Electrical ground goes where?

[per_w_aberg]

How is the Visions ground connected from the battery, to the frame, engine or both? I'm building my electricals from the ground up and this question has many answers for different bikes.

[lexx790]

Mine has both, just make sure its a good size cable, the engine earth has to carry the starter current.
Ensure there is good metal contact and include a serrated washer then cover the connection with some vaseline.

[per_w_aberg]

Thanks! I'm using 16mm². Do you have a stock setup? Where exactly is the ground wire attached to the engine case?

[The Prophet of Doom]

My bike (16R model) had a single thick cable running from the battery to the engine. Like the picture below taken off the 11U manual.  It attaches to one of the bolts just forward of the shaft drive bezel, but anyone would do equally well.

There's a single black harness earth about 2mm running through the harness with lots of tapped in branches - almost everything is grounded through this rather than to the frame or engine.  Obvious exceptions are starter, plugs, neutral & oil sensors.

Unfortunately I no longer have a harness to double check where the harness lead is connected to the engine and frame.

[Rikugun]

There's a single black harness earth about 2mm running through the harness with lots of tapped in branches - almost everything is grounded through this rather than to the frame or engine.  Obvious exceptions are starter, plugs, neutral & oil sensors.

Does that harness terminate in a 6mm ring terminal at the coil to frame mount?  Battery earth is at a case screw behind the rear cylinder but I'd think other suitable locations near your battery's eventual home could work.

All circuits grounded by a harness connection end up at the frame via that ring terminal. Since the engine is connected to the frame and the battery earth to the engine, all the electrons have a way home.

[The Prophet of Doom]

So it is.  Thanks Rikugun.  They could have tried harder on the grounding.

Just to be pedantic - the electrons come off the -ve and travel towards the -ve so they are finding a way away from home.  Not that it makes an appreciable difference.

[per_w_aberg]

Thanks guys. To the engine it is then, and a separate to a common ground on the frame. Its a pitty "frame ground" is not feasible anymore and that separate ground wires is everywhere is. Well for sake of reliability ground wires it is. I read somewhere that engine should be grounded at the crank case half that house the starter. Make sense. You might not otherwise now where all the current, say 70-100A?, will cause arching.

[drtaco]

pedantic-cool is that like conventional current theory or electron theory :o , just kiddin' hey aberg ground as much as possible can't hurt. long time ago I did some wiring on cars for a while and missing grounds caused all types of problems even melting cables, speedometers. like you thought big wire to engine for starter, one to the frame and you might want to consider ground to front forks (where your instrument cluster is) so you don't pull current thru clutch or other cable or your fork bearings (causes spalding or some other word for arcing and pitting rollers) I know on the 83 the head light is connected to frame but I don't much about the 82',headlight will pull a many free electrons. if lights are added to rear swing arm take a ground also its hard going thru that rubber bushing but I bet drive shaft would supply ground and I don't think you want that. heck  I know a little about love, but baby I'll fake the rest(sorry that song flashed into my head) good luck

[Rikugun]

Just to be pedantic - the electrons come off the -ve and travel towards the -ve so they are finding a way away from home.  Not that it makes an appreciable difference.

Well if you are going to be pedantic at least have one be positive.  :) And how do you know I wasn't referring to a positive ground system!?  :P

[Rikugun]

I read somewhere that engine should be grounded at the crank case half that house the starter. Make sense. You might not otherwise now where all the current, say 70-100A?, will cause arching.

Interesting, I've never heard that one. I wonder if Yamaha missed the boat on that one? The ground is on the left half but the starter mounting bolts are on the right half...

[Jimustanguitar]

If you were starting from scratch, the ideal setup would be star grounding to the frame, each cylinder head, and the coils all simultaneously. In the real world, one to frame and one to engine is better than you'll find in most places (most bikes have battery to frame and frame to engine, not battery to both).