SH 775 install

[Brendan W]

To keep this discussion more focused, on the typical GS, (Other that starter return currents) what currents run through the frame by design or otherwise?

Leaving out the intermittent oil pressure, starter relay coil etc........
Frame returns
Lights
Ignitor
Coil primary
Fuel gauge

Gear indicator and coil secondaries probably have a choice and maybe split between the starter return cable and the engine mounts ?

[OldVet66]

Steel has a conductivity of 3-15% compared to copper at 100% and aluminum at 61%, Nearly all automobiles and motorcycles have used the frames because it was convenient and cheep until computerized controls came along. I ran separate grounds to the archaic computer in my '85 Supra and it made a world of difference compared to the body parts it was bolted to. Add in steel and aluminum bolted together and the frame ground becomes worse with time. Frames suck for grounds, there is no other way to put it.

[JTGS850GL]

Frames suck for grounds, there is no other way to put it.

Unless it's an aluminum frame.

Actually not sure where you get any type of a 100% number on copper since conductivity is usually measured in units of Siemens/Meter. That would make copper a superconductor. If your 100% scenario for copper had any meaning, then silver would be like 120%. Just nitpicking. Agreed that frames don't make a good source for conducting grounds.

Here are the actual numbers in units of 10.E6 S/M:

Silver: 62.1
Copper: 58.5
Alluminum: 36.9
Iron: 10.1
Carbon Steel: 5.9

[OldVet66]

It was a comparative chart, silver rating 105 (I suppose copper was 100% as a standard) but it shows just how bad steel frame grounds are in comparison.

[JTGS850GL]

Like I said, I'm just nitpicking. It's an occupational thing... Spent 25 years as a test engineer.

[mainiac]

I guess I am not sure of the "t" in the harness, I cant hook the hot wire coming from the rr to the red wire that ran to the old regulator? I was planning to make a spg for the regulator and my coil relay ( which by the way made a amazing difference) just to insure a good ground. Thanks for all your advice.

[Nessism]

It was a comparative chart, silver rating 105 (I suppose copper was 100% as a standard) but it shows just how bad steel frame grounds are in comparison.

Not really. The frame ground is adequate for most of the bikes various electrical parts. I've always ran my R/R ground to the battery, but for everything else I use the standard Suzuki ground wire path and encourage others to do the same. Reinventing the bikes electrical system, charging system excepted, adds almost no value.

[Brendan W]

I guess I am not sure of the "t" in the harness, I cant hook the hot wire coming from the rr to the red wire that ran to the old regulator? I was planning to make a spg for the regulator and my coil relay ( which by the way made a amazing difference) just to insure a good ground. Thanks for all your advice.

The harness 'tee' is where the original regulator would have sent the current. Generally a red wire that heads off up the left side of the airbox and tees into the main supply from the battery to the ignition switch.

[mainiac]

Ok, Thanks Brendon W. Thats what I thought but wanted to be sure.

[Nessism]

The harness 'tee' is where the original regulator would have sent the current. Generally a red wire that heads off up the left side of the airbox and tees into the main supply from the battery to the ignition switch.

One test that is extremely useful, after the bike is up and running, is to put one probe of your volt meter on the junction mentioned here and the other on the + battery post. Any voltage you are reading indicates losses in the harness. Anything more than about .2 volts suggests you should clean all the connections in the voltage path to the battery.

[Brendan W]

One test that is extremely useful, after the bike is up and running, is to put one probe of your volt meter on the junction mentioned here and the other on the + battery post. Any voltage you are reading indicates losses in the harness. Anything more than about .2 volts suggests you should clean all the connections in the voltage path to the battery.

I'm going to have to go in there eventually. I have a persistent 0.3 V drop from the r/r + to the bat + . Not looking forward to it. How easy is it to get at that join and what to do when I get there ?

[Nessism]

I'm going to have to go in there eventually. I have a persistent 0.3 V drop from the r/r + to the bat + . Not looking forward to it. How easy is it to get at that join and what to do when I get there ?

It's not that bad. Main thing is the connections for the fuse box. Pinch down to close the female terminals and clean the males physically, wherever possible to reach them. I actually bead blasted my fuse block terminals terminals to remove all corrosion.

BTW, I was just looking at the wiring diagram for the GS1000 and there are about a dozen frame ground points. Gathering up a couple b/w wires and putting them together ain't gonna do much. Like trying to solve world hunger.

[Grimly]

The frame is a perfectly acceptable grounding point for the system. That's why virtually every motorcycle and automobile ever built uses the chassis/frame as the ground path.

More to do with manufacturing cheapness and expediency than anything. Vehicles have an expected lifespan of what, 5 to 7 years? Short enough for a cheap solution to work well enough for long enough.

[Gorminrider]

Steel has a conductivity of 3-15% compared to copper at 100% and aluminum at 61%, Nearly all automobiles and motorcycles have used the frames because it was convenient and cheep until computerized controls came along. I ran separate grounds to the archaic computer in my '85 Supra and it made a world of difference compared to the body parts it was bolted to. Add in steel and aluminum bolted together and the frame ground becomes worse with time. Frames suck for grounds, there is no other way to put it.

Come,come. Resistance also iinvolves conductor size. (ie cross-section and length) A steel frame tube conducts as well or better than a 16 or 14 ga copper wire. The only trouble with ground to frames is the lug connection itself- a decent sized lug bolted to a clean steel frame has no problem. The only place to really wonder about is at the forks, which float on steel ball bearings. Don't ground stuff to the forks.

[posplayr]

I'm going to have to go in there eventually. I have a persistent 0.3 V drop from the r/r + to the bat + . Not looking forward to it. How easy is it to get at that join and what to do when I get there ?

Have you cleaned the fusebox yet? That is straight forward. The "T" is the only bit messy as you have to find it in the harness. On the 16V bikes it is about 3-4 inches in from where the red wire disappears.