czakky

No it was much skinnier than the main ground like 14 gauge or so. it was closer to the regulator housing. Good advice, I guess I am having some trouble reading the schematics. I feel lucky that I didn't set the harness on fire already..... No, plain old Lemans

when you charge your battery sunday, try and start your bike tuesday and it doesn't have enough power... I'm seeing the signs

The gap between the sensor and the toothed wheel is quite critical, adding an additional gasket moves the sensor too far away. We just had a guy on the other forum who had added a gasket to fix the oil leak on a Quota and his bike was running like crap not very nice. Now that you mention it of course, the main ground is under the seat release, this is a silly place for it. The main battery ground should connect to an engine / gearbox bolt smeared with a little grease to prevent corrosion. The black wire going into the regulator is not a ground it's +12 Volts, the regulator ground is the little bitty wire under the mounting bolt, possibly the one that did all the damage. Remove the ground through the loom and ground the regulator to the engine In light of all that's happened no ground wire that's grounded to chassis at the other end should run back to the battery negative, it should connect to the engine or chassis Headlight, regulator idiot lights, gauges to name a few. There should only be one path, from negative to the chassis, through the main ground wire. Things like GPS, heated gear and other accessories are ok as they don't provide an alternate path for the starter current. Don't fix too many things at the same time ok so this black wire one time "mystery" wire should be run directly to the regulator? One thing at a time good advice

recharged and still no effect...

yea cleaned up and is good to go was pretty corroded, seems to have had no affect on the way it runs

Electrics seem fine now, but it's not running anymore, reset the TPS and it seems to be getting worse I did do most of Docc's tank off checklist while I had her apart. Do you think that my new o-ring on the timing sensor is messing me up? Also I feared i might have been banging up against the TPS so thus my resetting it after it now isnt running. Is it possible I butchered this harness after so many probings? The other thing that I mentioned earlier is my coils getting bumped around, possible effects? they do seem to rest on the fuel pump. The last and least likely is the random breather tube I found real small vents out the bottom not sure where it was supposed to go thought maybe it was a tank overfill line that I missed last time. I hope I'm getting her close, I'm sick of working on this thing

I think that sounds about right! Yet another reason why electricity is such a bastard

That is very good to know, so I'm losing power on my current system? Uuuh there is a regulator ground? if there is, then no Here's my discovery of this wire going back to the third or fourth day I owned the bike. Workin on my TPS which I didn't understand at first. Wheel my bike out of the garage and I hear a tink tink, like something metal fell what I found was a screw (self tapping sheet metal screw). Then, I went to start the bike and it wouldnt start, acted weird so I recharged the battery hooked it up still acted weird saw smoke coming from the front of the bike and saw a dangling "mystery" wire bouncing off a frame bolt. Connected to a solid ground and life was good for a while.....

It definitely looks factory, in plastic rubber casing etc. negative side no doubt. Followed it all the way. Same schematic I have, I'm sure.. Oh boy that continuity testing now ya got me worried again....

dont know originally but I got traced it back to the battery. According to the schematics it went into the crankcase somewhere, it was nowhere near there when I found it. yea that was the mystery wire I found like 8 shorts couldnt tell you why or how nothing looked pinched?? Gotta go gettin bi..... at er, paged

no it was just a ground straight from the battery... there were several wires melted to it. 1)Just put one on 2)look clean but i'll give it a thorough cleaning 3)Yea but her name's on the lease...jk

uh oh.... I dont like where this is going.... Key on- 11.9 and falling Idle- 12.45 rising slowly 2500-?? wont hold it but volts are rising past 12.5 Ufortunately I gotta dinner thing... rather work on my bike

Definitely a ground which proves I wasnt totally boneheaded. Got her traced, cleaned up, wrapped, zip tied and reconnected the juice..... starts idles no blown fuses (yet) I clean up and give her a little revs and she dies..... D@$#!!!! Two questions now that hopefully the electric is better should I reset my TPS? again because thats what its acting like it idles good but dies with throttle Also, my coils are kinda sagging and it barely touches those bronze colored discs that the rubber feet sit on is that bad? I couldnt figure out a way to mount them better. While I was at it I followed Docc's tank off checklist... So once again thanks buddy!! and I hope to never replace that breather tube again.

The Beign of my existence in picture form: black wire running next to the white wire. It's gotta be a ground, right? Is it typical for a ground to run all the way from the battery to the front of a bke like that? I almost have it followed all the way. Also found a hose clamp in my airbox...which is cool (best pic I can upload..sorry)

Hey Roy, there arent any acces. that I could find there are two bullet type connectors loose behind the battery and another looks to be factory three prong harness near the same area also nothing attached. That mystery ground follows the right side of the bike and is wrapped in with the yellow bullet connectors. I have yet to check voltage but the starter just barely turns always clicks than finally she'll fire. I havent taken the tank off again yet too check but I couldnt see any obvious bubbly/ ugly wires. .... UUUh, yea I sorta did something similar seemed harmless and I again couldnt find any obvious trouble. that was about the time I found the mystery ground. Trust me negative has always been disconnected first since.

that it is the frustrating part. especially since I know i'm atleast the third owner I had replaced all the relays after the first electric issue with a credible brand, the name escapes me but it's one most of the board likes.

I'll try to be as brief as possible here. I've been chasing electric gremlins almost since I've bought this bike. Not long after getting the bike home after buying it (w/30k miles or so) I notice a ground wire dangling with a self tapping sheet metal screw on it.... So I re attached it on the oil cooler bracket all was well for a while, except starter was weak so I recharged the battery. Busy with the TPS and a few other minor things hadn't ridden much in a week or so. Again starter seemed weak no big deal I'll get it to charge while riding it now that it's running great.... But the starter engagement stayed weak, oh well, I think to myself maybe it's one of those weak connections I've read about on the forum. So I clean any connection I can find (with tank on) with no change. Than on saturday running some errands I stop at the bank when she finally gave up the ghost in a very dramatic way, smoke, no lights, and it barely started. I limp home, the next day take off the tank and get to chasing shorts, all of which coincide with my ground that I discovered dangling. I repair/replace as neccesary said wires well insulated well protected. Replaced the main (30amp) and the turn signal?(5 amp) fuses that were blown. Than wifey asks if I have any cash? no but I dont mind getting you some. So tempting fate I'm at the same bank and very confident in my repair work as my dash lights have never been brighter.....Thumb starter....nothin....again.... nothin.....starter spins just enough to fire her and away I go. No lights, turn signals, brake lights or idiot light, but I have a neutral light. Now I have blown four fuses (i will check on which ones exactly) and have no detectable shorts....? Also on my battery I have three + wires and three - wires not sure if this is normal. I thought I read some where that from the factory there is only one apiece. Anyway thanks for reading my epic tale and of course thanks for any advice..

I'm with you..

Ran some errands yesterday, bike is running great... Pull into the bank two attractive young girls admire my bike (not that it matters I'm a happily married man). Get my cash wave goodbye two my new friends turn key thumb starter....nothing. Damn I just charged my battery. Try again, nothing barely turning the starter now a big plume of smoke is coming from under the fairing and the sweet smell of electrics burning,,,,,aaah S!@#!! my mystery ground wire has completely melted hardly any casing is left. I prod it off the frame to see if I can just limp home sure enough I get her started amazingly. So today I spent about five hours and four shorts later I'm back! Its amazing how these things give and take beautiful, finicky, but she didnt leave me stranded don't think my old VFR800 would of limped home with four shorts like that.

So, last night I gave Docc a call and he had two great points that I'm sure have been covered, but I thought I would share my findings anyway. In order to get the baseline TPS reading to 150 mV everyone always stresses that you have to make sure the high idle is not interfering. Of course I thought that just simply disconnecting the cable closes up the throttle, Not True. I found my reading dropped 20-30 mV after loosening the nut in front of the right throttle spring(not sure what it's called). I'm sure I was warned about this by some one just thought I'd reitirate. Secondly, Docc had a good point about the throttle body being dirty inside and not allowing the plates to close all the way. Again I lost more mV like 30-35, after cleaning the inside (pretty nasty inside). I just thought I would share for any other rookies like my self buying used v11s that probably hadn't run right in a while. And yes even when really warm she is running great idling down and everything, next time my enthusiasm will take a backseat to patience. thanks

my tps was reading 600 mV but rose smoothly through roll on set it to 525. I will rebalance the TBs.....again. My air bleeds were almost closed. Originally they were 1 turn than balanced. Both times my revs were hanging when warm. Remaining patient (unusual for me) also trying to find a 27mm nut so I can change the freaking oil.... Still a sweet bike, but......

Its only when it gets warm like after 10mins. that it hangs. Yes.The most common problem of air leaks is the TB boots are cracked,sometimes hard to see,or the headers are loose and or leaking. Should I spray some carb cleaner or wd40 at em see if the idle changes? I checked to see if the headers are loose they seemed tight.

I went in the middle and did about 158, after it was all hooked back up I had it set at 525. I never checked it while idling. Throttles snap back nicely, vacuum ports seem real tight. One thing I found was right where the header meets the exhausts (stock and stock) there is a slight leak I just noticed a little carbon there. Could this be my problem?? It doesn't look cracked like what some have experienced but it does look like it almost slid back a little. Is there a recommended gasket I should use? I've read mixed feelings about the steel shims not sure if they pertain to stock headers though.

Aaargh, She's running great now but it just doesn't want to idle down.... All through the rev range great, but once she gets warm it wants to hang at an indicated 22-2400 rpm for like 90 seconds before settling down. I tried to readjust my TBs thinking that maybe I had the air bypass out to far or maybe they walked on me even rebalanced them at idle with the bypass screws in a little further. Tightened up anything that would give me any air leaks. Guess I havent checked my airbox yet. Any Ideas?

THERE IT IS!!! Thanks again to everyone, especially Docc! Bike is running great no popping farting or anything. Maybe a tiny little hiccup just off idle but you'd really have to split hairs to feel it. Just wish you guys would have told me sooner how awesome these bikes are, haha. Now if this rain would just get outta here....