Here it goes...ok, i need help

[tt_four]

What position was the bike when you checked it?? It needs to be straight up, either on the centerstand, or just hold it up straight. If you checked it with the bike on the sidestand all of the oil would have been sitting on the other side of the engine. I'd consider just replacing all the oil, which I consider standard practice any time you buy a used bike, even if the previous owner swears he just did it. I usually unscrew the oil checker, wipe it clean, set it back on(you don't need to screw it in), all while the bike is on the sidestand. Then slowly and gently so the oil doesn't slosh to the side, I just stand the bike up straight, again as smooth as possible, then lean it back over onto the sidestand, and pull the dipstick out.

Another important thing, if you're not familiar with engines... When you pull the spark plugs out and stick them in the boots and hit the starter to make sure they're both working, hold the threaded part of the plug against the cylinder so the electricity doesn't actually go through your body. It hurts, and once you do it once, your brain will be so surprised and fried that I forgot to...... I mean you'll forget to do it the next 2 times you hit the starter, and you'll keep shocking yourself. 

[Allen]

Oh yeah good looking out about the gounding the spark plug thing. I just check one side at a time, have one hand hold the plug thread against the cooling fins and hit the starter. 

[the mole]

Numnutz, the bottom of the hashed area on the oil dipstick does not represent 'empty'. The bike holds about 2.5 litres of oil, the hashed area represents the top 1/2 litre, so if your oil is just below the bottom of the dipstick you still have 2 litres, so don't worry! Put 1/2 litre (quart) in there and see where the level ends up. Or just change the oil so you know its good.

[numnutz]

Thanks for all your help guys. It's going well, I say this because I got a new battery and it started up. Runs like shaZam! but it started...

Here is a video of the sounds it's making

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6ccTAHe7uM

[pandymai]

try to avoid revving like that when the bike is on choke.
start the bike, let the rpm's climb by itself. slowly let off the choke as the rpms hit towards 4500 or so to drop the rpms back down towards 1500 or so to be safe. let the bike warm up for a few minutes at least. you will probably need to adjust the idle (knob in between the carbs) and you can do that while the bike is running. if the bike stalls before you let the choke off, increase the idle and see if that helps.

[numnutz]

try to avoid revving like that when the bike is on choke.
start the bike, let the rpm's climb by itself. slowly let off the choke as the rpms hit towards 4500 or so to drop the rpms back down towards 1500 or so to be safe. let the bike warm up for a few minutes at least. you will probably need to adjust the idle (knob in between the carbs) and you can do that while the bike is running. if the bike stalls before you let the choke off, increase the idle and see if that helps.

Okay will do. It seems like the rpms jump immediately to 4500-5000 rpms. Then slowly drop down. When it gets to about 2000-2500 rpms it just dies. So does that mean that I have to keep idle higher than that?

[twelvepoint]

So far so good! If you started it in the video from when it was dead cold, you didn't let it warm up nearly enough. Give it like 5 minutes. Like Pandymai said, don't rev it with the choke on, it's too rich and won't rev smoothly.

Once it's warm and the choke is off you should idle around 1200 RPM and the throttle should accelerate smoothly. If you're at that point, take it for a little ride and get the engine hot and get some fuel really moving through it. Then stop it and check the plugs again for color.

[pandymai]

keep it on prime. let off the choke slowly. adjust idle as necessary. the point now is to try to get your bike to run without the choke on. from there we can continue to figure out what's going on.

[Allen]

Congrats! Bike sounds good, you'll be riding that baby soon! Good thing you didn't take it all apart first.

[Paulcet]

I think you're not too far away from a decent ride. 

Normal warm-up process:

Full choke, key on, run switch on, clutch in, start button.  (you got that part already)  Let revs go to 4-5000 for a few seconds.  Then reduce choke, just a fraction to reduce revs to anything between 3-4000, wherever it stays running smoothest.  Over the next minute or two, reduce choke a small amount at a time until it runs smoothly at around 1500.  Choke is usually all the way off at this point.

Your idle may be way off, but don't adjust it until you are able to run without choke.  Some of us here have to keep choke on for 10 minutes, some only a minute or two.

[numnutz]

Congrats! Bike sounds good, you'll be riding that baby soon! Good thing you didn't take it all apart first.

Yea really lol.

Thanks everyone. It's coming together. You guys have all been really helpful. I'm hoping only 3-4 more days of maintenance and she will be good as new and ready to go.

[tt_four]

Nothing about your video really seemed out of the ordinary to me. It looked like you just need to let the bike warm up a little longer, then adjust the idle properly. If it's too low the bike will just sputter and die like you said yours is. If it's too high you'll get a hanging idle, and when you pull in the clutch and let off the gas to stop at a stop sign or a red light the bike will keep idling by itself at 3k-4k rpm.

Just so you don't feel left out not knowing why your bike doesn't want to start right on the choke(which it very well may run perfect if you just let it warm up longer with the choke on, then adjust the idle), I'll tell you there's something wrong with my choke too. I'm pulling the carbs off this weekend to reclean as I'm wondering if something is clogged and messing up the choke. I can't get my bike to start right with the choke either, only yours looks to be in better shape than mine. Even with the choke on in various positions it only wants to start and run at about 2k rpm for about 2 seconds then dies. I have to ignore the choke, and turn the idle adjust way up and just start the bike that way. It only takes about a minute and I can turn the idle down a bit, and then for the first mile or so I turn it down a little each time I stop at a redlight. It's all just a matter of playing with it for a while until you magically get the right settings.

Just for reference, so you know what you're actually messing with... all the idle adjust screw does is push against the piece on the carbs that the throttle cable pulls. Screwing the idle adjust in is basically the same exact thing as twisting the throttle the tiniest little bit. The choke, well I have absolutely no idea how that one works. Somehow it puts more gas in the mixture, but who knows. It obviously doesn't work on mine, but I can't wait for the day that all I have to do is pull the choke lever to start my bike.

[sledge]

Thanks for all your help guys. It's going well, I say this because I got a new battery and it started up. Runs like shaZam! but it started...

......ahhhhhh.....a result 

[utgunslinger13]

Congrats man.  Just listen to the people on here offering great advice and don't tear anything apart until you have to.  Proper warm up technique seems like the only thing standing between you and your frist ride!  Keep it up Squeaky Voice haha J/k

[Paulcet]

Keep it up Squeaky Voice haha J/k

LOL  Well, his name is numb nuts!   

[scroggins5000]

Congrats! Keep listening to these guys. They know what they're talking about.

[sledge]

Its all gone very quiet, I am worried about him 

[Paulcet]

Hopefully he's out on a ride.  Rubber side down, of course.

[Jared]

He's working.

[numnutz]

He's working.

Thanks Jared.

Yup been working a lot to try and afford insurance lol. I'm kind of in a holding pattern. Jared and I are going to try and meet up sometime soon to work things out. Hopefully nothing too serious.

Thanks for worrying about me sledge!