Positive ground??? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Positive ground???

EasyDoesIt

Active member
If anyone has good knowledge of positive ground wiring please give me a hand. Im currently in process of going over some sloppy wiring from the previous owner of my project bike. He had all types of splices for lights and other crap from the main power supply. below is a link to the way I think I want to wire the bike, three basic harness
1. Boyer ignition
2. Tympanium
3. Lights

My problem... I'm not sure/trust positive ground

http://www.britbike.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3856



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
There should be a good ground on the frame. Use that as a trace back point.
 
Wiring positive ground is no different than negative ground. Just make sure you have a good ground from the engine and the frame back to the battery, specially if it is a Norton Commando.
 
So when I put power to my frame I can extract it at accessory points? And run my ground wire to accessories? Such a foreign idea placing power to the frame...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Using the frame as ground cuts down the number of wires you need to run and hide. In my opinion nothing destroys the clean custom look like a really crappy wiring job so the less the better. That said, you probably will still have to run a ground to the head light. I am not sure if you can get a good connection ahead of the steering head bearings. Other folks here would have a much better idea of what's involved. The only real suggestion I can make is make sure you use different coloured wires in your harness. It may be cheaper to go with one colour and easier at the onset, but it sure is a pig to trace electrical faults in the rain on the side of the road. (Not that I would know anything at all about that scenario) Really looking forward to the pictures of your build.
 
So when I put power to my frame I can extract it at accessory points? And run my ground wire to accessories? Such a foreign idea placing power to the frame...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Are you putting power to your frame or ground to your frame?

I hope your not planning on using your frame as a terminal block lol. :D
 
I hope your not planning on using your frame as a terminal block lol. :D

That's basically what you do with a ground wire. So yes he is.

The only real difference is instead of running the negative wires to a ground point your running the positives to one.

For a battery to work it must be a closed loop. As long as the device your powering isnt polarity specific it can be wired to the common north American standard or backwards.

On some old brit bikes and cars the devices powering the bike (ignition ect) ARE polarity specific which means they have to be wired "backwards" to NA standard.

Keep in mind your still wiring +to+ and -to-.
Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
Are you putting power to your frame or ground to your frame?

I hope your not planning on using your frame as a terminal block lol. :D

No no I'm doing exactly as shown in the diagrams provided.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
That's basically what you do with a ground wire. So yes he is.

The only real difference is instead of running the negative wires to a ground point your running the positives to one.

For a battery to work it must be a closed loop. As long as the device your powering isnt polarity specific it can be wired to the common north American standard or backwards.

On some old brit bikes and cars the devices powering the bike (ignition ect) ARE polarity specific which means they have to be wired "backwards" to NA standard.

Keep in mind your still wiring +to+ and -to-.
Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

Interesting, I guess you learn something new each day.


Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk
 
Interesting, I guess you learn something new each day.


Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk

I think I misunderstood the meaning of the post I quoted.

my post even confused me. I'm gonna leave it untouched so others can poke fun at me though.

At the end of the day most vehicles use the positive terminal as the power. In this case the positive terminal is ground, it will still create a closed loop system by tapping your grounds off the frame.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
@Petetm15 this guy just solidified what I've been thinking! +to+ on the frame. -to- kept in a continuous wire loop never connecting to the frame!

But please confirm this.... If I need power to an accessory lets say a light of some sort, it's ok and safe to just hook up a wire to the frame to draw my power? While keeping the ground in the "loop"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I think I misunderstood the meaning of the post I quoted.

my post even confused me. I'm gonna leave it untouched so others can poke fun at me though.

At the end of the day most vehicles use the positive terminal as the power. In this case the positive terminal is ground, it will still create a closed loop system by tapping your grounds off the frame.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

A ground is a location it can be +or-
What you said seems right but I'm no expert...

I need professional help lolol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
A ground is a location it can be +or-
What you said seems right but I'm no expert...

I need professional help lolol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What I would personally do is bench test it. It would depend on the light and im no expert either. Just some hands on electrical experience.

If the light is directional you would need the power coming into the "in" and ground going out. the actual wiring may be backwards in this case and depending on where the directional devices are it may not work.

if you wire your plug for the light "backwards" the light bulb would be opposite. So in that case (bulb depending) it wouldn't work as the current is traveling in the wrong direction for the bulb.

wow. Confused again. Lol.

Ok. Under some circumstances the fixture and bulb do not have direction (home light fixtures) but if your light has direction it would matter which wire gets hooked where. theoretically it SHOULD work being fine the way your describing but I've never actually tested it so I'm not sure.

Damn I sound like a professor.


Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
A ground is a location it can be +or-
What you said seems right but I'm no expert...

I need professional help lolol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I tend to agree you need help.
There is nothing wrong with positive ground, actually positive ground has benefits over negative ground.
If you really don't want positive ground it is quite simple to convert it to negative ground. (If you change anything change it all. I have seen way too many bodges with some stuff positive earth and some stuff negative. It is easier up front but a nightmare down the road).
Do you have any specific questions?
I think Walridge or British Cycle sell new aftermarket complete wiring harnesses.
 
Yea this elect project is like open heart surgery, I'm actually happy others are as confused as I was

lol I'm happy to say I HAVE A PLAN!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You are overthinking this. Treat all negative wires as power and all positive wires as ground. The frame can be used as part of the ground.
 
You are overthinking this. Treat all negative wires as power and all positive wires as ground. The frame can be used as part of the ground.

Actually yes.

Stop thinking positive and negative. (As I'm doing)

No matter what ground goes to frame, power comes from ignition. (Or batt)

As long as your entire system is wired this way it will work.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
You are overthinking this. Treat all negative wires as power and all positive wires as ground. The frame can be used as part of the ground.

Your probably right but I'm pretty sure I got this now. With some bench testing I'll get er done!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Back
Top Bottom