This might be helpful, if I start my bike with the kickstand down some times the  
Decompression Solenoid' will hit but the starter will not so I have learned to start it with the stand in the up position and in neutral. With the stand down if I keep hitting it it will eventually start but with the stand up it starts first time everytime. After it starts i can put the stand down if I need to for some reason.

Let's revisit the battery!!! You say you can't see water. Starts good cold. Won't start when hot. I would say you are on teh verge of complete battery failure because....the battery works fine when cold. When being charged the battery gets hot, especially with low water. It takes just one cell plate to short killing off one cell. thus no start when the battery is hot. The battery cools and the plate unwarps giving you a good battery. Eventually the plate won't unwarp and you will be Fred Flintstoning it!!!. How do I know?? 20 + years of aircraft maintenance and 5 years of running an Autozone store. Have seen the same scenario over and over!!  If you had an older model that kept the headlight on during start you would see the voltage drop under a load. The only way on yours is to hook up a meter. You will have 13.5 volts until you hit the starter. Because the lights don't pull much amps they will look normal. As soon as you hit the starter button the volts will drop way off. Now if I was a betting man..... but I'm not!! Get some water in the battery and sllooowww charge it and you might save it. Best thing is to splurge and go new. You are probably not far away from needing it anyway. Don't work for the 'Zone anymore BTW. Became too much pressure to sell people what they didn't need to help push the stock prices up!!!! I sleep good at night !! Good luck !!!!

I hate to spend your money, that's why I'm not at the 'Zone. Without putting a load test (ie meter and hit the start button, it's really just a real good bet based on what you're describing. Call your local parts stores and see if they can test a lawn mower/ motorcycle battery. I still shop the 'Zone. I see they have all new testing equipment in our area. I haven't had the need to use it yet to check it out. If they can load test the rating on your battery, that would be the best way. may want them to charge it and get it warmed up first. make sure they don't dial in too many amps for the test. If your battery is not bad it will be. Remember they are under pressure to sell, sell, sell. Battery grease, ant-sieze, battery washers at the point of sale. I would rather buy a several year supply in a large can/bottle for just a little more. Excuse me !! I digressed from your battery. If it were me I would buy a new one and eliminate the most likely culprit making sure all the connections are squeaky clean. Had a customer who knew it all insisted his battery connections were clean (they looked pretty good). He changed a starter, alternator, starter solenoid (Ford truck) and still no start. I cleaned his positive terminal that had just a light white film of corrosion inside of the cable next to the post. Outwardly looked great!!. Fired right off. He then wanted to bring all the parts back!!!!! For anybody else I would have done it but he was just so obnoxious I refused. No return on installed electrical parts that are still good!!! Again I digressed.

skatnbnc wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:04:

Okay.  I'm gonna advance your newbie status.  It does seem like you're thinking about all of it very well...Just didn't want you to come back and say, "I forgot the kill switch"

The bike was new or used in Sept '06, but that still makes no sense for a battery issue.  You should get about 3 years out of a stock wet cell....

You filled the battery last weekend and it worked better for a while...

No click or nothing...a low battery will usually give you a click at the solenoid, relay or starter.  Nothing isn't normal (if that makes sense)...this is the key part.  

<Both our batteries finally expired just this last winter, so I'm pretty fresh on that sound.  Both were over 3 years old though>

What about the previous owner?  Did he do anything to the bike at all?  Any accessories or lights?  

Do you always have a neutral light when you think it should be on?

Have you looked real close to make sure the clutch lever switch is connected correctly?

Have you looked real close at the side stand switch to be sure it works on the side stand correctly?

Are you sure about the ignition key switch position every time (have to ask)?

Battery makes no sense to me.  It has to be something else....

>>What about the previous owner?  Did he do anything to the bike at all?  Any accessories or lights?<<
No accessories (other than the aforementioned HD pipe), no other changes. She barely put 700 miles on it, then bought a HD because she wanted something more 'substantial'.

>>Do you always have a neutral light when you think it should be on?<<
YES.

>>Have you looked real close to make sure the clutch lever switch is connected correctly?<<
YES. In fact I pulled the rubber cover off to make sure it was good there too.

>>Have you looked real close at the side stand switch to be sure it works on the side stand correctly?<<
Yep. No problems there.

>>Are you sure about the ignition key switch position every time (have to ask)?<<
YES because it is such a pain to have that NOT handy feature of the parking lite.

Is it time to go to the stealership? (please say no...)  

Dealer is the very last option.  We don't want to send a "girl" in there alone

2 points to get clear here:

+++++++++++++++

How much water did you have to add to the battery?  

Were any of the cells below the "low" level line on the side?  

Or did you just add a little bit to each cell?

Did you really feel like the battery needed water after you went through all that trouble?

+++++++++++

Did you say that there was NO CLICK OR SOUND, at all, of any kind, from anywhere when this problem happens?

NONE?

I went and purchased a voltage meter a few minutes ago. (no problems starting for that errand, go figure)  I am assuming I need to take the battery out again and test it, or not take it out? What is the best way to test this? And I know someone mentioned what the meter should read, and now I cannot find that post.  
- - - - - - - -
>>How much water did you have to add to the battery?<<
About 2 turkey baster full for 6 cells. (3/4 cup total maybe?)

>>Were any of the cells below the "low" level line on the side?<<
YES.

>>Or did you just add a little bit to each cell?<<
YES i added some to each cell to bring them all up to the midline level marker.  Some cells needed more water than others.

>>Did you really feel like the battery needed water after you went through all that trouble?<<
Yes because about 3 out of 6 cells were really low (below the LOW line) and the rest were close.

>>Did you say that there was NO CLICK OR SOUND, at all, of any kind, from anywhere when this problem happens? NONE? <<
No sound. Nada. No click, no noise like it makes when it decides to actually start (i can HEAR the click before the starter then - just a split second)
- - - - - - - - - -

Soooo depending on the meter reading, I might need a new battery. I did save the weblink you guys gave to the enclosed cell type.