fighting a battery draw on Honda GX620?

[mowisme]

I disconnected the ground off battery and ran a test light from it to motor block- no light came on so this mean no direct short or am I testing wrong? I have two batterys to try- both were up to 12+ volts for over several months. It I put one onto the Honda GX620..few days its dead. I have positive wire going from Battery to the 20a rectifier/reg, and I have another positive wire going from battery to a ignition switch..that when is in the 'on' position it lets the 12v leave the switch and travel to a 'momental' toggle switch to run a small 12v motor whenever I hold the switch to one side or other. releasing it cuts the power. by turning ignition switch 'off' no power is even fed to that switch. My question: could the constant power to the regulator/rectifier draw the battery down? (this is wired from factory to reg/rect)