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And me think Kiwi Roy says, DON'T ground the regulator at the battery negative. Good ground from regulator to engine block. Cheers Tom.

Don't overthink your problem. You did the right thing . Now , when you get the replacement wire it in hard w/good butt connectors and get rid of the bullet connectors.

https://www.euromotoelectrics.com/product-p/edl450-voltrect.htm

Get you a GOOD new regulator. Not an eBay $19.95 special. Be advised your charge light can come on if it is overcharging also. These components are cheaper than alternators , wiring harnesses and MORE.

Look like you need a Reg. The reg should never spike to 16 volts. Phil

2002 Lemans with 28,000 miles and most of its time spent on the dry side of the Cascades. Ducati Energia regulator. The charge light only illuminates occasionally. I have just replaced the old Odyssey battery with a new one. Battery voltage is 13+ volts after charge, but drops to 12.5 or 12.6 with the key on. It was also compared to the old battery by the battery shop and meets spec - 450 cca. The problem is the regulator works but it seems slow. Battery voltage will drop when the engine starts and runs - 12.5V or a little less. If given 2500 rpm the voltage will then jump up to somewhere in the 14 volt range and decrease to roughly 13V as it idles down but if run up to 3500rpm the battery voltage will run up to over 16V. For a while. Eventually the regulator seems to find the voltage and regulate it down into the 14V range. So - it seems to work, but slowly or intermittently. The regulator is mounted above the horns under the gas tank. (most pictures show it mounted between the horns, but this is not) I have checked and cleaned the bullet connectors from the regulator to the harness (all seemed good and free of corrosion). I've run a 12 gauge ground wire from the regulator case to the negative battery terminal and cleaned and tightened the ground strap from the negative battery to the back of the transmission. The underside of the regulator has greenish potting that has turned brown where the wires enter the case. I have been reading on the forum that the regulator "senses" the voltage and responds and this one does seem to do that - both initiating charge and, eventually, reducing the charge to less than 15 Volts. So, is the regulator working and the wiring harness a mess or is the regulator toast? BTW none of the relay or fuse contacts under the seat are melted - they all look like you'd expect. Hope to take this bike on a camping trip next week so appreciate your help and ideas. Thanks! Shawn

My recollection is that this applies to the small gauge factory regulator ground back through the loom to the battery. Yet, there is wisdom in making a short, robust ground from the regulator case to the engine/timing chest as long as the main battery ground to the back of the gearbox is reliably serviced. Comments, @Kiwi_Roy ? edit: (Inadequate) factory regulator ground wire after failed main battery ground to rear of the gearbox:

If I recall correctly, the reason for that is that if ground connections elswhere go bad, the connection from the regulator to battery negative could end up trying to be the main ground for the whole wiring system, and get fried.

. Apologies, Paul, for somehow missing your post and question. That "firestorm" was planned. They pack the pits -- which extend several feet deeper than the visible wall -- with kindling of all sorts and sizes, then pile an initial load of split hickory logs. They then douse the whole thing with an accelerant, thus the firestorm. The water hose playing on the flames and "ceiling" is to keep that initial flareup from warping or otherwise damaging the new pit roof. The "chefs" told me that all of that "shock & awe" settles down pretty quickly, and that no accelerant "taste" lingers. They then pile on the "real" hickory for it to catch, burn, and settle into a thick bed of glowing coals. That will be around 8 p.m. or so, at which point the various meat -- mutton, pork, and chicken -- is added at the right times during the night. By dawn, the pit crew -- this is tight bunch of great guys who "inherited" the job and take it very seriously -- remove the (delicious) meat and ready it for the drive-thru sales point and dining-hall meal. BTW, as you might imagine, they also have a great time around those pits overnight. This is the first time that this new set of pits was used. The first set in my memory -- c. 1958 -- was, I think, a relic of the late 19th century. That one was closer to main road than later ones, and was relocated a few years ago as a result of deterioration and need for more as the parish grew and the picnics more popular. The present one is at least the fourth of such pits as the prior one that was featured in my earlier Mutton Run pix was in the way of the needed new Trinity High School. Lannis? Yes, the w/g experience still disappoints me. Come visit and we'll delve more into that over some very fine Kentucky bourbon. But, Lannis has been to quite a number of the Mutton Runs. He missed this one because of a significant family calendar conflict. Lannis has his priorities right, and will no doubt return to future romps to Daviess County when more important duty doesn't trump mutton. Best, Bill

Thank you Doc - it's just been ordered!

I agree with @Lucky Phil Be aware that if the regulator is defective, it will cook your nice new battery in fairly short order.

Might be in some places, but in Germany, the headlight low-beam comes on with the ignition switch and can't be turned off. I don't know when that came into force. Both the 2002 Le mans and the 2005 or so Breva 750 are like that. The V35 Imola, 1983 and imported from Italy, has an "off" switch for the headlights. Incidentally, as far as I know, the mandatory "always-on low-beam" is only for Motorcycles. My car allows the headlights to be switched off. It is from 2016. PS: here, I found an article from the European Comission. Warning: the tone of the article is of the nature of those who believe that motorcycles should be banned altogether, and that those who ride motorcycles probably should be put away in closed institutions for their own good. Having said that... https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/eu-road-safety-policy/priorities/safe-vehicles/archive/safety-design-needs/motorcycles_en

Thanks, Bill, for the travelogue and unparalleled narration we've all come to enjoy. Was the initial firestorm planned or was a little too much boy scout fuel used?? The only thing I saw missing was Lannis, hope he's okay I miss his spirited discussions over at WG, but that's a whole different story. Paul B

Best regards from the U.S.A. , my friends!