ground
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,593
Likes: 367
From: Northern MN
Well...no. Three kinds of ground. Earth ground, not relevant here since you have rubber tires, circuit ground, not relevant here, and Chassis ground. The battery is connected to the chassis making the entire chassis the same electrical point on the schematic. Running a wire back to the negative post only makes a really long point of failure and is no more electrically sound than the shortest path to the chassis. Electrons will take the easiest path back to positive, which means if there is something like grease or dirt in their way they go around. If you have ever chased a bad ground you know this to be true.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 6,446
Likes: 873
From: TEXAS
Originally Posted by Noisy Cricket
Well...no. Three kinds of ground. Earth ground, not relevant here since you have rubber tires, circuit ground, not relevant here, and Chassis ground. The battery is connected to the chassis making the entire chassis the same electrical point on the schematic. Running a wire back to the negative post only makes a really long point of failure and is no more electrically sound than the shortest path to the chassis. Electrons will take the easiest path back to positive, which means if there is something like grease or dirt in their way they go around. If you have ever chased a bad ground you know this to be true.
Can I ground it to the handlebars?
T
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 10,637
Likes: 1,246
From: Lake, Ms
Originally Posted by Noisy Cricket
Well...no. Three kinds of ground. Earth ground, not relevant here since you have rubber tires, circuit ground, not relevant here, and Chassis ground. The battery is connected to the chassis making the entire chassis the same electrical point on the schematic. Running a wire back to the negative post only makes a really long point of failure and is no more electrically sound than the shortest path to the chassis. Electrons will take the easiest path back to positive, which means if there is something like grease or dirt in their way they go around. If you have ever chased a bad ground you know this to be true.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 6,621
Likes: 412
From: Indianapolis IN.
Well...no. Three kinds of ground. Earth ground, not relevant here since you have rubber tires, circuit ground, not relevant here, and Chassis ground. The battery is connected to the chassis making the entire chassis the same electrical point on the schematic. Running a wire back to the negative post only makes a really long point of failure and is no more electrically sound than the shortest path to the chassis. Electrons will take the easiest path back to positive, which means if there is something like grease or dirt in their way they go around. If you have ever chased a bad ground you know this to be true.
That said. Ground to the battery OP.
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Club Member
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 7,618
Likes: 10,437
From: Des moines IA
Electricity likes the path of the least resistance. A solid, non stop connection back to the source is the least resistance.
The other guy doesn't like the least resistance path, he's a contrary Mary.
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Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 140
Likes: 24
From: Boise, ID
Biketronics instructs people to run the ground to the radio mount bolt. That is a very short run. I wouldn't think there would be anything different about their amps that would require a shorter ground, right?