Battery smoked. Fuses blown. 2001 m600 help

[Radracer6]

I rode my bike a lot today. 2001 m600. I kept smelling like a sulfur smell after a few hrs. Anyway all of a sudden on the highway my tach and lights go out and bike has no power under 4k rpm.

I pull over and there is smoke coming out of the top of the battery. We let it cool and started it using a friends batt and i was able to make it home.

All the fuses started blowing. the rear tai light pilot and signal fuse was first to go every time.

I thought it was the regulator overcharging the battery. I had a spare regulator from my sportclassic so i put that on and put on the spare battery as well. Replaced all the fuses but as soon as i turn it on the taillight pilot fuse blows and also no headlight. Every time i replace it blows. I stupidly put in a. 30 fuse and smoke came out of the tailight.

I have the integrated LED tailight btw and ive had it on for months. What do you guys think?

[Howie]

The sulfur smell was more than likely your battery over charging.  Over charging might have caused a short in your integrated tail light, certainly smoke is not a good thing. Signals and gauges are on the same fuse as the tail light.  My gut feeling is you now also have a short somewhere in the harness.  The 30 amp fuse certainly didn't help.

An automotive circuit breaker of proper rating and and inductive ammeter can help with finding your problem.  First, disconnect the integrated tail light, smoke and solid state ain't good.  Replace that fuse with the circuit breaker.  Circuit breaker doesn't blow?  Great!  Buy a new tail light.  Circuit breaker blows?  Well since it is an automotive breaker it will reset, blow, reset on and on.  Take your inductive ammeter and trace down from the breaker.  The ammeter will read every time the breaker resets up to the short, after that point it will not read.  Same technique with the headlight fuse.  Umm...did you say the headlight fuse blows too?  If not it might just be the headlight bulb.

[Radracer6]

Yes but maybe the headlight is part of the same fuse? Pilot is listed? Because when i turn on the high beams the headlight works.

So you think problem 1 was the regulator overcharging and then problem two happened a fter which is a short somewhere in the harness?

[Howie]

Fuse 3 is headlight, both high and low.  Fuse 4 is tail, directionals, instruments.  Again, check the bulb.  Your short might just be your tail light, that is why I said disconnect it first.  Yes, higher tan normal voltage can damage stuff.

[Radracer6]

I mentionned that i was still riding when the light went out? When i pulled over the battery was dead already and smoking. Seems like i was already riding a bit w no battery. Could that have shorted the light?

Thinking if it was the regulator that failed. Riding on a dead battery couldve caused a few things to short i,e the tailight.

[Howie]

You were overcharging.  Think plugging in a radio or screwing in a light bulb designed for 115 volts nominal into a 220 circuit.  Simple things first.  Remove headlight bulb.  Is the low beam filament visually intact?  No?  Replace bulb.  Yes?  Confirm integrity with an ohmmeter.  Unplug tail light assembly.  Fuse no longer blows?   Short in assembly.  Replace assembly.

[Radracer6]

thanks will check the assembly with my spare

with regards to the batt smoking/overcharging most likely was the regulator/rectifier?

[Howie]

Yes.  Overcharging will overheat the battery.  Can I tell you for sure over the internet?  No.

[Radracer6]

So I had a spare Voltage Regulator. Before popping that one on got a multimeter.

Checked Voltage on Batt at rest 12.38 V
then with engine on ~13.5
then at 5000 rpm ~15-16v.

Checked it twice, so looks like the old regulator was in fact overcharging.
Put on new regulator, engine on ~13.3 V at 5000rpm 13.8-14.2V

[Howie]

Good to hear.  Head light?  Tail light?

[Radracer6]

Disconnected the tailight and the fuse didnt blow so ordered new tailight. Headlight the little bulb blew like you said so replacing that.

So sound like you were on the money

[ducpainter]

<snip>

So sound like you were on the money

howie usually is.