Motorcycle Repair: 1972 Honda cb350four starting, starter clutch, bill silver

Question
I have a cb350four with 8000 miles on it and have benn having a starting problem.  When i hit the start button the starter gear sounds like it is pounding on the the gear it engages with to turn the engine over.  I have removed the starter and inspected the starter gear and the gear it engages and cannot find any teeth missing on either.  With the starter just lying on the bike and hitting the start button the starter seems to be turning properly. Any ideas?   Thanks for the help.  

Answer
Bill, inside the cases is a starter clutch and clutch hub, which has rollers and springs that may be the source of the problem. When the springs weaken, the rollers don't stay in contact with the clutch hub, so there is an intermittent contact/release action that causes this noise.

http://www.powersportspro.com/partsfish/
to check the parts microfiche... click on primary shaft and primary chain option. This is NOT an easy fix. Get a good shop manual to see how the parts all go together..

Bill Silver