So my bike isn't charging. 76 cb550f. I checked the volts at the battery when the bike is off and got 12.2 Then I started the bike and let it warm up a minute and reved up the engine. When I did this i got 14 volts, but it didn't last.
This proves your bike IS charging!
After the Bike was good and warm it only read 12 volts and if I really revend it up like half throttle I got 13 volts.
12.2 Volts at rest shows your battery wasn't fully charged for the test. You can only verify the charging system with a FULLY CHARGED battery. The battery condition dominates the bikes system voltage. Reving the engine restored part of the battery's full capacity. But, you discontinued the run before it could acheive full charge (14.5 Volts). The alternator at idle RPM doesn't make enough power to operate the bike AND charge the battery. In fact, the battery depletes at idle causing the voltage to fall again, as demonstrated by your test numbers.
I couldn't figure out how to check the ohms at my regulator so I checked it in volts. Nothing at first so I thought I had a bad ground so i tried a different place on the frame, still nothing. Then I connected the negative on my tester to the negative battery post and the postive on the tester to the 3 different leads on the regulator. On the white and black I got 10 volts. On the green i got in the negatives. After this I was able to ground the tester on the frame and get a reading. I'm not sure if that some how gave the regulator a jump or something.
All the regulator does is control the voltage going to the alternator field. Three wires on the regulator, Black = Bike system voltage 12 or more volts, Green = system return/battery minus. And, the white wire feeds power to the alternator field. The white wire should have the bike's system voltage unless it get's up to 14.5 volts (battery at full charge). Then the regulator inserts a 10 ohm resistor in the path to the alternator field that will lower the alternator output, dropping the voltage about 1 volt. However, this can oscillate and some meters will display an average of what that line actually is because it becomes an AC component on a DC voltage level. You can temporarily bypass the VREG by jumpering the Black and white wires. Then the alternatator will provide full output depending on RPM and bike system voltage.
Remember, you will have to have the alternator spining at 2-3K RPM for it to develop charging power. You will eventually damage a fully chraged battery by giving it more than 14.5 volts for a long duration of time.
If you truly have 10 V at your regulator Black wire and your battery is reading 12-13V, then your bike's wiring in losing 2 volts in the pathway. A reduction like this WILL diminish the alternator output capability as it expects to get 12V or more for full output (depending on RPM, too).
My rectifier had 6 volts on the wires that gave me a reading.
Not sure this is believable. What wires? The red/wht and green wires had 6V across them? But, you had 12 or more volts at the battery? The Red wire, Red/white and the battery Plus should all be the same potential. Best to track down a problem in that connectivity.
Also, don't know if it's related but my main fuse in the fuse pannel gets really hot once the bike warms up.
Fuse clip corrosion or a poor connection on the back of that panel are likely culprits. When new, these clips looked very bright shiny and a very light gold in color. IF they are dull and brown, they are corroded. And, the corrosion reistance generates heat. The heat can also destrory the metal temper and reduce the spring contact force applied to the fuse. This also increases the resitance. The heat CAN melt the fuse.
Fuse clip corrosion is also an indicator that ALL the other connectors in the bike's wiring system have corroded, too. Connector corrosion is lost lost energy expended as heat, and corresponding voltage loss across each connector.
Did this help?
