Motorcycle Repair: generator problems, ken abel, fuse holder

Question
I have a 1983 Yamaha VIRAGO XV500. when i first bought it i had to rebuild the carborators, but i hadnt had any problems with it until the other day.Lately it seems that it has a short in a wire somewhere because the headlight will get really dim when i hit a bump,and my battery will not take a charge like it is supposed to.i tried to check the voltage output with a meter but while sitting still it seems to charge fine.What do you suggest i should do to fix the problem?                                                                                                  Ken Abel                                   Ahj128@aol.com

Answer
Hi Ken,

You're right. Sounds as if there is a loose cable, often it's the positive cable at the battery.

Could be a loose fuse, fuse holder, or other loose connector. Have to carefully examine every wire until you isolate the problem.

What reading are you getting when performing the output test? I need to know readings at idle and at about 4k rpm.

Check the above and advise. We will go from there.

Respectfully,
Mark Shively