So, I removed the starter, dismantled it and discovered the problem(s). It was exactly the Valeo starter problem I had read about and had a sneaky thought that it may well be happening to mine. Remember, this was after I bought a new battery a couple of months back (before finding out about the starter issue), thinking it was the battery that was shot!!
Well, it was not just ONE magnet but 3 out of 4 of the damn things that had unglued themselves from within the starter casing. With the amount of crap and broken magnets in the casing, it was a bloody miracle that it worked at all!
I searched about and found a new one on Ebay (the latest model!) for $189.50 plus shipping and it comes with some freebies : 4 new Bosch spark plugs plus a filter for Oilheads. This was from Euro MotoElectric http://www.euromotoelectrics.com/. Not only was it a great price but I received excellent service from John and had the starter in my grubby hands in 3 days plus it came with 4 R1100 plugs and a 259 motor filter
So, should any of you have starting issues and think it is your battery. Just turn on your headlights and if they are bright and your voltage checks out but your starter occasionally goes "click" or "thunk" or sounds like it is straining or dragging....dollars to donuts that it's the magnet issue. The newer Valeo starters are now made in Poland (instead of France) and they appear to have solved the wayward magnet issue.