Topic: Ground wire question

[hondachopproject]

I have a 76 cb550.
While changing headlight, from stock plastic "bucket" to chrome bucket on of my ground wires came loose. It is one of the two that have the welded on nut that originally attached to the sides of plastic buckey and fork ears. I have one attaching to a connector with several other green wires..one runs to headlight.I am not sure where other ground goes? I cannot find another "bunch" of green wies. Any one know where it goes?

The reason that I ask is, I forgot I didn't have it attached and tried to fire up the bike and fried the ignition switch wires. This happened once before, when ground (then connected) was not attached/grouned to bucket/fork ears by bolt.
 I attached it, changed ignition, ran fine. So I thought this again was the same problem.

Thanks for any help,
Lee

[jdpas29]

i'm confused...  does the bike run at this point?  and does the headlight and everything else work?

if so, you can cut that wire off and forget about it.

[hondachopproject]

 I reread it and saw where it was confusing
At this time  the bike dosen't run because ignition switch wires melted when I tried to start it.

It's not clipping ithe ground from the harness from that I am concerned about, it's connecting the ground to the harness. I know where the wire ends(grounds) just not sure where it connects to the harness. I am coming at this backwards.

This leaves one of my circuts ungrounded.....I thought that may be connected to why  the ignition wires melted when I tried to start it. They may not have anything to do with each other, I don't know.
I just don't want to melt a new ignition switch.
Thanks For Any Help
Lee

[mrblasty]

All the lights and voltage regulator ground off the green wires, on my 750 harness I have several wires that branch off the main green wire.

[hondachopproject]

Thanks for the help.
It just didn't make sense to me to have two grounds (one to each side of the headlight bucket) comming of the same bunch of green wires at the connector. 
Thanks Again,
Lee

[Jonesy]

You need a ground to each side of the bucket to provide a ground for each headlight ear, since they are on rubber mounts and the bucket is plastic. This is the only means of grounding them back to the harness, otherwise the turn signals won't work. (All this is said for a stock bike)

[hondachopproject]

You need a ground to each side of the bucket .... (All this is said for a stock bike)

Ahhh, Now It all makes sense.
So since I am using a chrome bucket and  no fork ears I can disregard the need for both sides being grounded.
I have not yet decided how(where) to attach signals, so I will just have to make sure they are grounded.
Thanks for the help,
Lee

[jdpas29]

ahhh... i see..

it sounds like you've got it figured out.  someone said it right earlier.  there are a couple of green connectors in the harness up front that house most of the grounds.  the lights can be confusing, however and some will work in different key positions so pay attention to whether your key is in the first (straight up and down) position or in the 'P' position over to the far right.  i had to rig mine like some crackhead to get it to work.

there is, one green connector that seems to be hot however.  you may want to test them with a hot fire off the battery and keep some fuses on hand before you reconnect your ignition switch.  i had a problem getting the dash lights to work and i found that the green connector i was using was incorrect.

[Jonesy]

There is a green wire with a red stripe on it. This is part of the starter solenoid/safety switch circuit. This is tied in with the neutral switch so when the bike is in neutral, you can use the electric starter. If the bike is in gear, there is a switch in the clutch lever assembly that will allow the bike to be turned with the electric leg, provided the clutch is pulled in.

On earlier models, the ground to the starter solenoid was completed in the switch housing on the handlebars. When you pushed in the button, it touched the wire to the frame, completing the circuit. On the safety switch bikes, the ground achieved via the green/red wire. This diagram might help:

[hondachopproject]

jdpas29 and Jonesy
Thanks for the help,
I am sure getting a crash course in bike elctric's. I think I am starting to figure it out. Kill switch was not connected and starter button fried. I am in the process of rewiring these.....and the battery died.
I hope to have good news after I charge the battery.
Thanks Again,
Lee

[hondachopproject]

Found it, and some other issues. Headlights working Again.
Thanks,
Lee

[78CB750F1]

Will the ground wires to each side of the headlight bucket ground properly with aluminium headlight mounting ears? 

[TwoTired]

Aluminum is electrically conductive, if that is what you are asking.

Grounds are a return path to the battery minus terminal.  You will need metal or copper between the device to be operated an the battery terminal.  The devices need both paths, positive, and negative.

Cheers,

[78CB750F1]

Thanks TwoTired!