Stator/regulator failure cause?

[larks]

So wondering. just bought this 2005 People 150 used at yard sale for great price ( or I thought) and happily rode around for couple months. Really love it. Only 6200 miles on it and it was definately charging fine at 14.5 v originally until it didn't.

right before this happened I had hooked up battery to an automotive type charger (had sat for 3 months due to injury). the kind that puts out 10 amps. Had an ammmeter in line and charger only put out 5 amps but that's still too fast so disconnected it after only a minute or so.

Seems like nothing, just a coincidence. After all, that stator must put out 5 amps going the other way, at least briefly. But is there some way I could have hurt my regulator or stator doing this? I mean does seem funny that it immediately preceded failure and seems funny to have a failure on only 6k miles. 

Whadayatink?

[MaryK]

The stator should be fine since it is "just" a lot of wire.
But the rectifier/regulator (R/R) is electronics, so I would expect that to fail.
Perhaps a spark/arc which can act as high voltage or just being unlucky.

The good news is that it is easy to test the rectifiers if you have a digital ohmmeter.
Disconnect the R/R and read the resistance across each rectifier with the ohmmeter leads connected 1 way, then read again with the ohmmeter leads switched.  There should be significant differences in the resistances.  Then do the same for the other rectifiers.  Compare all the readings.

If the regulator failed, it is much harder to test... except the resistance of the R/R with respect to ground should be high. 
If it is more like a short, then the regulator may be the problem.

The good news is that a R/R should be cheaper than a stator... OOPs it looks like the stator is about $50   not bad.
Did not find the R/R on a quick look.

Have a safe 4th

[larks]

Thank you so much MaryK for coming on!

The good news is that it is easy to test the rectifiers if you have a digital ohmmeter.
Disconnect the R/R and read the resistance across each rectifier with the ohmmeter leads connected 1 way, then read again with the ohmmeter leads switched.  There should be significant differences in the resistances.  Then do the same for the other rectifiers.  Compare all the readings.

Got a good meter and the manual, but my results didn't match anything the manual said. I'd rather trust you. between my red and white I get 266 kohms one way and no continuity the other. between the yellow and green the readings are the same both ways---.686 Mohms. So you would say I'm okay between red and white cause there is a big difference but not okay between yellow/green cause they are the same and so therefore my R/R is bad?  I realize numbers may be different on different bikes but we're just talking basic principle.

The manual is really screwy. They say betwween y/g should be same both ways but their correct #'s are way lower.

If the regulator failed, it is much harder to test... except the resistance of the R/R with respect to ground should be high. 
If it is more like a short, then the regulator may be the problem.

Sorry, don't get this. If the R/R is bad, the above test you supplied to test whether it is bad won't tell you it is bad?  And how do I test the resistance of the R/R with respect to ground? Does this mean connecting the ohmmeter between each of the 4 terminals discussed and ground? (I get O.L)

The good news is that a R/R should be cheaper than a stator... OOPs it looks like the stator is about $50   not bad.
Did not find the R/R on a quick look.

I've got to find your supplier  Best I could find was $68 on a stator an a shocking $38 on the R/R

Bet you love that 250! I'll have to look around for some of your comments about it