TOPIC:

With the starter pulled should i be able to turn it by hand?

Unlikely as the ratios of the reduction gears in the starter gearbox will be working against you. Whilst you have it off regrease the starter gearbox as they do dry out and can become troublesome.

A little background: I purchased a used starter to replace mine after rebuilding it didn't work. The newer one worked but the ends were beaten up so i swapped them for my old ones. After putting it back together it doesn't work. I read online that you should be able to turn it by hand. I'm unable to do so.

If you are asking about turning a cranking motor, off the bike, by hand...yes.... I good electric motor with no bad bearings, in one piece, yes.....you should be able to turn by hand. Because this is a DC motor with brushes rubbing on a commutator, you would feel resistance, but yes, ….it should turn.

I have a spare one in the shelf for a 750, and yes...I can turn it by hand.

If it was working then taken apart to swap out the ends and now it isnt working, what could be the issue? The armature spins freely until I put the out drive on.

The starter should turn easily. If it isn't turning then something is wrong.

A few reasons come to mind; Alignment, bolts too tight, parts out of order, out of place, or backwards, brushes jammed, some motors have shims.

Are the two motors you are swapping identical? You don't mention what type of bike this is. What is what you call the out drive?? The gear on the shaft??