Crazy electrical/ground issue diagnosed and solved, need advice
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Joined: Jul 2013
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From: Baltimore
Crazy electrical/ground issue diagnosed and solved, need advice
So I have a 99 electra glide classic with 40k miles on it. I bought it as a non runner 3 years ago, fixed it for $60 and put 20k on it since. Awesome bike, rode it today too.
So I bought the tour pack detach kit and followed the service manual steps. the only difference was that I wanted a hidden antenna so I bought one of those hidden in the fairing antenna kits. The bike ran this morning just fine, but when I was installing the hidden antenna (the tour pack was still installed at this point), and I unplugged the antenna from the radio, the bike lost all power. Once I plugged the antenna in again the bike had power again. I figured it was some kind of security feature so I left the antenna alone for the time and started on the tour pack.
Tour pack came off just fine, but I discovered that I have no power again with it removed. Through a pure fluke accident I discovered that the entire bike is grounded through the radio and the antenna. If I touch the antenna plug that would normally be in the tour pack to the frame the bike has power. Continuing to diagnose the problem I stripped the ends off a wire and grounded the radio box to the frame at the neck and the bike has power again.
is it me or is this an idiotic way to ground a bike? Have everything grounded through the radio and the antenna?
Right now I plan on buying the low antenna relocation mount kit and the joint assembly antenna mount which I linked below.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/attac...na-adapter.jpg
http://www.harley-davidson.com/store...-08-7656109--1
Any comments or suggestions?
So I bought the tour pack detach kit and followed the service manual steps. the only difference was that I wanted a hidden antenna so I bought one of those hidden in the fairing antenna kits. The bike ran this morning just fine, but when I was installing the hidden antenna (the tour pack was still installed at this point), and I unplugged the antenna from the radio, the bike lost all power. Once I plugged the antenna in again the bike had power again. I figured it was some kind of security feature so I left the antenna alone for the time and started on the tour pack.
Tour pack came off just fine, but I discovered that I have no power again with it removed. Through a pure fluke accident I discovered that the entire bike is grounded through the radio and the antenna. If I touch the antenna plug that would normally be in the tour pack to the frame the bike has power. Continuing to diagnose the problem I stripped the ends off a wire and grounded the radio box to the frame at the neck and the bike has power again.
is it me or is this an idiotic way to ground a bike? Have everything grounded through the radio and the antenna?
Right now I plan on buying the low antenna relocation mount kit and the joint assembly antenna mount which I linked below.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/attac...na-adapter.jpg
http://www.harley-davidson.com/store...-08-7656109--1
Any comments or suggestions?
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 1,712
Likes: 410
From: Puyallup, WA
I've never had a bike with any audio, so I'm not an expert. Sure seems from your description that it's grounded through the radio, which in my opinion is bizarre. Hopefully some with more experience than me will chime in.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
the chassis is meant to be negative or ground.
the touring bike is a rubbermount and the entire drivetrain is rubbermounted and electrically remote from the frame- incidental contact can be made through the shifter or the top motor mount
many rubbermount models have a steel braided ground strap underneath between the inner primary and the frame.
if this ground is lost the clutch cable sometimes becomes the new ground and may smoke when the starter is run
the battery - usually has a cable running to the rt rear fender strut/frame area.
some of us add a second - cable to attach near the starter.
there should also be a ground strap or wire ( HD uses black for ground wires) attached to the steering neck for all the stuff in the fairing
mike
the touring bike is a rubbermount and the entire drivetrain is rubbermounted and electrically remote from the frame- incidental contact can be made through the shifter or the top motor mount
many rubbermount models have a steel braided ground strap underneath between the inner primary and the frame.
if this ground is lost the clutch cable sometimes becomes the new ground and may smoke when the starter is run
the battery - usually has a cable running to the rt rear fender strut/frame area.
some of us add a second - cable to attach near the starter.
there should also be a ground strap or wire ( HD uses black for ground wires) attached to the steering neck for all the stuff in the fairing
mike
Last edited by mkguitar; Apr 4, 2016 at 12:18 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 6,154
Likes: 2,561
From: CT/FL
My RK has two ground studs and neither one is the radio. You must have a loose or missing ground. The second diagram that 14GP posted shows them. There is also a separate ground for the radio on the third one.
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