Motorcycle Repair: 1986 yamaha virago xv 700 charging problem, regulator rectifier, rectifier unit

Question
QUESTION: i recently bought a 1986 yamaha virago xv 700 and rode it for about an hour an the bike completely shut down an didn't have enough juice to even crank over to start again.after i charged the battery fully the bike started an could drive for another hour or so an did the same thing so i find the regulator /rectifier unit an change it. then rode the bike again and it burn that one up so i pulled the stator out an checked it an the local bike shop says it checked out fine so i was wondering if you have any suggestion on what i should do? i don't want to put another rectifier on it if the bike is going to keep burning them up, but i would also love to ride the bike again. please help!!

ANSWER: It's possible the battery may be at the end of its useful life and simply cannot hold a charge anymore and the regulator/rectifier burns itself out trying to keep it charged. Take the battery to your local bike shop and have them do a load test on it, if it fails then you need to buy a new one.

If the battery is still good and you are positive the reg/rect is hooked up properly, you will need to start checking the wiring harness for faults, as there is probably a shorted wire somewhere that is causing a massive leak to ground and draining the battery.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I HAD THE BATTERY CHECKED AN IT IS FINE AN TOO SO I ALSO HAD ANOTHER BIKE SHOP CHECK THE STATOR OVER JUST FOR A SECOND OPINION. THEY TOLD ME THE REGULATOR WOULDN'T BURN UP FROM UNDER CHARGING BUT IT WOULD BURN UP FROM OVER CHARGING WITHOUT A GOOD GROUND. BUT MY QUESTION IS SHOULD I CHECK OVER THE WHOLE WIRING HARNESS OR SHOULD I CHECK FOR THE MAIN GROUND FOR THE WHOLE BIKE? OR BOTH? SOMEONE TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD ALSO PUT A GROUND FROM THE REGULATOR /RECTIFIER TO THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL ON THE BATTERY AS WELL TO MAKE SURE THAT IS GROUNDED GOOD. IS THAT SOME THING THAT IS GOING HELP ME OR HURT ME? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME

Answer
Definitely check the ground cable and any ground wires coming off the battery. If there is no ground wire provided with the reg/rect, make sure it is bolted properly in place. Most reg/rect units use the mounting bolts as the path to ground, so ensure they are clean and free of rust. You can try attaching a wire to one of the bolts and the other end to the negative post of the battery, but if it is properly mounted you don't really need to.