A tidy ground?

[elizilla]

I've been installing electrical farkles. I like to make everything tidy in there, so that if I ever have trouble it will be easy to work on. The problem I am dealing with, is that I have 14 different ground wires and they all need a spot to connect. Everything else is nice and neat, but these 14 ground wires are a mess. Right now I have them all piled up on a terminal strip from Rat Shack, but there has to be a better way. Anyone got a suggestion?

Thanks!

 

[SisuTen]

Solder them together! ::025:: ::025:: ::025::

Couldn't help it!!

 

[elizilla]

Oh, and in case anyone is wondering WTF I installed that I have 14 ground wires to deal with...

1 - 4. I made my own harness for the Denali lights, that will make them come on only when they are switched on AND when the high beams are on. This added four ground wires all by itself - one for the relay, one for the lighted switch, and one each for the two lights
5. A mounted controller and outlet for my heated jacket
6. Heated hangrips
7. Powerlet outlet
8. SAE pigtail (I might get rid of this)
9. Flash2Pass garage door opener
10. Autocom
11. Amplirider
12. Voltmeter
13. The relay on my Fuzeblock (but I can't use the six ground points on the Fuzeblock because I nestled it up tightly against the battery)
14. The wire that connects to the negative terminal of the battery, without this nothing will work!

There's got to be something tidier and more elegant than this terminal strip!

 

[elizilla]

Solder them together! ::025:: ::025:: ::025::

Couldn't help it!!

Phbbbbbttt!

::010::

 

[justbob]

What I did was to put 3 or 4 wires in 1 big ring terminal and put them under a 6mm bolt that is a good frame ground.
I also connected one directly to the battery and connected 1 to the motor ground on top of the transmission.
I did it this way to help emilinate the clutter.

Heres another option for ground block:

http://wingstuff.com/pgroup_detail/20323_master_ground_block

 

[jajpko]

You don't need to run separate, home run,ground wire for each item. For example, the lights, you could tie them together. Also if you are installing items in the same area(cockpit), make a common ground and tie them together.
This is done on the OEM wiring harness.

Then move the fuse block and use the ground lugs on that.

 

[HoebSTer]

I would like to see a pic of this organized chaos.

 

[GrahamD]

Oh, and in case anyone is wondering WTF I installed that I have 14 ground wires to deal with...

There's got to be something tidier and more elegant than this terminal strip!

If you want a good earth you crimp these

onto each Earth wire,
Then grab a bolt of the right size, Nickel or brass, then add one, then the next turned slightly, then the next turned slightly etc.
You should end up with a star. Or in your case a multi layered star.
Then run one big fat wore to the battery terminal. Where you mount that bolt, I don't know. You could seal it inside a little box. The main thing to be careful about is corrosion. Coat in that blue battery goo and then stash it in a box.

Mount the highest current stuff closest to the main lead running to the battery.

If you go to a doof doof Car Audio store you can get all kinds of Jewelry that does the same thing. All gold plated and perdy.

That will probably give you the most trouble free Earth, technically.
Do not go and Earth something else to the chassis after all this as you end up with Earth loops.

Or you can twist all the bare wires together and solder them, OR twist em all together and wrap 'em up in PVC tape. That last method usually guarantees 100km trouble free operation. ::024::

 

[Firefight911]

Here ya go;

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/2187/593/

 

[GrahamD]

Here ya go;

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/2187/593/

That's the idea! You will end up with a twisted Tenere at this rate.

 

[elizilla]

Here ya go;

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/2187/593/

Perfect! See, I knew someone here would have a good idea. ::012::

 

[Checkswrecks]

As Japako wrote, create ground clusters at convenient grouping locations. So maybe one in the headlight area, a second beneath the seat, third somewhere else. Then bring the feeder ground from each to a common spot, such as your current terminal strip.


There is nothing wrong with using terminal strips, as long as a few basics are followed. These include not getting more than 2-3 rings on a lug, using Lock-Tite (or other means) on the nuts, and generally common sense about loads.


Rather than the bulky cheap black Radio Shack or auto parts terminal strips, you can also easily make your own inexpensively. Take a piece of the thicker copper strapping that is made for plumbing and house earth connections. Cut to a custom fit and drill for the number of connections needed. As long as it's heavy enough to not heat, you can mount straight to motorcycle plastics for a clean minimized installation.

 

[Swagger]

Jeez you got some 'lectrical kit there .... all on at once?

 

[elizilla]

Jeez you got some 'lectrical kit there .... all on at once?

Unlikely. The powerlet will only get used for the battery tender, and the SAE will probably never get used at all - I just left it on because the dealer delivered the bike with it and I figured I might as well leave it there. And the garage door opener only gets used when I am coming in and out of my garage. The other stuff, yeah, I suppose it could all be used at once. That's why I have a voltmeter. Though I'm not too worried. The Super10 has 200 amps more than any other bike I've ever owned, and there's nothing here that I didn't run on the NT. The highest draw item is the electric jacket, next after that are the grips, then the lights. The rest of the stuff uses so little power it hardly even counts, unless what I am counting are ground wires.

I suppose it's overkill but I like setting this stuff up - I'm always finding new ways to make it spiffier. If anyone wants to come over and wire their bike for this kind of stuff, I'm good at it and I'd be happy to help.

 

[SisuTen]

I suppose it's overkill but I like setting this stuff up - I'm always finding new ways to make it spiffier. If anyone wants to come over and wire their bike for this kind of stuff, I'm good at it and I'd be happy to help.

Only if you learn to solder ::025:: ::025:: ::025::

Paul

 

[Checkswrecks]

"wants to come over" and the thought of the Ypsilanti area in the winter?


::025::


You or any other S10 owner can couch surf my place in the DC area!


::003::