i have a 96, the other day the battery went dead i got it pushed started and asumed batter must be bad from sitting over winter bought new battery today and by afternoon it was dead agian from riding all day is there some simple things i should check out first before i tear the thing all apart any help will be greatly appriceated thanks dan

Hook up a voltmeter to your new battery. If it was properly serviced before installation it should read 13.0v - 13.5v. Start your engine and rev it slightly. If your charging system is working properly your voltmeter should show approximately 14.5v.