Ok, here goes..a couple weeks ago i go out to ride and i do what i normally do, but this time when i hit the start button, i can hear the starter spin but it don't engage the flywheel. So i was thinking hmm...maybe batt. dead.  So i hook a charger up and try it again and after a few seconds it starts, albeit sluggishly, so i thought, ill just take her on a long ride and charge the battery. so i drove about 45 minutes or so and went to my parents bar to pick something up.  stayed there about 30 minutes.  Get back out and it does it again but it eventually started..Drove another 45 minutes, got her home in the garage, shut it off, started right back up..did it 3 times.  so i hook the trickle charger up for a few hours, go back out and does the same thing.  This time tho, it will not start. Just hear the starter spin and won't crank the engine.  I know very little about bike engines, but i do know where the starter is and its very accessible. But i have know idea where to start trouble shooting..Any help would be great.

Thanks in advance

oh and one more thing..how hard is it to push start one of these? can it be done with one person?  

1) Don't try push starting it yourself. It's just gonna hurt. Once the bike starts, you've got to wrestle the throttle, grab the clutch, keep up with the bike, AND not let it lean, or let the front wheel turn. If you park at the top of a hill on the other hand, gravity pushes, and you are on the bike to balance it. Also, don't try popping it in 1st. The rear wheel just stops... been there.

From the sound of it, you either have a bad battery, or (terminology may be different from a car) a bad Bendix. It's a solenoid that thrusts the gear for the starter motor out to engage the flywheel.
I'd start at the battery. You'll need a voltmeter (since you are trickle charging, you've got easy access).
1st test I'd do is check voltage with nothing turned on. Should be about 12.4-12.6. If it's about 11.1 or lower, you have a dead cell, possibly more.
2nd test. With leads still connected, turn the bike on. If the voltage drops, dead cell. Watch it for a minute or so, and see if the voltage starts dropping. That would be a very weak cell. Try hitting the starter, and watch the voltage (yes, it will drop, but it shouldn't drop much more than a volt or so).

Assuming everything checks out, you're into the starter, and last time I was there was in a car, and I was replacing the whole starter with my suit jacket, and tie hanging on the door of the car.  

wow, thanks for the indepth response..yeah the more i thought about it, i was going to have my bro in law come and push me..lol..too much chrome i don't want to replace. as far as the bendix...is it possible to repair this without replacing whole starter..?  thanks again  

Push starting the bike by yourself isn't all that hard, as long as you don't have anything sticking up behind the seat, that prevents you from jumping on the bike while it's moving.

It takes a little practice, but basically what you are doing is using your body weight to jam the rear tire hard against the pavement just as you pop the clutch in second gear. You have to get the timing just right, because you only want the clutch engaged while your body weight is bottoming out the rear suspension. As the suspension rebounds, you need to be disengaging the clutch again. You're not trying to get the bike up to 10 mph, just a quick walking pace will do the job if you time it right and the bike is setup to start fairly easily.

I used to be dumb enough to put off buying a new battery when it got weak, so I had to learn the technique. A fat old man doesn't jump very well, so I no longer put off buying a new battery :-)

regards,
Joe  

ok heres the results of the volt test


key off-12.63
key on-12.24
starting-10.98

still couldn't get it started hooking a jump starter from walmart on to it.  

Damn... Everyone got a digital VOM except me? Those are good numbers. Certainly enough to kick the solenoid.

I'd say you got a problem in the starter. Whether you can get a bendix assembly or not would be a quick call to the local dealer. I'm betting they tell you to get a new starter (it's all integrated... btw, we need the old one back). Reminds me, look around for a re-built.
I went on google, typed in motorcycle rebuilt starter, and this was the 1st hit (not an endorsement, just pointing out available resorces)- never used them.
http://www.motorcycleframe.us/motorcyclelinks.htm
A lot of other sites came up too. Betting they're cheaper than the dealer.  

well i was going to order a new starter, but i was talking to the guy and he said that if the starter spins, it could be the starter clutch? is there a way to test the starter off the bike?  

See, told you there was going to be a different name for it.
Actually, you can pull the starter right out, and watch the gear. Did that on a car years ago... bought newer car. What you are looking for is  the gear to pop outward when you hit start. If it works, next step is to turn the engine manually, and look for a missing tooth on the flywheel (but, since it happens most of the time, I wouldn't expect that).
Only catch is if they ran the negative thru the frame. If they did, jumper cable from starter frame to motorcycle frame should fix that.  

what's odd is since i removed the starter, when i hit the start button i just hear the solenoid click, when i hook the cable that goes on the top of the starter back up and leave the starter up, it still just clicks..  

yeah put the starter back on the bike and it spins again..pretty sure i'm looking at starter clutch.
anyone know how hard these are to replace on a v star, my understanding its just on the left housing cover..  

I just got off phone with dealer..it is starter clutch..they want to charge 452.00 for it.  Anyone know any place to get used/rebuilt parts for bikes?  

Happened to me too on my '04. bad starter had it rebuilt cost $90 it was a bad bendix/starter clutch whatever you want to call it. to test off bike hook up power wire where it normally goes and ground the starter body to the engine block where the starter bolts up with a jumper wire (a jumper wire w/ alligator clips makes it easier) try to start if the gear doesn't kick out its a bad bendix/clutch.