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[sab]

It is negative earth and there is zero ohms between the negative terminal and the frame. I had one bike mechanic tell me my problems were almost inevitably due to a bad earth, but I have yet to find it! Thanks again Les for all your advice. I will try to check it out today, but have to work around friends' barbeques etc. My wife doesn't understand why I'd rather be taking the bullet apart!

[sab]

Hi Les. Right, here's an update, and another related question if I may... ///
I removed the battery and took the side boxes off the bike and generally made everything accessible so that I could trace all the wiring properly. It's now all labeled so I know what goes where. There are loads of extra wires in the loom which are a bit in the way, but I've capped them all off now so think I'm back to what's needed. There was a wire from the +ve battery terminal to the ignition switch, which according to your earlier email is unecessary, so I removed it. This meant I had to get from the +ve battery terminal straight up to the ammeter. This route was previously broken by the ignition switch, but isn't now. Is that correct? So I now have one wire from +ve terminal to ammeter and another wire from this side of the ammeter to the horn. Then from the other side of the ammeter there is a wire which comes from the regulator/rectifier, and another which goes to the ignition switch. Still OK? I assume there should then be a wire from a different terminal on the ignition switch going back up to the light switch, and a third wire going to the positive side of the coil. Is that right - 3 connections on the ignition switch? And when the switch is on all three should be commoned together should they? /// Something else which didn't seem right to me is that the only fuse on the system is between the negative terminal of the battery and the earthing bolt on the frame. And it's a 30A fuse!! I assume there should rather be a fuse on the positive terminal. What size fuse would you recommend? I haven't actually tried connecting up yet before getting this fuse in place, just to be on the safe side! I'll need to find myself a fuseholder and connectors to put it into the existing wiring. I assume I'm OK to remove the one on the negative side? Although no real harm in having it there I guess. /// Sorry for so many more questions! I feel I'm making progress but wanted to check the last few bits with you if that's OK.

[Les H]

Hi Sab. You have been busy, and from everything you have written it looks like you have rewired in a manner that will work, as long as there are no hidden incorrectly cross connected wires somewhere....The new wiring might be non standard but it was non standard anyway and is now in its most simplest form which many old bikes used. I guess the wiring from the light switch has been mostly left as it was, as the headlight needs to be powered via the dipswitch and you will also have a position on the lighting switch to switch on the pilot lights, so we will assume they will work as before. The fuse on the negative battery terminal to earth is fine and does not need changing, it does not have to be on the supply side. The rating of 30 amps is also OK, but if you have a 12amp that will fit to start with, might be sensible but not essential, put back the 30 amp one when all OK.... So now switch on and test. The ammeter should show a disharge commensurate with the different loads draining from the battery. If everything works as it should. Start the engine and monitor the ammeter the needle should now move over to the right hand side and show an increasing charge as you increase the revs, untill the battery has charged when it should not indicate not much more than 1-2 amps. obviously if the needle swing is completely in the wrong direction, simply reverse the wires onto the opposite ammeter terminals...good luck

[sab]

Are my assumptions correct about 3 wires connected to different terminals on the ignition switch? Should they all be commoned when on?

[Les H]

Re: The ignition switch wiring: In simple terms, you need one wire that feeds the switch coming from the ammeter, and then the switch will power the current to the 1) Coil....2) Lighting circuit via the lighting switch. Many ignition switches are rotary multi-pole devices and rather than have the coil and lighting wires going to the same single terminal, you can "jumper" connecting links from the battery side on the switch to other poles/terminals on the switch, Like this, you are using the other terminals on the switch and have more space and also reduce the load going through each switch contact and therefore each circuit is less likely to effect the other one when switched on....hope you can understand this, but it is simple enough. However, if the ignition switch has just two terminals (Unlikely) you will have the battery side on one side and coil/lights on the other side. The wire from the regulator (Alternator)can be connected at the ammeter or on the switch (battery side) it will make no difference, simply let the space or terminal size dictate where you choose. If you choose the ammeter, then it should go on the opposite terminal to the battery-feed/horn terminal.

[sab]

My bike keeps calling me but it's so frustrating when too much work gets in the way of sorting the bike out! And we're away all weekend so this will probably not get done until next week now. However, I've discovered spaghetti behind the headlight with loads of extraneous wires which need tidying up. So I might as well do all that at the same time - hence it not being quite as quick a job as anticipated. Will let you know when it's all sorted.

[sab]

Well, all working perfectly and bike up and running, after a fashion! I still have a persistent problem which is not ammeter related so will start a new thread. Any help you can give would be welcome! Thanks for all the help on this one.