Motorcycle Repair: Prestolite starters, prestolite starters, hot wire

Question
How do you test a prestolite starter and solenoid for a 71 sporty (out of bike,still the in housing)?

Answer
Your best test for the starter, if its out of the bike, is to see if it turns. You can connect a hot wire to the post and a ground wire to the housing of it and see if it turns. If it doesnt, then it would have to be taken apart to see what the trouble is. You are probably not going to have the right testing equipment to do the tests, so you would have to take to a shop and have it tested.
The solenoid is just a magnet which slides in and out and sends power to the starter. You can test it by connecting a hot wire to the main post and a ground wire to the body of it. Then touch the small post with aa hot wire and see if it slides in and out and sends power out the other main post. If it doesnt work, then it needs replaced
Happy holidays
Mike