ded battery? 

 Seems to be the most likely culprit. It's just odd because usually even a dead battery has enough juice to turn on the guages. 

 Quick batman, to the multi meter! 

 I had a 1973 Honda cb350f at one point. It must have been designed to do what you’re talking about. 

 Do you keep it on a battery tender?  

 I do, but it seems the battery may have finally given up the ghost. 

 Time to turn your bike into an Nespresso machine ! 

 My 1982 Yamaha Maxim 650 was all rigged up. 

I had no money to fix the broken key switch in college, so I bypassed it and had a copper wire to insert to “turn the key on” 

But, since the handlebar start button was also missing I used the actual key to short the start button contact with the surrounding metal to “press the start button”.

So, yes, I hot-wired my own bike every day to get to campus… 

before I dropped out in favor of a full time IT consultant and instructor position. 

 RTFM! 

 When something like that happens, don't push your luck. Fix it, but stay put for the moment, oftentimes there is a reason for it beyond the obvious.