There is another thread on here about badly machined flywheel covers that don't line up the starter drive gear with the ring gear on the flywheel. This was specifically on the 18 models and were replaced by the manufacturer.
Have a check around on recent posts and, if I remember correctly, there is a method described to assess the issue on your cover. There is also a bearing in there that may need lube or replacing.
As far as the battery voltage is concerned, if the bike has been laid up for any length of time, the battery has either lost some charge or needs some exercise to bring it back up to full capacity.
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