charging system

OK, starter disconnected, and i can still hear it when i kick start it. I Pulled the starter and left it conncted (electrical) and it didnt turn when i kicked the motor over. the starter clutch spins freely counterclockwise, like it should and turns clckwise with the starter gear as it should. Its just i hear te starter "whining" like is tryig to star the bike when i kick it.....IDEAS??

This is probbly a dumb question but if the starter were to stay enguaged with engine running would it act as a generator???

It's possible, as the motor is the direct current type with magnets and brushes that could generate a voltage/current.

Wether or not it affected the battery/regulator combination is another question.

It could act as a generator only if the starter solenoid stays closed (in the start mode) for some reason.

You should be able to kick start it with the starter motor removed. Does it still whine then?

no it doesnt whine when I kick start it with the starter out but still ellectrically connected. I dunno whats going on here my batter is fried for sure (got her load tested) so im gonna start there, new battery, then see if she is still overcharging, if so , ship the rec/reg back to oregon for replacement. thank you both for all the help, i,ll post again when i get a battery.
-patrick-

Yes, your plan sounds good. Run it with the starter out and check voltage. If still high then return the reg/rec. Though, I'd have to say, if the starter was in fact acting as a generator and causing the high voltage, that could definitely have shortened the life of the reg/rec. The reg/rec would have had to shunt 100% of the alternator power to ground in order to try to control the voltage. This would have really stressed out the regulator. In this case, if the reg/rec is bad, I don't think you could fault the reg/rec.

I think you will have to look twice at the starter clutch being locked up in one direction. Also, you'll have to find out why the starter solenoid was allowing starter-generated power to get through to the electrical system. That means double checking the wiring. There should be no other wires on the starter wire's lug on the solenoid. The system wires should be on the battery cable side of the solenoid. It would be easy for someone to have put the small wires on the wrong lugs.