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Now you have your new voltmeter if you want to learn how to use it (and you have trouble sleeping at night  ) there is a link in my signature to a "fundamentals of elec fault finding" guide I put together. Don't try and take it all in at once and use it when you have issues to think through the problem

The absence of a click could be lack of a ground and/or positive voltage on the small wires on the solenoid. You should check the small wires on the solenoid before you buy a new solenoid.

F64 - wow, that's pretty nifty - I'm going to try that when I get home. I'm currently out and about, and because I have to kick-start the bike, I just burned the CRAP out of my leg on one of the exhaust pipes (naturally, the one day I don't wear knee-high boots)

Hello all! So I took my bike to the shop, and my mechanic (shout out to Charlie Starr in Santa Barbara - he's fantastic) says he thinks it's actually just the SWITCH! Fortunately, I already have the solenoid if that's the problem, but I  am unable to find a "starter button" online. I feel like an absolute fool as I believe it should be the simplest matter in the world - what part should I order if it's just the switch/button? (I picked up my bike in order to go to an event up north - which I didn't end up going to because I didnt want to ride on the freeway by myself for an hour). I apologize profusely for not responding to all the replies I received. I feel badly about not doing so, and please know that I am SO very grateful to each and every one of you for taking the time to respond, and sharing your expertise with me
P.S. it's Friday night and I'm drinking at home so I'm even more verbose than usual - don't judge!
(Wookie, I know you as always will have the answer so naturally I chose to send this to you directly- haha)

Hi Coran, to avoid confusion I have moved your post back to your thread (us simple people find 1 member and 1 problem to a thread easier to follow  ) you are falling in the classic trap with electrical faults of "it could be" or "it might be" and throwing dollars and parts at the problem. 99.9% of the time electrical issues can be diagnosed accurately so the only part you replace is the one causing the problem - trust me you are not alone in falling into this trap as many shop mechanics also do the same thing through a lack of electrical knowledge.
The diagnostic guide I pointed you towards has a "step by step" test plan towards the back for diagnosing starter faults. If you don't feel confident maybe you could print it and share with your mechanic. If the starter button is faulty it will be clearly identified by the test plan (it is important to follow all the steps)