Topic: Wiring - Rick's Reg

[DBishop211]

I am a little confused.  I have questions relative to Rick's diagram below:
I am going kick-only, basic wiring (keyed, oil light, switched lights)

1.  In my mind, if you wire it per this diagram, the battery red and post-regulator black will always be hot, whether the switch is on or not, you will always have voltage to these wires?  What is the point of sending the black back into the red?
2.  Also in my mind, the 3rd/4th photos are my interpretation of how this should work.  What am I missing?  In my experience the hot wire is regulated and you're all set.

[Yamahawk]

So, is your harness stock, or are you re wiring you bike from scratch? I have a Rick's regulator that came with my bike, and the PO had custom wired it without ANY fuses at ALL. I stripped everything, and installed a stock wiring harness which the Rick's regulator just plugged into... haven't had any problems, and never lost a minute of sleep over it. Works great. The white, black and green have spade terminals that plug into the stock harness, and that was where the regulator used to connect. The Red hot wire is output, and the other wires regulate the field coil to give you proper charging current. That is the purpose of the regulator. Hope I got all the colors right from memory, it's too early here to get the wiring diagram out lol.
Charlie

[calj737]

The Rick's BLACK wire needs to read the voltage from the battery's POS terminal somewhere within your harness/wiring. It is the sensing wire that, as Charlie stated, regulates the DC voltage back to replenish the battery. You don't want it wired directly to the battery as that will energize the field coil constantly.

I don't like their diagram either as one could easily draw the same conclusion about constantly hot.

[DBishop211]

I'm wiring from scratch because I don't need most things (I fully plan to add fuses into the system).

I guess I don't have my head wrapped around the 'sensing' function, because I'm not sure what exactly is going on inside the reg/rect.  I can talk myself into understanding that you want to switch power off of the coils.  I think they're over simplifying what's going on with the ignition switch.  I think I have it figured out, comparing to other wiring diagrams from other bikes.

Thanks for the input.

[Yamahawk]

Yep, the exciter coil needs switched 12v from the ignition switch, not directly off the battery... that would be the black wire.
Charlie

[Bodi]

For kick only, the regulator red wire is the only unswitched connection to the battery +. The regulator black, coils, lights, everything else goes to switched power.
You don't show a fuse but this is absolutely required. Without it a mistake or a wire worn through on a sharp edge means a fire rather than a blown fuse.
The black wire to the regulator powers the alternator field coil plus the regulator uses that voltage to decide if the battery is charged (no alternator power needed) or discharged (alternator power ON). The coil pulls a few amps, so that wire needs to be switched or your battery will go flat rather quickly with motor off.