Little electrical fire, looking for help

[atari]

Okay, my '77 CB750 is all custom (not built by me) and I've had a little electrical fire:

As you can see the epicenter is that plastic harness, all damage came from there. I'm wondering if this is a problem with a short where the fire started, or if this is simply a symptom of a different problem.

I don't want to fix this just to have it happen again. Let me know!

I might as well give you a pic of my bike as well!

 

[dirtdigger]

Normally when a connection gets hot and melts it is caused by high resistance...either the connection is loose or corroded.

 

[Daren]

Is that the stator to regulator/rectifier plug? Looks like it. Yellow, red and white, white?
Someone correct me, but can't a short in there allow excessive current?
You need high current hitting a high resistance, like dirtdigger said, to create enough heat to cause a fire.
But also if excessive current is arcing across a short it can cause heat and fire. Am I wrong here?
If the regulator isn't regulating the output from the stator, couldn't this be a result?
Just for grins did you check if the main fuse blew?

 

[amc49]

High current hitting very LOW resistance, the definition of a short. Resistance is the same as load, when it goes up power moving slows down. Yes it can cause fire but usually under longer term, that damage there says a direct quick short to ground. Sloppy work did that by the looks.

Any alternator on the planet can make up to 75-100 volts if unregulated FYI.