Electrical identification help

[Excess Impulse]

With winter moving on and warmer temperatures arriving, I have started making a little progress on the bike again. I have removed everything and (after this picture) ground down all tabs in the "triangle". I bought a hoop from dime city, and have some sheet steel for making a box to put the electronics in.
Now to put myself out there, I have a hard time understanding the wire diagrams, as I'm not sure what the electric symbol is to match the part I'm looking at, and I don't know them by name. So, I'm hoping for some help here to identify some parts.
What is this? It's mounted close to the back of the fuel tank.
Rectifier? The brown and green wires go to a plug that has nothing attached to it, wrapped in heat shrink. What are they for?
This one looks like it is supposed to mount on a tab somewhere, it's zip tied under fuel tank now. What is it?
I planned on using a small alarm battery, kick-start only. Can I downsize this wire?
Lastly, there are 2 sets of wires coming out of the engine, one has a plug with 3 white wires, one has a plug with yellow,blue,green,black. What do they go to? There are empty plugs close to the frame under fuel tank, one has 3 white wires, the other has green,white,brown,black with red stripe- do these plug into the ones from the engine?
The bike was running when I got it, and I don't remember unplugging these, so maybe they are not used? I know I sound completely helpless, I'm better at the mechanical than the electrical, so all help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Wolfe_11B]

First one looks like a flasher relay. Second one is an updated reg/rectifier combo. Third is flasher cancelling unit. Fourth, if going kickstart only, you can technically eliminate that whole solenoid and associated wiring. Fifth- They are the stock regulator and rectifier plugs. I don't know how the previous owner did the wiring, but I assume he hard wired into the lines and just left the plugs.

 

[Wolfe_11B]

Oh and on the green/brown not connected on the reg/rectifier, if it was previously running, I'm also guessing that he was only using the rectifier on it and maybe using the original stock voltage regulator? It's hard to give you ideas and help, since the wiring has obviously been messed with, and without unwrapping everything and seeing what was done, it's simply a crapshoot.

 

[Excess Impulse]

Wolfe_11B, Thank you for your reply, that is some good info. I don't think the PO did anything but ride the bike, it must have been changed before that. I'd be lost without this forum, and I don't like being lost! I understand the function of the regulator, but what does the rectifier do? And if that's an updated reg/rec, than there was(or is still) the original regulator? Where would that be? I guess I should have mentioned it is a 1980 model, though I think that's in my tagline. I have one more item to identify, and one to clarify, if I could tap your knowledge once more. What is this? It has brown,green,and black wires to it, and it is plugged in. And I was thinking this was the flasher relay? it says "Omron" on it,and has red/yellow, blue,white,black wires on it. so then I'm still not sure what this one is.Brown,yellow/green,brown/white wires on it. I will be pouring over the wiring diagrams more and trying to make sense of them as to what I'm actually looking at.
I would like to learn more of the purpose and function of the electrical system, so maybe in turn someday, I can be the one answering the questions and helping others keep these great bikes on the road. Is there a tutorial or some goods threads I'm missing? Thanks again for your help.

 

[Wolfe_11B]

The first pic is the stock voltage regulator, so that confirms that assumption. He probably couldn't figure out how to get the combo to work (many people have trouble with it) and just gave up. The round one is definitely the flasher relay. The 2 square metal relays are the auto headlight latching relay, and the safety relay.

Best way to learn is to do. And buying some older books on automotive electronics is a good help as well.

 

[Excess Impulse]

Thanks again Wolfe, that gets me going in the right direction. I have no problem learning by doing, that's how I learn best, but a little scared of messing with electrical stuff when I don't know what it is or does! I do want it to run when I'm done! Maybe at some point I will figure out how to use the new reg/rec combo, for now as long as it works, the old regulator doesn't take up much space.