Regulator Grounds

[greenmonster]

The last pic looks like the battery ground cable judging by the gauge.

+1, same on mine.

I meant the other end, at the starter motor is the ground

Starter motor chassie grounds through engine, I guess.

+ positive goes from battery to solenoid & then to + screw, at bottom of st motor.

[671M900]

Damnitall. The wire I posted is actually 3 wires wrapped in a sheath, so it's not a big gauge wire. So does anyone have two grounds to the battery?

[ducpainter]

Damnitall. The wire I posted is actually 3 wires wrapped in a sheath, so it's not a big gauge wire. So does anyone have two grounds to the battery?

What color are they?

[671M900]

What color are they?

All are black, so I assume ground, but where? Also, the way they come out of the harness, they exit towards the rear, not the front, as are all the wires in the area, so I am going to assume that they go to the ground. I attached it to where the battery's ground is, under the battery box.

93-97 monster implies that the ground for the regulator is a ground strap itself


98-99 monster implies that the ground is in the harness already.

[ducpainter]

If you ever cut a Ducati wiring harness apart you'd see that it isn't built like it's drawn.

Don't over think this...

As long as the engine is grounded to the chassis/trellis...

the harness to the chassis...

and the battery to the chassis...

You have ground...doesn't matter where the actual wires connect. They did add some 'ground straps' to make sure sensitive items were adequately grounded.

All the black wires are grounds..it will be fine.

[671M900]

I just don't want to be stranded because the battery wasn't charged enough because it didn't have the correct ground to the regulator, or be stranded because the regulator gave out, due to poor grounding.

Maybe the easiest thing to do is run the bike with that strap grounded at the regulator and then grounded to the frame under the battery box (with the negative battery cable)  and see which charges best. The ground strap emerges is a way opposite the regulator, so I think I'll go with grounded to the frame for now. Grounded to the regulator put it in such an awkward position. Other than that, I think i'll leave it at that, Thanks for the help guys!

I think that the wires in question are to be put on a ground, they don't lead to a ground itself, like, they are the harness ground, right? I don't think I was making that connection earlier, hence my overanalysis.

[junior varsity]

My OEM wiring goes/went:

Engine ground to rearset bolt for grounding motor and frame together.

Ring terminal on wiring harness goes to bolt below battery box.

Ring terminal for ground cable to battery also goes on this bolt, and goes on negative battery terminal.

Starter solenoid connects by plug to wiring harness, one battery terminal & cable end goes to starter, other goes to plug that goes into wiring harness by battery, terminating on battery positive terminal.


My experience has taught me to:

Positive side:
Starter solenoid has direct connection to positive battery terminal.  Upgrade to beefy wire.
Starter solenoid to starter wire needs beefy wire upgrade too.
Wiring harness has direct connection to positive battery terminal.

Negative side:
Negative battery terminal to frame below battery box. Upgrade to beefy wire.
Engine to battery terminal or to frame below battery box instead of to rearset bolt. Upgrade to beefy wire.
Wiring harness ring terminal to frame below battery box.