ok.  clean carbs.  clean gas.  clean tank.  I've never been able to get the bike to idle for long.  Maybe 5 min. but as soon as the rpms get up over 2 near 3 and i start to let the choke out the bike doesnt agree and decides to bog down and die.   or it will just idle around 1.5 for awhile until it kills itself. 

just recently.  i found out that the bike will idle all day with the petcock on prime.   on res or on it will idle for a little while but tends to lose rpm and dies.  So i decided that to leave the petcock on prime and play.  after 15 min of idle the rpms hung around 1.5.  so i decided to play with the idle screw on the carbs.   eventually the rpms got to just over 2 and i noticed the bike started to backfire once in a while and then the rpms would spike a little.  playing with the screw a little more the rpms rose to 3-3.5 and the bike seemed to lose the rhythm it had at the low rpms.  u let the choke out and the rpms dropped.   So now with no choke the rpms hang around 1.5...but there is a clicking noise from the left side of the bike (clutch side) and it seems to lack a definate rhythm.  and i gave it a little throttle and it seemed to hang even after i let off the throttle.   i did it again and the rpms jumped to 6ish and hung so i just killed her.

Its all trial and error to me right now.   I was hoping to at least get her to idle and run a little bit then I guess have someone take a look at her.


she's an 89' with just over 7k.

Your symptoms and diagnosis is haphazard, can you follow some logical pattern ... and post that way too, sorry if I am being a hard ass, but a step by step is going to be neccesary.
Or you want me to ask targeted questions ?
So just post a better one, and dont make me come down there.
Cool.
Buddha.

Buddha, I was thinking the same thing.  Be methodical.  Keep the petcock on prime to take it out of the puzzle.  Put your idle screws back where they belong.  Inspect your vacuum and intake tubes for cracks.  Then take it for a 1/2 hour ride, then set the idle, then fix your petcock.