Hmmm, what's this?

[Popeye 39]

Put a new R/R on the bike yesterday and much to my surprise I found a stray wire. Between the gas tank and the battery, right out in the open comming out of a large bundle of covered wires is a black and white wire with an eyelet, just unattached. I'm use to my eyelet wires having a home. Ground? This is on my 82 gs 850 Gl. There are a few B/W notations on the schematic. I get no voltage from it when the bike is on. Just wanted to see if this was a big obvious from the pros. Thanks

[Nessism]

It's a ground. Look at your wiring diagram and see for yourself.

[Redman]

Put a new R/R on the bike yesterday and much to my surprise I found a stray wire. Between the gas tank and the battery, right out in the open comming out of a large bundle of covered wires is a black and white wire with an eyelet, just unattached. I'm use to my eyelet wires having a home. Ground? This is on my 82 gs 850 Gl. There are a few B/W notations on the schematic. I get no voltage from it when the bike is on. Just wanted to see if this was a big obvious from the pros. Thanks

Blk/Wht wire is a ground wire. Are several/many of them.

There is a blk/wht wire that goes tghrough the wiring harness and has several other blk/wht wires spliced into it.
One thing about talking about ground wire is that that there are many of them all connectied togeter in the wiring harness, and some are used to ground varous devices and one is connected to battery negitive and another to the frame. So some are "grounded" to make all the others into the ground wire so can ground various devices. The ones with ring terminals are the ones that are "grounded" to battery- and the frame (and battery box). The ones with bullet connectors are what are used to ground other devices (like lights and other).


the one with the ring terminal you described as under the tank is probably the one that is suppoose to go on battery-.
The one for the battery box is a lot lower, right at the solenoid and that one should connect to same place as tghe negitive from the R/R (that you said you just replaced) right at the solenoid mountring bolt.

.

[Popeye 39]

Great. That's what I thought and I put it on the neg terminal. Just kinda floored me to see it like that. Thanks.