Well, I'm no electrician, but I think I'd go spend ten bucks at Walmart and buy a digital voltmeter.  Maybe mine was nineteen bucks.  I can't remember, but it was cheap.  See what the battery is turning out before you go buy a new one.  You'll use the meter again, so it's nice to have on hand.  

If you go buy a battery, and the problem is a short in, say, your starter, then you have two batteries, a bad wire, and no meter to test it with.

Check the silly noid.

Phelonius

How old is your battery??????

Next, the standrad question, what year bike, how many miles.....

T Mack 1

I did have a meter and the battery tested at 12.44 which seems to mean it is still good.

I noticed that when the key was in the Park position I DO have a rear light. So I did the following:

1. checked the fuses, they look good
2. dissasembled the kill switch and starter switch assembly, took it apart, cleaned it all with contact cleaner and checked for bad wires, etc - all good
3. dissasembled the ignition switch and cleaned all that up, put it back together and had my lights back again when i put it in the run position!

Hit the start button and nothin... not even a click - and when i turned the key off and back into the run position, no lights - back to square one so I am thinking its the ignition switch - any opinions?

thanks!
B

Well, no bare spots under the seat - I did remove the fuel tank when I jetted the carb, so next is to pull it again and check there - it's a likely spot

12.44 volts ain't exactly healthy.   A healthy battery reads 13.5 or thereabouts just sitting there when it is still kinda new-like.  

While being charged by the alternator through the rectifier you better see at least 13.5 volts (but not much over 15 volts or you will be overcharging your battery on long trips).

Take that same battery and put it under a load (turn the key on -- turns on headlight now blow the horn & hit the brake pedal)  Watch the reading.   Hit the starter -- watch the reading.  Let it idle, watch reading.  Rev it up to 3,0000 rpm and watch the reading.

If you drop below 12 volts under any of these load conditions your ignition isn't going to work perfectly any more.  Drop below 10 volts and you have no ignition at all ....  dead bike even if it does crank over.

Old batteries are bad news -- go to Walmart and pick up a cheap battery with the terminals on the correct sides of the right rectangular form.  Don't worry about the gas spout location, a longer piece of clear hose will run that right back over the top of the battery to the correct exit location in the battery box.

Remember to fully charge your new battery before installing it in the battery box.

I had a similar problem. I tried to jumper my battery and then I got nuthing. No lights or anything. Turns out I blew one of the fuses that is found under the seat. 50 cents later, the bike starts up and I can drive away.