It always runs from the battery. The charging system maintains the battery. The charging system converts alternating current from the stator into direct current. This means that there are always building and collapsing magnetic fields...if you remove the path to ground it causes a massive voltage spike. The weakest link will fail.

 

You sure about that? I have read that the battery serves to start the vehicle then the alternator takes over keeping the current going threw the vehicle and charging the system at the same time that's why you can take a battery out and the vehicle will keep running at least for cars that is, not sure about bikes but it's the same principles

 

If you don't believe me do the "poor mans test"and see for yourself.
I ran a starter and alternator shop for three years with my father...
Think about the symptoms. The battery goes dead and the bike won't run. It will start on a boost. When the boost is removed the bike runs like crap.
The boost is basically a good battery. If the battery is draining down it is because the alternator can't keep up or the battery is bad. The regulators job is to maintain the voltage high enough that the battery is able to maintain its charge. If the battery is bad, the regulator will try to charge it and will put out as much as it can until it burns up. Think of it as a hose running into a bucket trying to keep it full. With a bad battery the bucket has a hole.

 

You would be correct if the charging system was a generator, but not an alternator.

 

Test everything, think it comes down to a wiring issue. I hate chasing down wiring gremlins.

 

Thrasher I don't wanna argue with you but I don't agree with what you're saying at all and you're not even saying it clearly. The alternator charges the battery and powers the vehicles electrical loads that is a fact not an opinion. The battery gets the car/bike and alternator going that is the batteries main purpose. If you ran a shop with your father you would know this. As far as taking the negative cable off while the bike is running I'd have to research it more to see how harmful it really is but I can attest that I have done the "poor mans test" plenty of times and have seen no symptoms of anything electrical going bad however that doesn't mean there is no harm being done. But the ground from the battery is not the only ground path on a bike there is another ground circuit to the frame so I don't see the big deal.

 

Then you have seen the arc when you pull the battery lead off? That is the spike. Think about it for a second... how many volts does it take to make a healthy spark jump the gap of the spark plug ? The stator is three big coils, just like an ignition coil. The ignition circuit needs the high voltage spikes, the charging system fails under that same condition. The diodes are usually the weakest link and once the high voltage spike shorts them or burns them out the charging system is compromised.
I recommend against the poor mans test as it will keep you poor buying replacement parts. It is just free advice...take it or leave it.

 

You're BOTH right. The "poor man's test" is unsafe, but it's also not a guaranteed fry. Thrasher's logic is sound, but it doesn't occur 100% of the time. I'd recommend highly against it due to the fry potential, because who wants to add more variables into the mix by randomly frying things?

Overall, why bother? Spend the $10 and get a crappy multimeter. Every hardware store on the planet carries them. Can't get more "poor man" than that without sacrificing safety.

 

Havoc did a good how to thread in the General tech section. Have a read.https://cbrforum.com/forum/general-tech-stickies-106/how-diagnose-charging-system-51691/

 

Take the gas tank off and check the connectors for the R/R and the stator(alternator). Sometimes the connectors are corroded or burnt up. If they are good then check the stator output with the engine running. If your battery is running down consistently then I will assume the problem is most likely to be the R/R. These are a known problem with these bikes especially at this age.