variety that wraps around the wires. It allows wires to enter/exit at any point along the harness between the slit of the spiral.

Both types of wire loom come in a variety of sizes and materials. Size will be a big consideration both for the bulk of the installation and the number of wires that you can get in it. You don't want to pack the wires in too tight, both for ease of assembly and to prevent overheating and chafing.

I found a decent selection on the Wiring Product website.

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  • I'm on a phone when I get to a computer I'll flesh this but hopefully it will help you get started. – dlu Oct 30 '16 at 15:20

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