It goes to the triple tree from the riser bolt on the right side about 2+" long on an 07 Street Bob (similar on other models, too) - what does it do (I know it's a ground, but why?) and is it necessary? If so, what do I do now?

The problem - I'm installing new 3" old school risers and thought I'd get fancy (always my downfall - LOL) and ordered the Ness Tech hidden bolts with urethane bushings - only problem is the allen bolts that come with it nestle up into the 'cups' on the bottom and go up into the bushings about 3/4 - 1" ie. become hidden. But now there is no way to attach the small ground wire with round connector to the riser bolt (see #15 in diagram 2-102 on page 2-77 of the '07 Dyna Service Manual). Looked thru all the wiring diagrams and related chapters but found no clue as to it's overall function (besides grounding handlebars to triple tree). Any ideas/info would be greatly appreciated (besides ditching the hidden bolt kit). Thanks in advance!

Chip

 

I have the HD hidden bolt kit and it has a notch in it for the wire... ? If ya want I can take a pic and maybe you can knotch yours the same way...

 

That's all it's for, to ground the bars. The rubber(or urethane) bushings,isolate the bars from the rest of the system. I'm not sure if they want the bars grounded for safety or function but that's what the wire is for. Use a longer ground wire and mount the "bar end" some place inconspicuious. It's hard for me to be specific without actually seeing your bike and the parts your using, but you really do have a lot of leeway just so long as you get the ground to a point somewhere on the bars.

 

I broke the wire on my old superglide. Don't remember how now. Never did fix it, finally clipped it off. Never had any trouble, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't have given trouble sooner or later.

 

The bushings isolate the bars from ground, so if you were to pinch a wire or wires against the bars you wouldn't blow a fuse. If you had multiple wires pinched, you could conceivably activate the starter motor,blow the horn or something else equally undesireable when you hit the high beamor turn signal switch. Don't take those examples literally as I haven't studied the wiring diagrams and figured out all the possible combinations of what could go wrong. I do know that multipleground faults on an ungrounded system can be trouble. You probably should try and figure out a way to ground the bars.

 

Thanks for some ideas and advice - but don't think I can 'slot' the 'cup' the bolt goes into. Here's the bushing/bolt kit I have:

http://www.jpcycles.com/ProductDetai...500-318&cs=All

the head of the allen bolt really does recess up into the bushing and cup quite a bit and can hardly be seen when viewed straight on as the bushing is also cupped out to allow the bolt head to go up into the bushing itself - and there is no room surrounding the bolt head when up in it's recess in it's 'cup'.

Everything else on the handle bars/triple tree is basically stock Street Bob, so where could I tap in on the handle bars?

Suppose I could drill a small hole in the handle bars but really don't like that idea of running a foot of exposed wire from the triplel tree. The risers I'm using have individual top clamps so it might be possible to go into one of the clamp bolts, but might not allow the bars to be real tight in their clamp, and again, a long run of exposed wire - not a very 'elegant' solution I'm afraid.

Any other ideas?
Chip

 

Chip, did you misunderstand Trotter,
or, did I misunderstand Trotter??

I do believe he meant that the slot
is located in the side of theallen bolt head.

mud

 

DUH - thanks mud - had assumed he meant on the side of the 'cup' the bolt fits into not the bolt head itself - ok, that sounds like a possible solution that might just work - appreciate the clarification!

Chip

 

THANKS again guys - Trotter's slotting the allen bolt head (and Mud's clarification) worked slick, just wrapped the bare end of a new (longer) ground wire around the bolt then up along the slot, and VOILA! problem solved. Unfortunately, my riser bolts were just a smidgen too long and bottomed out before fully tightened, so will have cut about 1/8" off the bolts in the morning, reconnect ground, then I should be good to go!

Chip

 

Good deal Chip.

Need to see some pix when you get the riser job done.

mud