Motorcycle Repair: 1995 Kawasaki ZX6E making grinding noise when trying to start., kawasaki zx6e, clutch gear

Question
About 4 months ago I thought I had a bad starter selinoid. So I replaced it. When in fact it was just the battery had gotten so low that the starter had sounded like it was jammed up. I was able to free the starter up by spinning the tire backwards. Ever since then when trying to start the bike it sounds like gears grinding and sometimes you can hear the starter just spinning like something is not engaging. The bike will start eventually. I have pulled the the stator cover off,the one way clutch gear, the idle gear, and the gear on the starter look fine. Is there something internal I'm missing, or is it electrical in a sense something is not sending enough voltage to the starter. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Tommy

Answer
Hi Tommy,

First, sorry for the long delay in responding. My computer has been down for the past 3 days.

If the starter clutch and solenoid are checking ok, remove the starter motor and disassemble it. Thoroughly clean the carbon powder from inside with electrical contact spray cleaner. Check carbon brushes for wear and replace if necessary.

Respectfully,
Mark Shively