So I recently got this 99' GS500e for free.  Took it home, cleaned out the carbs threw a new battery into it and it ran like a champ.  Probably rode around 200 miles on it w/o any issues of hiccups. 

Then I purchased a k&n lunch box filter along with main jets sized 130-140 and the 40 idle jet.  I installed the K&N, and idle jets (idle mixture screw 2.5 to 3 turns out) and played with the different jet sizes, but given any throttle I hear the slides flutter and then the bike stalls. 

After getting tired of messing with the jets I put the carbs back to how they were originally configured, 122.5 mains, 37.5 idle jet, 4.75 turns out of the idle mixture screw, and 1 washer under the needle along w/ the stock air box.  However this does the exact same thing.  It will have a nice and steady idle, but given any throttle input, it just flutters and stalls out.

Any thoughts?  Help?  I'm 99% certain I didnt mess w/ the float height tangs.  Does it matter which way the float needle attaches to the float tang?  I've also made sure that the vac. line from the carbs to the petcock was hooked up properly.

for the needle, the float tang needs to be between the needle and the spring.

Pretty sure the float needles are attached to the tang correctly, was unsure if it made a difference if it was rotates 180* or not.