Motorcycle Repair: Starter or soleinod, clutch basket, heritage softail

Question
I have a 2000H.D. heritage Softail.All has been good till now.Sounds like starter spins but doesnt engage.Without parts chasin(i am somewhat mechanically inclined)would i be best to look at solenoid as problem first?And if starter or solenoid do need replacing,is this a job suitable for me...Thank-you for your time.

Answer
What you need to do is drain the primary fluid and then remove the rear cover. looking above the clutch basket, hit the starter. is the jackshaft engaging the gear on the clutch? If not then you are going to have to remove the starter. to do this you have to remove the primary cover, clutch basket, motor sprocket and chain. then you remove the jackshaft. Go to the other side and there are two bolts holding the starter in. dont forget the disconnect the battery. you might have to remove the exhaust, depending on what you have. Once the starter is out there are several tests you can do to the starter to see what the problem is. It would be hard to explain the tests here, your best bet is to get a service manual and follow it.
Good luck and happy riding
Mike