XBR charging problems

[gossie]

My XBR keeps chewing up batteries (ie going flat) so I would appreciate any advice as I'm at a lost.  The charging rate from reg/ret is 13v (i know this is low but I have tried three different ones all showing the same reading) I have preformed all checks suggested in manual and all seem correct(except above), although these were done when the battery was not in the best of health so they could have been distorted. Another symptom is that the side light bulb keeps blowing (too much resistance elsewhere)? Do XBR's suffer from bad earths?  The bike is kept outside and used all year round and has covered 75000 miles, so as you can imagine the wiring connections are corroded to a certain extent.  Please help I can't afford to keep putting new batteries on.  Cheers

Stu

[guest295]

Look at the alternator for a wire rubbing against the case, or possibly broken. Vibration does that to the solid wires coming out of the windings. With care, it can be fixed. But be sure you slip the right size of shrink tube on before you solder the join, and keep the tube away from heat until the solder's cooled. Then slip it over the join and heat it thoroughly.