Motorcycle Repair: sportster will not start, old battery, fusible link

Question
I have a 2005 H-D Sportster and it has a bald tire so i haven't been riding any distance over 10 miles and I have hardly been riding it at all over the last 6 months because of the tire. i have been starting it up every 2 or 3 days just to let it run for about 10-15 minutes and when i went to start it the other day it wouldn't start and none of my lights came on. I thought that it was the battery so i took it to the shop and they charged it for me (it is only just over a year old battery). I picked up the battery yesterday and installed it and it still has no lights or anything. I pulled the maxi-fuse and checked it and it is still good. what could be the problem?

Answer
Ken, Most of the time its a bad connection. If you are sure the fuse and battery are good take a 12 volt test light and see if you have power up to the main switch from the battery wire. These has a tendency to burn the fusible link wire that ran from the battery cable end to the switch. Or it has lost the ground on the engine and frame. Check the bolts on the cables by loosening them then retighten them.