Steve,
My Tiger has a couple of ground straps. There is one from the alternator
bracket to the passenger side fender arch (this is just two 14 gauge wires
with ring lugs), then there is a big braided one that was attached between
the lower right transmission/bellhousing bolt and a threaded plate on the
chassis (right where the cutout is for the trans tunnel).
For the purpose of EMI suppression, it is a good idea to have a dedicated
ground strap for the alternator/generator, and it should follow the main
output wire to the chassis. It doesn't have to be big - the main purpose is
to minimize the antenna effects of having a single wire carrying large high
frequency currents without a ground nearby. 12 gauge would be more than
enough - assuming the main ground strap is in good condition. If you're
chasing radio noise or intermittent tach/computer operation, this is
something to look at.
If you're pulling more current than the alternator can provide then the
battery will provide current to make up the difference, but your overall
system voltage will start to droop over time. If you think this is a
potential problem, then take a test run with your multimeter taped to the
dash and wired into the 12V ignition circuit, and see how your voltage is
doing. Your multimeter will not show you short spikes that could be
occurring, but you'll get an idea of the average condition and that's a good
place to start.
To verify whether or not you are actually exceeding the alternator's
capability you could wire your ammeter into each of your big electrical
loads, one at a time, to see what they're actually consuming. If the sum
total starts to approach 50 or more amps, then you should consider getting
an alternator with more oomph, or find a way to do without some of those
loads.
Best regards,
Theo
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