Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Its probably the cable going to the starter relay.....just got hot during a session and melted.
What's with that battery? The terminals are reversed from normal.
The first thing that comes to mind is that there is a shorted diode in the alternator. Are you sure the wire is burnt all the way to the alternator connection? It may have gotten a bare spot between the battery position and ground somewhere before the alternator. Since there is no fuse on this wire it would explain why it burnt up instead of blowing a fuse.
If you have an ohmmeter you can put it on the alternator connection (remove the battery wire first) and read the resistance to ground. This would tell you if you have a shorted diode. Measure the resistance with the ohmmeter leads both ways. One way should show infinte resistance and the other way will show a low resistance. The actual low resistance value is not very important for your problem. The infinte resistance if not present will be your problem.
Jon Diaz is right about the battery connections appearing to be backwards. If you hooked up the negative lead to the alternator that would cause the wire to melt and probably blow the diodes in the alternator.
Did the checks with an anolog Ohm meter...infinite resistance positive to ground...some resistance negative to ground.
Could this have been caused by connecting a battery charger to battery while still in the bike with the ground still connected?
If I'm understanding your reply you put the ohmmeter positive lead on the alernator and the ohmmeter negative lead on ground and got infinite. If so then that is a good reading. With the leads reversed you got a low reading. That is also good. I have NEVER unhooked a battery just to charge it.
Just to be sure you know how to use an analog ohmmeter. When you say you got infinite resistance you mean the needle didn't move?
Your readings look to be backwards to me. I have been told that some multimeters actually have the polarity of the leads reversed when in the ohms function. I will have to assume that that is what we have here.
Does the charge light in the instrument pod come on when you turn the key on before starting the bike? A blown charge indicator light can cause the alternator not to charge.