Thanks for all the comments. I have to admit a few things. I had not worked on a bike since 2007 as I mostly retired from trials competition and riding after 2008, save for a few rides on my 3 acres (which is plenty of land for trials riding). I also have NO experience working on electrics and diagnosing electrical troubles. I am good at painting, styling, grinding and wrenching. I have built some great trials bikes. But I don't LIKE working on bikes or cars anymore. When I bought the RE500 it was entirely because I thought they were beautiful and super cool. I had never even wanted a road bike. But I thought that they would be almost as reliable as other bikes. I don't like worrying if I am going to make it on my 100 mile ride. Funny side note: on my first 100 mile ride my buddies relatively new Harley died from Electrical failure! He bought some jumper cables and we jumped it from my Enfield..........which I think is pretty ironic. It still had to be trailored to the dealer, but I digress. Now that I have figured out and fixed the negative lead and installed a really good battery, and know about the kickstand issue, I am becoming more comfortable with the notion that I will have to work on it more than expected, but I am learning how. My son bought me a great socket set and I bought a torque wrench, something I wanted since I was 16, but never purchased since I never really NEEDED it. My deer accident and my electrical issues have forced me to learn how this thing works and I am actually enjoying it as I figure it out........with all of your help! I bought the shop manual download, and it pretty much sucks, but it helps. With you guys, and my engineer son and my buddy Rich, who is truly a genius and literally a rocket scientist, I will get passably good at this electrical stuff. And I still love the bike, a joy to ride and look at. Cheers,
9fingers