Bike turning over, but not starting

Shay HTFC · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Karma :

Hi,
I made a load of searches for this, but I couldn't find anything specific.

Anyhow, my GS500 has been left for a few months and I've come to start it, but it will only turn over on the starter.

I checked the spark and its fine, but the spark plug is not getting wet with fuel. I even cranked the engine for ages with an open throttle, removed the spark plug and put a match by it, but there was no ignition at all. That thing is bone dry. I read in another post that a fueling check was to see if it got wet.

I have drained the float chamber, then used the starter and opened the throttle, and the float bowl fills up again as I could then drain it once more, so I am assuming that this means the fuel line works and the route from the tank to the carb is free from blockages / gunk.

I have an aerosol can of carb cleaner, but it requires me to piss around taking off the tank I think, so I can get to the carb inlet.
Has anyone got any advice on what I should do that may suggest its not the carb being gunked up?

I haven't changed the fuel, but could it have potentially 'gone off' over the course of 4-5 months?

Cheers
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Ichy · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Karma :

About the best I can think of without stripping your carbs is to try starting the bike using a car battery and/or take out the air filter and spray easystart into the carb air inlets. Is your choke working?

As wierd as it sounds, sometimes a plug will produce a reasonable spark out of the engine but not when fitted.
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lukamon · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 May 2007 Karma :

probably the carb jets. dont think itd be the sparkies as sitting doesnt affect them

take the bottom off the carbs, and unscrew the brass jets. blow through the middle of them ( i either used my mouth or something like a can of wd40 turned upside down so only the gas is coming out) screw the jets back in, reattach carb bottoms, job jobbed Thumbs Up

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NiteMare · Spanner Monkey Joined: 12 Sep 2008 Karma :

the last jet i had "varnished" from fuel evporating was on a lawnmower, there was no way just blowing thru it by mouth was gonna shift it, i had to use a high pressure airline (mower had sat two years)...

DO NOT try to push anything thru the jet as you'll more than likely damage it ...

hold it up to the bright sky, you will be able to see thru the hole once unblocked...

i've also had carbs varnish that badly that the mains needle has been varnished/glued to the emulsion tube (indicated by the slide refusing to rise in the body), when that has happened all the holes in the emulsion tube are also blocked
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Shay HTFC · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Karma :

Hmm, I managed to get it running after a while of just turning it over. It started coughing and wanting to start, so I just put a bit of choke on and sure enough it came to life and I was able to keep it revving by keeping the throttle open a bit.

Cheers for all the help though - I think I am going to mix some redex into some fresh fuel just to be safe and give it a bit of a clean through.
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Full Motorbike License - GS500E '95