Motorcycle Repair: 1985 Honda Nighthawk 700/ starter, worst case scenario, starter clutch

Question
Greetings! Hope you can help me on this one...!  My starter on the above model bike (17,000 miles on the bike, mint condition) quit working a couple weeks ago.  Started right up when I left the house, 20 minutes later, wouldn't start when leaving Cycle Gear.  Bump started it in 2nd, no problem. Checked all electrical for continuity etc., have juice at starter, clutch switch OK, neutral switch OK, starter relay OK, rectifier OK... sounds like starter motor is turning, I can hear a low "whirring" sound from the starter itself. Have a shop manual, have decided it's the starter clutch (bad news/worst case scenario), faulty starter motor gears, faulty starter motor or idle gear. My main question is: can I simply pull the starter out without losing anything down in the bowels of the motor? Will the gear on the end of the starter shaft simply stay in place? I've been bump starting the bike when I want to ride it, it starts right up even when cold, I don't want to dig into the starter before I know if something bad will happen or not!  There were no funny or strange noises preceding this problem.  Thanks! (Bike is a 1985 Honda Nighthawk 700S)

Answer
Hi Clark, the starter may have stripped the idle gear in which case the debris is in your oil. Change your engine oil and check for metal particles. If it is a starter failure its drive gear may have stripped or the starter has suffered an internal problem, nonetheless it can be removed without fear of bits falling into crankcase.

good luck and thankyou for asking
craig