Solenoid clunks bike does not start - 1982 Honda GL 1100 Gold Wing

The Starter or the solenoid may be faulty. Remove the starter and take to the auto store to have it tested. That will confirm or rule out the starter.

if the solinoid makes a clunk sound when you press the start button then chances are its working but your starter may be siezed. With the key on try jumping the two big terminals together on the solenoid and the bike should turn over, if it doesn't then your starter in definatly siezed or you have no connection from your solenoid to the starter terminal. If you hear a little hum from the starter you could try tapping the starter with a hammer a few times and you might get lucky and free it up.

Unscrew the starting cover it comprises of three bolt .the starter tongue is active re adjust the teeth to the nomarl position

Not so unusual ... when you press the button, you throw the starter gear into the engine causing a clunk noise. If it troubles you , have your Honda Shop check it out ... your bike is 30 years old now ...

the starter have someone bang on it while you attemp to start it, or replace it

Does the starting solenoid engages? This is would sound like a deep clunk on your starter. When the solenoid engages it close the contact that energize the starter motor, but a worn contact on the solenoid would result in it engaging but not having enough current to turn the engine resulting in a clunking noise when you try to start.
The starter solenoid gets its 12 volt from a relay. This is referred to as the starter relay. If you try to crank, and you hear only a click but the starter do not turn, then the contacts on the relay maybe worn.
To sum it up, if you hear a loud clunk when it dont crank, its the starter solenoid. If you hear just a click but no crank, it could be the starter relay.

try tapping on the starter motor/solenoid, it sounds like the solenoind is engaging(the clunk you hear) but the starter is not turning if the wire is getting hot it could be the starter is frozen up.

it sounds like the barrings your going to have to bring it to a shop or buy a new wheel

this is caused by the contacts in the starter solenoid being burnt, the clunk is the solenoid closing, but because of the contact issue no power goes to the starter.motor.

Big Twins clunk too, especially into 1st with a cold motor, even if you free the clutch off first. When I remember, I snick it into gear, pull in the clutch and roll it back and forward to free off the plates. And it still clunks. Sometimes, you will slip from neutral into 1st, almost with no effort, and no clunk and so smooth you don't believe it's engaged (but it is). Weird. I have smooth changes from 4th to 5th and back again, sometimes from 3rd to 4th, but 3rd to second and second to 1st are always a BIG clunk, even if you give it some stick to try and match the revs before changing down. I now go from second to neutral and then into 1st, which is not a lot of fun when you are negotiating a hairpin on Glenquaich at the time... A tighter primary chain seems to reduce the clunk, and there are those who say that auto primary adjusters/tensioners (does a Sporty have one of them?) reduce the clunk. Some disagree... Assume you find it's much better when it's hot..