Topic: Question about grounds in headlight bucket

[tfrasca]

What are people with painted aftermarket headlight brackets doing for the two grounds on the M10 nuts inside the headlight bucket? I scuffed mine with a file (down to bare metal) before I installed them, but it seems like they aren't grounding. Can I pull ground off one of the other green wires inside the headlight bucket?

Also, does anyone know what the dark green/red striped wire is in the stock configuration? Wiring diagram says it's the start switch, but my start switch is yellow/red and black/red. The PO did a hell of a job on the wiring...

Thanks!

TF

[Spanner 1]

Yes, you can ground your turnsignals to one of the green ( ground ) terminal blocks in the bucket. As regards the red/green wire etc., you don't tell us what bike and year you have to assist ...

[calj737]

You can use any ground wire in lieu of the M10 bolt. It's best to run a ground wire to the frame behind the steering neck and use it as this bypasses the steering bearings.

BLK/RED is not a Honda color, so it's possible the PO substituted that wire. Dark Green with Red is stock color to the START from the Clutch Safety Switch IIRC

[rb550four]

I would ground the nuts back into the solid green ground so the entire fork is grounded anyways.  I have heard more than once about a no ground issue on other peoples bikes, while talking with a 30 year MC mechanic,  who told me that the forks should be grounded through the headlight mount because the only other route for the ground is through the greased bearings in the neck.... not totally reliable enough alone...could even cause issues on the bar mounted controls .... That's why the grounding nuts are on the  plastic headlight attached to the forks.
  Your light socket should have a green ground on it, a high and low beam...2 solid dark blue to  one , one to the light , the other blue goes to the high beam indicator light ... and a white.
http://oldmanhonda.com/MC/WiringDiagrams/MCwiring.php#class
Dark green and red, and, yellow and red are on the starter switch on the 550 diagram
       If that's the bike you are working on....? If that helps.

[tfrasca]

Sorry, I have a '76 550K. It's been pretty bastardized though, so I have no idea what's stock and what's not.

When I got it, the green/red wire came out of the main harness, then into a green terminal that went back into the main harness. The same green terminal also had grounds going to each headlight bolt. None of these wires had anything to do with the aftermarket turn signals that had their own "custom" wiring.

Interesting that black/red isn't a Honda color. That black/red wire to the aftermarket start witch looks like it comes out of the main harness, and looks just like the other 35 year old wires.

Cal, I will run another ground to the frame. Good idea.

Thanks.

TF