That's a good observation 34:19. Thanks for the heads up. No worries about a ground loop though, unless your stereo is getting some alternator whine...
I Have a 2003 XB9s lighting and I do not have any ground on the front triple clamps or the head set is this normal, Wire harness does not have any extra wires?
Mark. You missed one of Lunatics posts (5th down on pg2 in my browser). Said 2003 had earths attached to headstock pinch bolt. Didn't know this, so thx for bringing it out again.
Hey Lunatic - The pinch bolt you talk about on the '03 - is that the one that only holds the plastic wiring shield directly above the headstock earth mounting point on my 07 Uly, but I presume holds up the front fairing on a Firebolt? - jv
Last edited by John Vreede; 09-30-2018 at 09:19 PM.
Reason: Added Q for Lunatic
Hey Guys, I know this post is quite old but I have recently been chasing a intermittent miss fire and uneven running on my 07 Ulysses. Problem was, I had a couple of issues going on at once. Main one was the ECM had some dry soldered joints at the plugs causing cut outs. I finally tracked that one down but the miss continued. The symptoms described in this post are very similar to mine so I have gone through the exercise of adding decent earths to the right places. I have posted some photos should this be of interest. I have taken a new earth wire from the neg terminal of the battery to the left side T Bone mount and earth strap. From there, I extended another one to the earth located on the steering head. I also took another earth from the rear pillar bolt on the coil to the right hand side of the T Bone strap so as not to congest the coil area. I used 2.5mm sq cable, decent crimp fittings as well using a quality crimper. I finished the new earths off with an epoxy lined heat shrink that bonds to the cable when heated. I will report if this has solved my running issues. Cheers, Stu
A few things for you to consider Stu.
1. You haven't coated the joints in corrosion protectant yet. Unless you do that you'll be back to square one. See https://www.buellxb.com/forum/showth...ms-Why-and-How
2. In running the main earth return to the battery from the engine side of the T-bone, you subject those beautifully crimped and protected lugs (nice work there!) to the full vibration of the 60yro-design engine . Just because Buells ride smooth doesn't mean the engine doesn't shake like hell! Brass and copper, that the lugs are made from, don't take kindly to vibration. When (not if) one or other of those lugs breaks, it'll start acting up again. Better to run the T-bone-to-battery earth return from the (relatively) vibration-free frame side of the T-bone. Sure you've avoided one set of potentially troublesome joints in the earth return loop of the O2 sensor and ETS, but properly cleaned and protected, it has the lowest electrical resistance of any joint on the bike. Its not any more congested on that side than the engine side and is a much easier run if using the 20 sqmm cable to help the battery start the engine.
3. You don't mention any extra earth wires within the rear subframe. Perhaps not so important on an 07 Uly as on an S or SS, but if you've gone this far you may as well complete the job. see https://www.buellxb.com/forum/showth...-stop-misfires
You mention you've had ECM wiring issues, but I see you're still using the std ECM mounts without the standoff's atop the mounting bolts to stop the std seat (which gives way under load&time), from pressing on the ECM and cracking it. I don't use the std mounts at all, just wrapped the ECM in some 3mm thick closed cell foam with tape and it sits upside down, partially over the battery, free to move a bit if pressed.
Rgds - jv
Thanks John, I swapped a couple of the leads to the non shakey side and sprayed a bit of water dispersent around the terminals. Took it for a run after a TPS reset and yes, there was a noticeable improvement. Cranked over easier on the starter, idled better and held a steady low load speed without missing. Did give a couple of coughs when cold but I think I can tune that out. I see you were in the RNZAF. I did my time with NAC....class of 76......way back when. Cheers, Stu