AMP Ground Wire
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 817
Likes: 380
From: Central Ohio
Doing it "the right way" is not to run the ground to the battery. Ensure you have a good solid frame ground for the amp and that both the amp ground run, as well as the battery-ground strap, are capable of carrying the required load. Connecting the amp ground directly to the battery is not only a bad practice but potentially dangerous. I don't want to **** anyone off here (seems almost like a religious or political argument) so you do what you want but I'm speaking from decades of experience as a DC power plant engineer. It's not a good idea. Rather than repeat myself, you can find multiple threads here where I explain why this isn't a good idea but again, suit yourself.
It's not hard to find comments and articles out there that will argue both sides so you will need to decide for yourself. Articles like this one agree with my position. You will also hear people tell you how automotive electrical and bike electrical are very different so the justification for not running the amp ground directly to the battery does not appy. At the root, they are not very different at all.
It's not hard to find comments and articles out there that will argue both sides so you will need to decide for yourself. Articles like this one agree with my position. You will also hear people tell you how automotive electrical and bike electrical are very different so the justification for not running the amp ground directly to the battery does not appy. At the root, they are not very different at all.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,354
Likes: 399
From: Vancouver, BC
Club Member
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 7,618
Likes: 10,437
From: Des moines IA
Just to throw a monkey wrench in the sprocket. Hamah is about the only guy here that doesn't recommend grounding to the battery. The other 976 guys here that have done multiple systems, some with 10,000 or more watts says battery.
I've had audio in mine since 2015. No issues, ever!!
I've had audio in mine since 2015. No issues, ever!!
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,354
Likes: 399
From: Vancouver, BC
Just to throw a monkey wrench in the sprocket. Hamah is about the only guy here that doesn't recommend grounding to the battery. The other 976 guys here that have done multiple systems, some with 10,000 or more watts says battery.
I've had audio in mine since 2015. No issues, ever!!
I've had audio in mine since 2015. No issues, ever!!
Last edited by hamah; Sep 20, 2022 at 10:05 PM.
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 817
Likes: 380
From: Central Ohio
I won't dispute that DSM. For sure the most vocal here on this topic run the return to the battery (likely the majority here do) without ever seeing a problem doing that. But I can say with absolute certainty that you will never have a problem doing it the way that I know to be correct. I've yet to hear a convincing argument as to why you should not do it "the right way" and I've seen what can happen when you don't. Anyway, carry on.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,354
Likes: 399
From: Vancouver, BC
So I kind of buzzed through that link you posted. I am in agreement with you, everything 12v I've wired used the chassis for ground... But there's one part that it mentioned a ground to the battery when that part had an isolated ground? Can you elaborate? Obviously this isn't something new, but it's never came up in any of my previous training
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Club Member
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 7,618
Likes: 10,437
From: Des moines IA
I won't dispute that DSM. For sure the most vocal here on this topic run the return to the battery (likely the majority here do) without ever seeing a problem doing that. But I can say with absolute certainty that you will never have a problem doing it the way that I know to be correct. I've yet to hear a convincing argument as to why you should not do it "the right way" and I've seen what can happen when you don't. Anyway, carry on.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 3,829
Likes: 984
From: Southern Virginia
Another issue that comes up is if several high current amps are grounded to the frame the factory battery strap could not handle the load and should be upgraded. As long as folks remember that I imagine everything would be fine, but if someone forgot to install a heavier gauge run from the battery to the frame I would think that it could easily be overloaded.