It looks like the KISS principle applies here. Keep it simple stupid, with me being stupid... Foglefar made the very first reply on this thread, and now it looks as if he was right. If I had considered the battery right off the bat, I might have saved myself a lot of grief. I pulled the battery and put in my freinds battery. Reving it up, the lights brighten and then stay steady - no flickering. (did not have a voltage meter at the time, so did not measure actual voltages). He picks up my battery, pulls the cap off and looks in the cells. Sees nothing, so he tips it a bit, then a bit more, then completely upside down. Nothing. Bone dry. Wtf happened to the acid, I dont know.
My assumption at the beginning of all this was that the battery was good because I bought it last summer.
Did not have time today, but I will pick up a new battery tomorrow. I'll post a follow up in a couple of days.
