The best way to check for losses on connectors (wire sections, actually), is to measure voltage. For example, put one lead on the negative battery terminal, and the other lead on the end of the grounding cable, to the chassis. If the voltage reads more than 0.4 Volts, you have a bad connection/bad wire -- clean both ends, and the chassis point, check/solder the connectors on the ends of the wire. Most other voltage drops, as they are called, should be 0.2 Volts, or less. This is measured with the bike running, not off.
The resistance is very low, in the neighborhood of a few Ohms, so measuring resistance is very difficult, unless you have a high-end Ohmmeter (for bad connectors, broken wires will read infinite resistance). Measuring voltage drops works because the high amps passing through a bad connection will result in a voltage which is easily measured with a $10-$20 Voltmeter. Use a
digital meter, not analog -- digital meters will forgive mistakes, an analog meter will likely be damaged, or destroyed.
To test your Rectifier/Regulator, measure the voltage across your battery, with the bike idling at 2,000-2,500 RPM: you should see >13.5 Volts if everything is working properly. A load test on your battery is a good idea, even though you installed it last Fall: unless the manufacturer's instructions were followed to the letter, the new battery could have been damaged, shortening its life, or worse. Remove your battery, and take it to any auto supply store, where they will perform a load test for free.
If you connected a 'dumb' trickle charger, it could have boiled off electrolyte, resulting in sulfation of the new plates. A 'smart' trickle charger is necessary: they are mircroprocessor-controlled; they have at least four charge modes, which change as needed, to maintain your battery at full charge, without boiling off the electrolyte, or over-charging the battery damaging the plates.
Here is a book which is fantastic at explaining electrical systems on bikes, but it also instructs how to test/troubleshoot systems -- not bike specific, works for all, old and new alike. The author also discusses tools: how to make some, how to use all, how to fix your electrical issues. Book information,
ISBN-10: 0760327165,
Motorcycle Electrical Systems: Troubleshooting and Repair (Motorbooks Workshop). Cheers!
1979 CB750K (sold, 2012, but not forgotten)
1983 Kawasaki 440 LTD Belt Drive (sold, 2011)
1993 Kawasaki Voyager XII
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