Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I have seen a trend of problems on this forum with "no starts."
If your bike has sat for more than three months and it won't start, drain the float bowls and replace the spark plugs. Drain the tank if fuel smells rancid.
If your bike has sat for more than that and the above did not fix it, the carbs need to be cleaned.
This is the dealerships #1 moneymaker and usually charge one hour per carb plus additional fees for draining the fuel, replacing plugs, and changing the oil/filter.
Do yourself a favor and do not try to clean it yourself by jamming needles into the jets, scraping the float bowls and call your carbs clean. Take them off yourself and take the assy. to a dealership and have them strip them down and put them in the soak tank. As it has been said many times on here, carbs have many orifices that can clog and cause a wide range of rideability issues.
And the dealership will charge you alot less this way. Have it done right the first time so you don't have to chase the same problem over and over again.

what if you had your bike running prior to a rebuild, took it apart reseated valves, new-same size rings and a hone job, put it back together, got it in the bike and it would run for 30 seconds only if the choke was on and you gave it some throttle and then fouled out the plugs? is it still carbs? and if it is, do they need cleaned or synced?

Lots of variables there. When you took of the carbs to do the rebuild did you drain them or just stand them up in a corner somewhere, or have them dangling by the throttle cables on the bike?
How long was the bike down for? Is the fuel in the tank fresh?
Are the plugs fuel or oil fouled?
Is the bike timed correctly?
Did you adjust the valves when you put it back together?

sorry I haven't been back till now but did some more maintence and still the same problem. I took the carbs out and set them they way they sit in the bike. I have cleaned the carbs since my last post, checked the timing and re-verified that the cams are in the proper position. I can get the bike to run on its own for about 30 sec. after its warmed up(going through this about 3 times in a row). If I control the idol and keep it reved above 3thousand it will stay running, as soon as I try to lower the rpm's it cuts out. I've unplugged the alternator and also put a timing light to both coils to try to eliminate those as problems and they seem to be in good working order. When it runs it sounds great but smells like gas, and the plugs were a little wet from gas, but I didn't check them after I cleaned the carbs. I've run out of things to try!
there is fresh gas in the tank and the bike only sat for about two weeks. I did not change anything with the valves just reseated them and replaced the seals.

I have checked the schematics but do not see the relay that is wired near my fuse box. It does not show up on the original schematics or views in all service manuals. Anybody got an idea what it controls? It is pulling power off the starter solenoid and is wired into the white connecter in the bottom of the fuse box on the left or side towards the front of the machine. Please call me at 951-445-6743 if you know whats this unit does.

I was able to find out the problem(with the help of corsco; thanks) I had done a grind and lap on the valves but did not check the clearence. Once I had checked it I found that there was none and ground the shims so there was the proper amount... the bike runs like a CHAMP! thanks again, I don't think I would have figured it out without your help.

Glad I could help.