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The bike starts for a little awhile then it just shuts off. Can anybody help me out there?

Got the choke on? Not to be Captain Obvious, but let's start from the beginning as your post is not very detailed.

Sorry about that. Well, lets just say i'm a first timer with a bike. okay, here's the thing. My friends parents were going to give away his two bikes that he had but he was like hey why don't you come and get one. He practically gave me a good bike. I mean new tires, new brakes, new oil, but the only thing wronng with it is that it will start for a little while but then it just shuts off. My first thought was that the fuel is probably not getting through as easy and it could be clogged. I mean the bike hasn't been riden in for awhile so that's what i figure.

Oh ok, no harm intended just trying to figure this out. If the bike hasn't run for a while, it is very possible that the bike's carbs are clogged from bad gas. When gas goes bad, it coats the inside of the fuel components and that coating can cause the gas not to flow properly. You can try fuel additives like Techron to see if it can loosen up the varnish, but if it has been a long time then nothing short of a carb cleaning is going to fix it.

You never did answer my first question about starting the bike with the choke on though. Most carbs with bikes won't stay running after first turning it on without the choke. The choke lessens the air flow into the engine causing it to run more rich (More fuel) so that it can start easier. After it has warmed up, turn the choke off and it should stay running. If the bike needs the choke to keep running, it usually is gummed up carbs.

Good luck with the bike. Since you're new to riding, also consider taking the Motorcycle Safety Foundations Basic Rider's Course. It'll give you some basic training and strategies for riding your new bike.

Cool. Thanks for your advise. i appreciate it.