1983 XJ650 Starter Makes Terrible Noise

My 1983 xj650 Maxim makes a terrible noise when you turn it over. It’s like a grinding noise and I believe it’s that starter. I was seeing some people taking about splitting the engine cases in order to get in there and actually fix anything. Is this true. Any information would be helpful.

 

What oil are you using?
https://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/choosing-the-correct-oil-for-a-wet-clutch-motorcycle.43702/
See last page how most people use Rotella T4 ($16 gal at my local walmart)
There are pins that are in grooves that when the starter spins, are forced outward to catch and then drive the engine.
Those pins can wear, or they can slip. And you get rattling sound.
What can make them slip is wrong oil type or not a fast enough spin. (weak battery, worn starter, poor electrical connection to the starter).

I would start with oil and fully charged battery before moving to more drastic measures

 

If you take the starter motor off the bike and connect it to a battery you can check if it makes a noise, if not it is more likely to be the starter clutch. If it is slipping the cams wont turn all the time and you can check that too by removing the valve cover and watch the camshafts when you turn over the starter motor.