I took the side to the motor off (because the starter wasn't spinning fast enough)... and it is the involute teeth kind. I researched enough to know that it is supposed to reach out and connect with the sprocket to turn the engine - which it did sometimes, which it would go back in only about half of those times and sometimes it didn't even come out. So I took the starter off and I will post pictures soon to see if this is what a burnt up starter looks like! I will probably get a new starter or get one off my parts bike if it will work on there.

 

No wonder. I didn't think of the starter drawing too much.
Might as well skip a step and order a new starter.
Good find!

 

Thanks, I tried to attach pictures, hoping they come up! Now is it possible that my bad starter could have caused the Regulator fires? If not then what could have burnt up my starter?

 

I think it's possible.
Knowing that:: if you take a electric motor and spin it, it produces electricity.
So picture that starter stuck out on the starter gear(crankshaft) and it turns with the motor. Running the machine would certainly spin the starter faster than ever intended. Thus producing very high voltage/amps going back to the regulater/electronics.
Whatcha think Jaster?

 

By the pictures can you tell that the starter is bad? I don't what it should look like but half of it is blackish so I figure it's bad.

 

that armature/windings is torched. it's a paperweight now. wow! yeah, burned up alright. electricity is sent to the starter to spin it. if the starter is "stuck" on the gears and remains engaged, the extra RPMs, as you can tell, is not good for it and burned it up through the ground wire until the windings toasted and grounded out itself.

 

Do I need to change out the sprocket thing too? What causes that to malfunction?

 

The new starter should come ready to bolt in.
Why? Starters wear out. Some last forever, some don't.

 

http://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/pict/18...25794040_1.jpg
The part that comes out to turn the motor... the only way I can explain what I mean it is separate from the starter.

 

Starter motor clutch bendix?