My GS won't start (Please Help)

[yano]

My 96 GS500e won't start.

I was riding it on Monday, but yesterday when I tried to start it the following thing would happen over and over again.

I usually start it putting the choke on and hitting the start button. This starts it without a problem.
Yesterday I would have to put both the choke on ang roll the throttle for it to start. And it would still start really hard.
Then when I put it to 2 or 3 thousand rpm it wouldn't hold them. It would just gradually die out. And it didn't matter if I was having the choke on or even having the choke on AND giving it gas. Basically it wouldn't hold any rpm for more than a few seconds no matter how much gas I gave it.
I also tried to adjust the fuel intake - give it more gas or even less gas. No result.

Eventually I even dried out the battery, trying to start it so many times, or starting it and it dieing out. It didn't hold any rpm for more than a few seconds no matter what I did.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions as to what it could be because I live far from a bike shop and I'd have to tow it if I can't figure it out on my own.

Any help would be highly appreciated.

Stoyan

[hmmmnz]

right, the basics first,
gas??
check the spark,
got those 2 things then its time  to check that you are getting fuel to the carbs,
got fuel to the carbs, then check to see if you are getting fuel from the carbs to the engine,
getting fuel to the engine, then its back to the electrics,
eliminate one thing at a time, tell us where the break in the process is and we'll work from there,
good luck

[ducati_nolan]

Check your choke cable, to see if it's broken, or came loose.

Put your petcock on prime to make sure your carbs are getting fuel.

These are the two most likely things to have gone wrong, if this dosen't solve or identify the problem, make sure your carbs are getting fuel. Pull the fuel line off of the carb T, and put the petcock on prime. You should get a good dose of gas spilling out of the line. If that checks out, check for spark. If you have good spark, most likely, you have dirt in the carbs.

Also, put the battery on a charger if you have one. You'll have to jump it if you don't.
Good luck 

[yano]

yeah, i got gas, and the sparks are good.

i'll check for the fuel. i have to charge the battery before that though.

i'll let you know.

[CirclesCenter]

Air
Fuel
Spark
Compression

Get those four and you're golden.

[ducati_nolan]

You have gas but you don't know about the fuel  ? Last time I checked the gas is the fuel. I'm assuming you mean reaching the carbs? Check that out too and report back.
I hope you don't need it to get to work like I do. 

[Toledo Jim]

ok, stupid question maybe:  How do you know you have "enough" gas in the tank? (please don't tell me you looked in the tank)

By looking in the tank you cannot tell accurately if you are low on gas. (Don't ask me how I know. $78.00 tow bill from expressway before I knew about reserve.)

Try adding a gallon of gas, put petcock on prime, and try to start it again.

[plusultra]

I had my money on spark, but it could be the battery.  I say put the bike on prime and try to push start it. 

[yano]

I know that I have enough gas in the tank, because the tank was almost full about 44 miles ago.
As far as jumpstarting it - there's no problem starting it, the problem is that it won't hold any rpm over 5 seconds.

I'll check the hose between the tank and the carbs, and I'll let you know.

I hope it's not the carbs too, because that's gonna be a pain.