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Here's the problem - in chronological order

1. Bought bike. Runs great. strong.
2. Left sitting for a week - Rains once or twice
3. No start
4. Plugs sparking - check
5. Carbs getting fuel - check
6. Cylinders getting fuel - check
7. Compression - check
8. Timing - check
9. Drain fuel and float bowls
10. New fuel in tank and bowls
11. Cranks hard - no start
12. Burst of starting fluid in cylinders with all four plugs firing
13. Nothing

Spark+Compression+Fuel/air mixture=run, right?

No modifications or +/- anything since she last ran.

WTF?

You're right that is weird!

But since you said it now cranks hard I'd say to get a jump from someone. You can use another running bike or a non-running car. My theory is that it's not turning over fast enough to fire up.

Buzzz? Any suggestions on this one?

I'm inclined to go with you on the possible weak battery thing, Wrider. And again it bears repeating, check the connections from the battery all the way down to the starter.... I was at my buddies place lastnight to help him change a starter that was perfectly good..... we cleaned up the connections (that 'looked' fine) and his old starter is back in starting his '89 Gixxer 1100 as well as it ever did.

Some other wondermentations that float to mind.....

You have fuel in the cylinders..... how was this determined? Not saying you don't, just wondering how this was tested. Even if it is getting fuel, is it getting the right fuel/air mixture?

Starting fluid 'bursts' may not be an accurate check. Too much or too little and you get... nothing. Again, not conclusive either way.

Owing to the rain it sat in, I would first be checking the connections and making sure it got as much battery as possible. A weak connection can be overcome with enough battery power sometimes, leading one to think the battery was the culprit when I really wasn't.

And yes, it is weird....

Wet air filter?

vacancy wrote: 11. Cranks hard - no start

How hard is it cranking? Say compared to when the bike was fine.....same? slower? faster?

Are you using the bike's own battery? Jumping from another source?

thanks! gonna see if hooking it up directly to the battery tender and setting it to 'start' does the trick.

hooked it straight up to the charger and set it to 'start'. got a mild backfire or two from the starting fluid in the cylinders, but nothing after that. everything points to a fuel problem... perhaps i overlooked something.

no more time to work on it. bringing it up to cycle therapy in harlem. be nice to find out what was wrong.

thanks again!