[dhgeyer]

By all means have the battery tested. If they are not charged properly the first time, they can fail very early, or never work right to begin with.

If it's not the battery itself, then there are a couple of other possibilities. Could be a loose connection from the alternator, or somewhere else in the charging circuit. You'll have to have that chased down by a reputable shop.

The other possibility, and one that happened to me on a Nighthawk 650, is an intermittently bad stator (part of the alternator). Again, you would have to have this checked out by a really competent mechanic.

Whatever it is, there is a solution. The hard part is finding a mechanic who is honest and good enough to find the difficulty. Ask around in your area. Ask several people who ride. Some shops have good reputations and don't deserve them.

After the frustration, comes a whole lot of fun. More than a hot tub any day, unless you're riding 2 up.