There is a Yahoo KZ1000P group that I found another test procedure for the regulator that confirmed that it was bad, so I ordered a replacement from Jeff at Z1Enterprises.com. It came Saturday so I embarked on the replacement process...
For those of you who've done this before, you know what a job it is, being nearly impossible to get to without taking off everything around the battery box, airbox etc. I thought I'd try to remove it without taking everything off first, and just see if it was possible...
Halfway through the removal process, as I was removing the first and only bolt holding the regulator on that I could get a socket wrench on, it dawned on me to drill out the bolts from the top. Basically it took about 1/2 hour turning the bolt only a fraction of a turn at a time because of limited space to move the ratchet back and forth. When the bolt came out it was so rusty I wouldn't have been able to use it again anyway. (I had sprayed PB Blaster on top of each nut that's spot welded into the bottom of the battery box that these regulator bolts go into, hoping to loosen them up some.) When I figured out that I could never reach the front bolt with any socket wrench I own, I decided to drill out the bolt, through the nut from the top. I chose a bit that was about 1/4" to make sure I cut off the threads of the nut. The regulator was loose now and removing it was easy.
Putting on the new one was easy. I used a couple of 6 mm bolts that were about 1.5" long. These longer bolts put in from the top, down through the drilled out nuts in the bottom of the battery box, were long enough to push the new regulator over them, prop up the regulator with a wrench to hold it in place while I put on the lock washers and nuts from the bottom. To do this, I tore off a 6" piece of duct tape, folded it up to make a flexible tool to stick in under the regulator with the nut and washer taped to the end. I left a sticky side out near the end to push the nut down onto. I used a tiny piece of duct tape to tape the washer edge over the nut and hold it in place. Then using my portable drill with a long extension with a 10mm socket, I put it over the top of the bolt head in the battery box. Holding the taped nut and washer over the end of the bolt in the bottom, I turned the bolt with the drill and the nut threaded on beautifully and spun tight. Repeated the process for the other nut, and then was able to hold a socket wrench on the nut from the bottom good enough to torque the bolt tight from the top.
Much easier than having to remove everything it calls for to replace the regulator, and if it fails in the future, it will be even easier to replace.
The recessed area where the nuts are welded into the battery box are deep enough so that the head of the new 6mm bolt is still out of the way for the battery to slide in nicely. Just thought I'd share the idea in case anyone is getting ready to replace one that's mounted on the bottom of the battery box!
Charging system is working nicely again and lights are bright. Feels good to have that behind me!
Doug