The battery does appear to be brand new and I did clean and tighten connections.
Do you know the age of the battery? Just because it is clean and shiny does not mean anything. There is usually a sticker or stamp on them. If it is older than 4 years, it is definitely a suspect.
As for the statement about the alternator not actually charging, consider this. Most older motorcycle alternators (ours) are just marginal at charging the battery. If it gets low and you just do some around town driving like stopping at the store, then gas, then lunch, etc. the alternator does not put out enough to sometimes recover from this. Do this for a few days in row and your battery won't have enough to start the bike. I put mine on trickle charge for a day or two about once a month just to avoid this and keep the battery topped up. I also run fog lights 24-7.