Topic: Insulated power wire not connected

[Don R]

 The red/white wire from the voltage regulator to my wiring harness wasn't plugged in far enough to make contact due to the insulator being squished. I've ridden it a few times like that 20 miles total running on battery.
   My digital meter goes a little wacky when measuring voltage at the battery, is there a good chance I've damaged something? Engine running, headlight on.
 The battery took a charge over 6 hours and switched to maintaining. The charger was off for a while before I checked battery volts.
 The stock V reg. looks new inside but I have not adjusted it. The rectifier ohms check the same as two other ones I tested. The book is a little confusing on that. I may hang a volt meter on it and ride again the next time its warm out.

[PeWe]

That red/white connection is placed so it is just a matter of time for bad connection or no connection at all. It can sit hidden and easy to miss.

A very important wire from rectifier to battery via main harness and battery plus harness which has the short red/white wire.

[bryanj]

If you have the original rectifier and regulator chances are everything is ok, if you have a combined electronic unit it may well have been damaged

[Don R]

  The charging system is one thing that's still original type. I did re-install its self-starting ability.  I may look into adjusting the voltage regulator when those excited electrons calm down. 

[grcamna2]

Don,what's your resting battery voltage;do you have a steady-rate charger,rather than a maintainer ?
I have chargers that put-out a steady 1 amp, 2 amps & a steady 6 amps;these are constant-state Schumacher chargers that only taper-off when the battery is fully topped-up and won't accept any more voltage.
I trust them more than electronic 'smart chargers'.
 I usually expect to see 13 volts(resting voltage after sitting for a few hrs.)on a new battery that's been fully charged,a bit less on a used one.

[Don R]

This charger was my Optima that has a setting for motorcycle batteries. I also have an assortment of chargers, I haven't been back out today and will take more time with my Michronta dial meter, I also have another Amprobe  that usually resides in the race trailer to cross check with. The harbor freight cheapie was going wacky.

 I needed to re-zero my meter and allow the battery to rest a while after coming off of the charger. It reads correctly now. 12.8 or so at rest, goes up to 14.5 running. The digital still goes wacky when its running.  I have a panel that fits over the handlebar clamps that can hold a voltmeter, I may install it.

[Deltarider]

You don't need it. When in doubt, hold left hand in front of headlamp. Then rev with right hand and see if output of headlight increases. If you must, you can do it every time you're waiting at a traffic light. Occasionally, say at the start of a new riding season, you may want to check using a voltmeter. With testing dynamically an analogue meter is way easier than a digital one.

[Don R]

  I was more concerned with overcharging than undercharging, the voltage appeared pretty high at first.
  I think the electrons were just excited to be back in business and the V-Reg was showing off. They seemed to be business as usual now.  The horn wire is incorrectly hot all the time, that would be a good place to hook a temporary volt meter.