Grounding Components

[PHeller]

I'm working on my re-wire, with stock switches, removing all the checkers, cancellers, etc...and just using a PMA, PAMCO, Signals, and Lights On/Off switch.

The stock 1978 Standard utilized a grounding harness. That is, instead of grounding on the frame or bolts, every signal, headlight, brake light, and most components have a black wire connecting them to the battery or switch grounds.

My question is this:

How do I effective ground components?

1) Switches. Do these have ground wires or does the bolt actually ground to the handlebar? In diagrams the horn button, brake switch, and it appear some of the other switches have black ground wires.
2) Signals. Can I ground these to the bolts used to fasten them to the frame? The headlight, signals, and brake light, as well as some indicator lights have a ground wire. I'm thinking of linking the rear signals and brake light to a ground at the battery, the indicators and headlight to a headlight mount, and the front signals to the frame. Will this be ok?
3) Components. The PMA 5-Wire Regulator requires a ground. Go to battery or someplace closer? The horn has a ground as well.

Where are places I can and can't ground to?

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[XSLeo]

As far as the front lighting I would run a ground wire from each into the headlight bucket, hook them all together and run it back under the tank and ground it under the coil mount bolt.
The stock 78 uses a ground wire from the left side switch housing down into the head light bucket. You can run it into the headlight bucket or under the tank along with the front lights ground. On the rear very simular, run the turns and tail ight ground together and run it up and hook it to the frame, or right to the battery.
The right side switch housing grounds the start button to the bars. The bars are grounded through the left side switch housing ground wire.
On the reg/rec ground it right back to the battery.
If you want you can run the front ground wire back to the battery and the rear up to the battery.
I hooked some of my grounds to where the battery ground strap hooked to the frame.
The main thing is to have all the ground attachments to the frame or where ever clean, and paint free.
The horn itself has no ground. Power is fed to the horn on the brown wire. From the horn on the pink wire to the horn button where it grounds to the bars.
One more thing if your handle bars are painted or powder coated remove the powder/paint from under the switch housings.
Leo

 

[TampaSVT]

+1

I typically only ground the negative of the battery to the frame. Everything else should run off the ground from the battery.

The only exception might be the front electrical. Due to the long run, a ground to the bars or frame, would be appropriate.

PMA, etc. should be direct grounds to the battery, so you can guarantee a solid connection.


Rich