Negative Battery Cable

[TripleKing]

I had my 86 Intruder 700 on the work stand with no wheels or fork I had the battery out of the box, but the negative cable attached. The bike tilted forward and the cable snapped way up in the bike. I cannot see where it attaches All I know is I have a shredded cable. Any guidance would be appreciated.

[Designer]

Doesn't the other end of the Negative Cable have a Terminus at one of the Engine-To-Frame Bolts? If it's anything like the 1400, it might be near the rear of the engine near the Oil filler.

[TripleKing]

That is all I can see. I wanted to make sure it does not go somewhere else. Thx.

[hillsy]

Ground cables on most Jap bikes go to the engine....which in turn grounds to the frame through the engine mounts. Not ideal - especially as bikes get old the connection can break down. Good idea to run a second ground to the frame if you are redoing it now.

[Designer]

Ground cables on most Jap bikes go to the engine....which in turn grounds to the frame through the engine mounts. Not ideal - especially as bikes get old the connection can break down. Good idea to run a second ground to the frame if you are redoing it now.

Which,..of course,...can just as easily 'break down" as time goes by.

Best to just clean up the connection you already have rather that go through all the hassles of making yet another connection to have to maintain.

[hillsy]

Just a tip from years of experience.

Take it or leave it.

[Designer]

When one considers all the Work and Costs involved with Fabricating and Installing an all new Cable Section & Terminal....it is,... BY FAR,... so very much easier to clean that which is already there.

Just posting A Sound,...Logical,... Sensible Reasoning Tip learned from years of better experience.

[TripleKing]

Well, the cable was torn free. I can technically can ground the battery anywhere.

[hillsy]

When one considers all the Work and Costs involved with Fabricating and Installing an all new Cable Section & Terminal....it is,... BY FAR,... so very much easier to clean that which is already there.

Just posting A Sound,...Logical,... Sensible Reasoning Tip learned from years of better experience.

You don't get it - the point is to directly ground the frame as well as the engine. Every electrical component other than the starter grounds to the frame but they only have a ground to the engine.

[Designer]

When one considers all the Work and Costs involved with Fabricating and Installing an all new Cable Section & Terminal....it is,... BY FAR,... so very much easier to clean that which is already there.
Just posting A Sound,...Logical,... Sensible Reasoning Tip learned from years of better experience.

You don't get it - the point is to directly ground the frame as well as the engine. Every electrical component other than the starter grounds to the frame but they only have a ground to the engine.

You don't get it. No it is not,.."The Engine only"

Had you ANY BRAINS, you would see that the Engine Mounting Bolt with the Negative Cable Terminal attaches to,,...get ready,...here it comes!...THE FRAME AND ENGINE.

This set up works perfectly. ....has for Hundreds of thousands of Intruders. All one needs to is CLEAN UP the connection.

Stop being Self-righteous Ass hillsy. You are not,..."The Burning Bush" ..of the Tech Board. Get over yourself.

[Designer]

Well, the cable was torn free. I can technically can ground the battery anywhere.

Yes, you can.

However, do keep in mind that the Engineers at Suzuki chose this method because it grounds BOTH the Engine and the Frame.

No need to fabricate,.. just get a Stock Cable replacement and bolt it on! Maintaining only ONE connection.

[hillsy]

Had you ANY BRAINS, you would see that the Engine Mounting Bolt with the Negative Cable Terminal attaches to,,...get ready,...here it comes!...THE FRAME AND ENGINE.

So are you saying one of the engine mount bolts goes through the negative lead terminal?

Never seen that before.

The reason they normally run the lead straight to the engine is to take the current from the starter motor - if this connection has to go through the frame or the engine mounts first then you risk continuity issues with the high current draw of the starter.

There's a myriad of bikes that can suffer grounding issues from this - the one I remember best was the TL1000S - it had known issues with the engine mounts / bolts corroding and losing continuity to the frame. Seen a heap of them with this problem.

[TripleKing]

My point was that I could not see to where the negative battery cable was grounded. It was yanked out through the battery box. If it was to an engine mount bolt, then fine. If there is better place, I am all ears,

[navigator]

The 800 and I presume the 700, has a frame mount connection just above the oil fill cap.
IIRC the cable also has a pigtail at the battery end, 14 gage i think that goes to the fusebox.