Headlight and running light burned out - diagnostics?

Jessezm

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Hey folks!

On my recently restored '72 XS-2, the low beam was out when I reassembled and the bike and the running light in the taillight was as well. I also had to replace a ground wire that was totally fried that ran from the rectifier all the way to the frame ground near the coils.

I've only put a few miles on the bike but have noticed that the running light is burnt out again and now the high beam is gone. Sucks because replacements for these older models are expensive and few/far between. Before I burn out my replacement, I want to nip this in the bud.

I am guessing the problem lies somewhere between the regulator, the rectifier, and the grounds, but not sure the quickest/easiest way to test. The regulator and rectifier are original to this 7,600 mile bike.

I am trying to keep her as close to original as possible, but an more modern reg/rec combo would seem to be a pretty sober reliability upgrade, do you all agree? Which models do you find to be the best that work with the older XS's?
 
Well, I just splurged on a ESR350 (only $70 or so), thinking by the time all is said and done, it'll be worth a few extra buck to just plug and play.

I guess I was also wondering if there was a quick test I could do to make sure it was one or the other of those components failing, or perhaps something else I need to address. I sanded all my frame grounds through the powder but I was wondering if there was a less obvious grounding point that I didn't think about.
 
Did you sand where the top motor mount bolts through the frame? There's a ground wire that attaches to a screw setting on the top mount and then is ring attached to the bottom half of the top mount where one of the bolts goes through the motor. Kinda seems redundant to me but I hook 'em up that way if I'm swapping an engine.
 
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