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Nah, mate. They ALL do that. LOL.
Seriously, the starter turns and throws a cog along a shaft which engages with another to turn the engine over. Most starter problems of this sort (bikes and cars) are caused by one or other of these cogs wearing and failing to engage properly (the noise you hear). This was the commonly held view about XS650s as the fault is really common but most people and on particularly on this forum are realising that the fault is not this but the wear IS a symptom. When you get it apart you'll probably find some wear on the bendix (these cogs). But the wear is caused by a more fundamental fault in the XS design. A simple spring loses its tension and replacing this or pinching it in a vice until it is within spec usually provides the cure. You'll probably find that the bike will now tolerate even the now worn bendix. If you search the forum (use the search bar) you'll find lots of info on this.
Seriously, the starter turns and throws a cog along a shaft which engages with another to turn the engine over. Most starter problems of this sort (bikes and cars) are caused by one or other of these cogs wearing and failing to engage properly (the noise you hear). This was the commonly held view about XS650s as the fault is really common but most people and on particularly on this forum are realising that the fault is not this but the wear IS a symptom. When you get it apart you'll probably find some wear on the bendix (these cogs). But the wear is caused by a more fundamental fault in the XS design. A simple spring loses its tension and replacing this or pinching it in a vice until it is within spec usually provides the cure. You'll probably find that the bike will now tolerate even the now worn bendix. If you search the forum (use the search bar) you'll find lots of info on this.
