Speaker Wire

I have a bunch of speaker wire (16 ga stranded copper) that I have lying around.

And.

I have some wiring that the PO did that I need to replace.

Does anyone see anything wrong with using the speaker wire in fixing the PO's stuff?

I plan on using colored electrical tape as needed when patching/splicing the lines to keep color consistency. (but only at the beginning and ends.

Thanks, Dan

 

I wouldnt see why not.
I would prob advise to use it ONLY on the lower loaded circuits.
Marking the wires is a smart idea too.

 

While the wire gauge may be ok for the circuits you are running, the insulation may not be suitable for the load and/or the environment. I would be concerned about the insulation reacting to fuel and fuel vapors, cleaning chemicals, and the temperatures that it might be exposed to. Exposure to sunlight may also cause the insulation to dry out.

Wire with insulation designed for the conditions found on cars and bikes is not that expensive and may save you money in the long run.

If you really feel like using speaker wire on your bike, I would do some testing before you decide to use that wire. Put a piece in some gas and oil to see if there is any reaction. Temperature and sunlight tests would take a long time to get definitive results but the gas and oil tests should be very quick.

 

It would probably work...but I would never trust it.
The insulation isn't made to handle any heat or fuel/chemicals as flashgp pointed out.
When it fails (murphys law states you will be doing 85 in the middle lane of a highway in front of a semi tractor with bad brakes)...you won't be happy.

Not only did you spend countless hours saving $20 worth of wire, but you can easily ruin critical components or start a fire. Is the risk worth the reward?

My opinion is if you're gonna do it, do it right the first time (or you will probably have to do it again later).

 

I'll second/third the warning on using speaker wire. While the conductor is perfect, the insulation is not designed for the environment/exposure. Spring for some UV/Fuel/Oil resistant wire. You'll be glad you did.

 

I have speeker wire out in the shop that has been there for oh, about 10 years now. It's brittle and cracked, and that's inside a building. Just imagine what happens to it under sunlights UV rays, and in the elements!!
No, don't use it on your bike. Unless you plan on running it inside of some kind of protective jacket (plastic wireloom of sorts) I would suggest just using for ...speakers!