A Simple Way To Add Ground Wire Capacity

One more thing I would like to add to this thread is...I have seen one or more pictures of some pretty nasty connections where the original ground wire goes to the engine. This connection is subject to all sorts of damaging elements, rain, mud, dirt, salt etc. and needs to be inspected and cleaned as part of your maintenance. I don't think this terminal connection is soldered, but rather crimped and corrosion can infiltrate around the wires inside of the connector. This can be a source of high resistance and current loss. Keep it clean and lubricated to protect it and if it looks bad...replace the whole wire. The terminal up near the battery is usually not subjected to as much abuse but check it as well.

A clean electrical connection is a HAPPY electrical connection!!
 
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It's good to see someone else is as fussy about doing things right as much as I am

Part of the fun is finding not just a solution, but a great solution. Even if it's not always the easy solution. It's a hobby after all.

very well made, except for the rather anemic battery connectors which I replaced

Yeah, since I'm wiring it to a fusebox or equivalent I just ordered the bare wire ends and no fuse holder. Will be using more Posiloks there.
 
@Bob R I have the EB setup on my 09 and the head light is a lot brighter than it was before. Just ask the Mexican


@cr0ft thanks for the info on the http://pdm60.com/ I will look into it a little.
 
thanks for the info on the http://pdm60.com/ I will look into it a little.

It's a great product, can handle tons of current (60 amps total as in the name) and you can forget about fuses. Have a short that shuts down one of the six outputs? No worries, fix the short and turn off the bike and turn it on.
 
Steve is DEcrosse selling the wireless ignition now I thought he was still working out the details ?
 
Steve is DEcrosse selling the wireless ignition now I thought he was still working out the details ?

Yes he is!
And a VERY helpful and smart bloke he be!
If interested, send him a PM.
 
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.... is DEcrosse selling the wireless ignition now I thought he was still working out the details ?

(No 'R' in DEcosse - DEcrosse makes me sound angry
Incidentally the wee man in the kilt in my signature gives a clue as to my screen name meaning)

The std Relay version is available now - the PDM60 is a couple of weeks off, once I complete alpha & beta testing.
I'm fairly confident it will work however.
Note that it does increase the cost significantly unless you already have one or planning to get one anyway - those PDM60's ain't cheap!
Conversely it will save a little bit on the base key-less kit if the relay harness not required.
 
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Back to the original subject:
Apologies to the OP for being contradictory, however I would not personally advocate to ground to the chassis - the chassis is not an active current-carrying circuit component on a modern motorcycle, this is not like a car.
There is ZERO current flowing through your frame. Every component's negative return goes through the negative return wiring system directly to the battery negative;
the exception being those engine components - starter, spark plugs, oil pressure and neutral switch- which return via the engine block, then directly to the battery negative via the engine ground cable.
Engine contact to the frame is purely spurious, through painted surfaces; And you will encourage galvanic corrosion at the aluminium - steel interfaces.

So while I am complete agreement with the general premise of increasing the wire size (it has nothing to do with increasing the current capacity, but reducing the resistance) my recommendation would be to just make the cable a bit longer and connect it directly to the engine ground point.

But, similar to the headlight relay upgrades, where to get the maximum benefit, you need to not only augment the positive circuit to the lamps, but also the negative return, you need to do both sides of the starter circuit, which means the battery positive to the solenoid and also the solenoid to the starter.
You need the whole round-trip to maximize the starting efficiency.

This is the result on my Daytona - the difference in cranking speed is significant on that and KNOW the Rocket starter pulls a LOT more current; I guarantee you that it is a lot more than 70A. 4ga might have been overkill on the Daytona - I would probably go with that on the Rocket.


Here's a simple test you can do to determine the upside potential you might have:
Put your bike in gear, leave the side-stand down and tie your clutch lever to the bar with a zip-tie or similar; (that is how I disabled mine from starting in the attached video)
Run your starter (it will crank but won't start) and measure the voltage between the starter lug (on starter itself) to the starter body. Also measure the voltage directly across the battery terminals - this will show how much loss you are getting for the 'round-trip'
If you want to break up the supply and return, measure voltage from battery + to starter terminal and from starter body to negative terminal;
 
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1500 watts at 12 volts theoretically equals 125 amps for the R3 starter.