Don't try cloth tape first - that's the hardest stuff to work with. Start with a tape that is somewhat stretchy. Overlap turns by 1/3 and try to stretch the tape as you go around bends and around the brake levers. You can either start in the middle and finish by putting the excess inside the bar and plug, or you can start on the end and finish in the middle with a wrap of electrical tape. Sometimes it work well to take 2 small sections of tape and cover the back side of the levers before you wrap.