Big Blue Spark! Help!

[Rapid Dog]

1981 R100RS

Had all my charging stuff out to do the timing chain.
Tonight I hooked everything back up.

Alternator DF wire to DF, marked that one.
Wire to the starter correct, marked that one.
Middle 'D' wire to alternator is correct.
Big spade on left side from diode board to starter. Check.
Blue wire to back of diode board. Check.

Diode board right wire to right side "D" on alternator. I wasn't real sure about that one...

Ground wires on each side from can cover to diode board hooked those up to the bottom diode board mounts on the back side of the board between board and rubber mounts.
One extra ground to frame from board to left top mount between board and mount.

What's I do wrong?
I went to connect the main ground from the battery to tranny and got a big blue spark!!!
I'm gonna be pissed if I fried a diode board!
Halp!

[Rapid Dog]

I can see from previous pics theat the ground wires go to the top diode mounts on the diode board behind the top nuts...could this be the F-up?

[ME 109]

Did you have ignition or headlight on when you hooked the battery up?

[Sunbeem]

My earth links go to the bottom mounts at the front of the board ... seems to work OK.

I did once have a wrongly connected relay which gave a spark when I connected the battery terminal ...
Best of luck.

Sunbeem.

[montmil]

Thinking you inadvertently had the ignition turned "on". If that's the case, the spark is likely a non-event; indicating your ICU is functioning correctly.

Button it up and light 'er off.

Monte Miller
1981 and 1983 R65s

[Rapid Dog]

Ignition is off.
Evidently this thread explains it: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=396488

The 2 brown grounding wires that connect the engine cover to the diode board go on the TOP diode posts

.

Off to the paddock now to retest my diode board...

[Rapid Dog]

...had the grounds to the board in the wrong place, at the bottom studs...dioge board checked out O.K.
All good now.

[dwerbil]

Phew!

[SteveD]

Good result, but I'm now worried 'bout Sunbeem and his lower earth mounts.

[Sunbeem]

Hi Steve, I should have mentioned that I've fitted solid mountings for the board, which I hope explains the situation.
I was following my Haynes manual at the time, though I may have been holding it upside down ...
I think the earth leads were on the bottom mounts when I first saw them, but I'd need to take the cover off to remember what was what in there. They are definitely at earth potential via the threaded bar mountings, as are the lower board mounting holes. Aren't the upper holes insulated ?
She is romping around like a good 'un though, no shortage of electrons here.

Sunbeem.