As Fourdogs said, BUT that is a very DANGEROUS method of testing, reason being, the battery is a HUGE electrical energy storage device, and your alternator is trying to produce voltage between 18 to 26VDC (please tell me you did not rev the engine while testing) with the poor regulator trying to shunt the excess voltage to 12-14VDC max, so without the battery absorbing the voltage transients of the alternator with only the poor regulator trying to suppress them, your electrical system could literally try to destroy everything that cannot handle 18-26V once the regulator cooks itself open and is no longer capable of supressing ANY voltage.
If you did this on an eletronic ignition or electronic fuel injected equipped bike, you have just roasted all your electronic micro-processor controller TSM/TSSM, and ICM in very short order. There is also a module that reduces 12V to 5V logic to run digital electronics would would also be redueced to ashes. You are VERY lucky you are working with an old enough model that hopefully you have not done irreversible damage! When I read what city you lived in I guess you must be used to risk, but please do not troubleshoot that way, especially on new vehicles.